Nail Foils Tutorial

Hey everyone! Today I present to you the magic that is nail foils! These gorgeous and versatile nail decorations are easy to use and are absolutely stunning. Read on to find out more about them, how to use them and where to get them! 
I've seen the term 'nail foils' all over YouTube and Instagram, but only recently discovered what they were and how to use them. I bought mine from bornprettystore, they're really cheap and there are loads of colours and patterns to choose from. Basically they come in a small folded sheet or a roll that looks kind of like sparkly wrapping paper. At first I thought they were a kind of sticker, or just shiny paper that you cut up and glued on, but they're actually just magical. Here's how to use them:

What I Used:

- OPI Ridge Filler Base Coat
- OPI Jade Is The New Black
- OPI Top Coat
- Gold Nail Foil
- Cotton bud
- Acetone and cleanup brush

1. As always, apply a base coat to protect your nails from stains and provide a smooth base for polish

2. Cut your foil into rectangular pieces that are just larger than your nail; it will be much easier to work with this way

3. Paint your nails with two coats of your chosen colour

4. Wait about 2-3 minutes for your nails to dry slightly. They should still be tacky enough to leave a finger print on the surface of your nail. If they're too wet, the foil will simply lift the polish off the nail and make a mess. If they're too dry, the foil won't transfer

5. Take a piece of your foil and lightly dab it onto the nail, shiny side up. Press down gently on the areas where you want the foil to be. Using a cotton bud will help to apply it smoothly

6. Lift up the foil and you should be left with a gold (or whatever colour you have) spot on your nail where you pressed down on it. Continue in small patches around the nail until you're happy with the coverage. I recommend doing one full hand at a time, otherwise by the time you get to applying foil to your other hand the polish will be too dry - or you could just add another coat of polish

7. Apply a top coat to prolong the wear time of your mani, but DON'T use a fast drying one - these tend to crinkle the foil and dull the shine. I used a regular OPI Top Coat rather than my favourite fast drying Seche Vite for this reason 

And you're done! Feel free to experiment with different colour combos, I know I will be! I purchased a gold, a silver, and a psychedelic rainbow foil so I will definitely be testing those out in the near future. I wasn't quite brave enough to try a full foiled nail so I went with simple gold flakes instead, but I will probably try that out soon too.

Also, apologies for not posting for a while, I've been distracted with the uni semester starting again. I'll try to post at least once a week, but remember I'm also on Instagram at @prettylittlep0lish, which I update quite often. See you soon!

Lisa xx