Nail Studs - Which Is Your Favourite?

Hey guys! Recently I got my hands on some nail studs from bornprettystore and I've been experimenting with them for the past few weeks, and these four designs are the results! Rather than giving you guys four individual tutorials (they're pretty straight forward and they'd be pretty repetitive) I thought I'd present each design and give you some general tips and tricks I discovered in the process. Enjoy! 

Nude Studs

This first look is the most simple, and the most versatile. Adding studs is a great way of easily jazzing up any mani or matching it to your outfit or accessories. You can put as many or as little studs on as you like, depending on your desired level of bling. I really like the combination of this soft peachy nude and the square gold studs, and I think having relatively few studs makes for a really elegant look. The accent nail in this design is still pretty simple, and is just something a little extra to mix up the look. This was my first studded mani, so I recommend starting with something similar if you're a beginner like me.

Studded Daisies

This look is a little more complex and incorporates the studs into a painted design. The small gold studs make these simple daisies really pop against the black base. I've posted a tutorial for this design over on beautylust.co.nz so feel free to check it out if you'd like some more details on how I did it. 

Studded Accent Nail

I really love this look and apparently so did a lot of you if my instagram is anything to go by! Don't be scared by the amount of studs here, the process is exactly the same, you just need to watch your spacing, but more on that later. The white, gold and silver is again a very elegant combination in my opinion, and the completely covered accent nail makes for the perfect accessory to any outfit. 

Negative Space Studs

This final design was an entirely random experiment incorporating two recent nailart trends - studs and 'negative space'. Negative space just refers to the areas where your bare nail is showing through. Here I used striping tape to section off the middle third of my nail and then added some different sized studs through the centre. The bright red polish really draws attention to them, and the studs stand out nicely against a bare background.  

Now that you've seen all the looks, here's a few pointers on stud application and how to make sure they stay on as long as possible:

1. Prepare yourself with the appropriate tools. A toothpick with a small dot of top coat on the end works great for picking up studs, and the same with a dotting tool. You could also use a wax pencil, which you can buy very cheaply from online nailart stores, to pick up studs, rhinestones and glitter without having to add top coat for stickiness. 

2. Once you've got your chosen tool and painted on your base coat, there are two ways you can apply your studs. Firstly, you can apply a layer of top coat over your whole nail and simply place the studs immediately onto the nail while it's still wet. This works best when you only have a few studs to place. The second option is to dab a small amount of top coat only where you intend to place the studs, such as in a line up the nail. This way you can work in small sections at a time without the top coat drying out, which is much easier when placing a lot of studs. 

3. Spacing is also important and can be tricky. If you work out how many studs are going to fit where you intend to place them before actually sticking them down, you're going to end up with a better result than if you just figure it out as you go along. I also found that starting from the bottom or top of the nail was easier than starting in the middle, as you can be sure you're maximising the space you have. 

4. Lastly, after all that effort you're going to want to make sure your mani lasts more than a day! I have one piece of advice: TOP COAT. It's important to let the studs settle for a few minutes after you stick them down so they dry in place, and then you'll need to apply a thick layer of top coat over the top of your whole nail, covering all the studs, to really cement them in place. I use my trusty Seche Vite because it's fast drying and long lasting, sealing everything in place for up to a week!

And there are my tips and tricks for applying studs, don't be afraid to try some out for yourself, and let me know in the comments below which design is your favourite! See ya next time. . .

Lisa xx