Nail decals and stickers are a great way to dress up your
mani (and pedi!). Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love to stick a few decals over
a dry fresh coat of polish to see the awesome (and temporary) change?
Sometimes
though, you may want that temporary decal to last a bit longer. Well, here’s a
few tips for protecting that gorgeous new polish and decal, at the same time!
First, a more fashionable piece of advice when using nail
decals and stickers – don’t put all of the designs in a pack on at once! You
may be tempted to, but sometimes less is more, plus you will have extras to do
this all over again later.
Applying the decals
Start off by choosing the decal that fits best on your
nails. Our Nail Decal Stickers come in three varied sizes, suitable
for most nail sizes. For a thumb or big toe, we recommend using the larger size
decals on the top row of the sheet. For the index, ring, and middle fingers,
give the middle size decals a try. For the pinkie, you guessed it – give the
smallest size a try. Make sure your nails are dry and clean before applying any decals!
Fun fact – the pinkie size is perfect for child size nails
as well!
Tip: when applying your decals, pay attention to the base
coat colors on your nails and the decal colors. For best results, we find that
a complimentary color combination (between the base coat and decal color)
creates a really pretty blend. That’s not to say that you have to stick to that
of course! Feel free to try contrasting color schemes too if that’s your thing!
Protecting the decals (and your mani)
Once the decal is on your nail, they stick very well and are
waterproof. If you are using waterslide decals, this is not the case as water
will strip them off in a heartbeat. If you’re using our decal stickers, you’re
safe. Sometimes though, an added coat or two of protective nail polish will
protect the decal for two weeks or more! The catch? You have to pick the right
top coat.
We have found that not all top coats are the same. Many have
different chemicals and ingredients that can protect as well as harm your
polish, decals, and skin! We suggest picking a top coat that 1) is within your
budget, and 2) has a solid reputation for being reliable. The best source for
this is, believe it or not, checking what your local nail salon uses. This is a
great way to find quality products. If all else fails, we suggest using a top-coat
with good reviews from Amazon or similar sites, like this: Amazon Top Coat Selection.
Once you have the top-coat picked out, gently apply the
first layer. You do not want to over saturate and drench your nail with top
coat! It’s like painting, layer on a soft light coat first and once that dries,
go for a progressively thicker coat, until you have built up about 3-5 layers.
Here’s a handy YouTube video on applying the top coat: How to Apply Top Coat.
That’s pretty much it! If you take the extra time to protect
your nails with a solid top-coat and don’t over do the nail decal application
step, you’re guaranteed beautiful results!
