Craquelure on nails is a fairly common and popular technique in nail design. Today there are many options for obtaining this expressive effect. Our article will help those who not only love to show off with well-groomed and beautiful nails, but also strive to learn how to do manicure on their own.
Among other alternatives, a craquelure manicure made using foil stands apart. Frankly, the technology can hardly be called simple. Some skills and knowledge will be required, and accuracy must be on top. But the result in the form of exquisite shining nails will be a well-deserved reward for all works. Study the materiel, use our tips, use high-quality materials - and you will get marigolds no worse than salon ones, which you will not be ashamed to show off to girlfriends and colleagues. And do not be surprised at increased attention!
What is craquelure?
This word of French origin came to the world of nail art from painting, or rather, from restoration. This is the name for the cobweb of cracks that appears over time on old canvases. Cracking effect - this is the main feature of craquelure or crackle. Consider how to get it on your nails.
Nail design "craquelure" should not look untidy at all. After all, cracks can appear if the coating technology is violated. But they will certainly not be so beautiful and expressive. Our task is to get the effect of artificial aging. A game in contrasts will add expressiveness when a base layer of a different color appears through the cobweb of the upper layer.
Various techniques of craquelure nail art
The easiest way to achieve the effect is to use a special varnish. Unfortunately, this tool is not suitable for gel manicure. The coating will last on the nails for only a few days. The technology has its advantages: the relatively low price of varnish, a good selection of colors, ease of use. You just need to cover it, apply a regular varnish to the nail plates, allow it to dry completely, cover it with Crackle varnish, wait for the cracks to form and apply a fixative layer on top. So the craquelure on the nails is ready.
Foil for manicure is more difficult to use. It will require certain costs, time and skill. But this method is perfect for lovers of persistent gel coating. It is this technology in our article that focuses on.
Is it possible to use foil for manicure with regular varnish? It is possible, but it is more difficult, and the availability of alternatives casts doubt on the feasibility of using foil. But if you really want to, you must definitely try.
Manicure foil and its features
The craquelure on the nails, the photo of which you see in this section, is made using special shining material. It can be purchased in the departments for nail art. Usually foil is sold in small rolls or in bundles.
There are many different ways to use it for nail design. Each master has a couple of his secrets. Application for craquelure manicure consists in gluing foil, but not on the entire surface of the nail (as, for example, for a mirror manicure), but only on some of its areas. The gaps between them play the role of cracks through which the lower layer peers.
Essential materials for gel manicure with foil
Hygienic preliminary procedures can be performed using any tool that is convenient for you. Someone manages the usual typesetter, someone needs equipment. Do as you please, but in any case, put the nails in order before applying the coating.
And to make a craquelure on the nails using gel polish, we need the following:
- nail file and polishing buff for natural nails;
- degreasing agent;
- base (e.g., Structure);
- varnish that does not match the color of the foil;
- manicure foil;
- fixative (Brilliance or any equivalent);
- means for removing the sticky layer after the last drying (for example, Purify);
- orange stick
- tweezers;
- nail scissors.
Of course, a special lamp is a special lamp for drying gel varnishes. And for those who have just begun to learn how to work with this material, they need a watch (if the lamp does not have a built-in timer).
Working process
To make the craquelure on the nails neat and beautiful, follow the technology. Read the instructions for varnish and other products (produced by different companies, they may require different drying times under the lamp). Prepare everything you need. Treat your nails with a buff to improve grip, degrease.
Apply the base on the nails with the little finger to the forefinger of one hand, dry for 1 minute. Repeat with the fingers of the second hand. The last step is to coat and dry the nails of both thumbs. This scheme saves time and gives a good result. It is advisable to apply a decorative coating in the same order.
Cover your nails with varnish. Depending on the brand, one or two layers may be needed. Dry in stages, but do not remove the sticky layer - we need it!
Cut the foil into pieces a little more than the nail. Apply, trying not to get a perfectly even fit. Swipe the orange stick in a dashed fashion. Sharply tear off the foil over the edge - it will remain only on the fragments to which it was pressed with a wand.
Cover with a fixative, dry, wipe with a stick remover.
You can apply a craquelure pattern on all nails, only on some of them or on the overgrown parts. Having mastered the technique, you will be able to experiment and do, for example, a jacket with craquelure.
Manicure with foil using ordinary varnish
If you have neither a lamp, nor a desire to work with gel polishes, you can do with improvised materials. But in this case, glue is needed for the foil. Of course, you can "half" the degree of drying, when the surface is no longer deformed, but still sticky, but to achieve a good result will be difficult. Glue is sold in the same place as the foil.
Cover the dried varnish with glue stains, leaving gaps “cracks”. Glue the foil with a matte surface inward, tear off. To keep the craquelure on the nails longer, a very thin layer of fixative varnish can be applied on top of the foil.
An unusual way of craquelure manicure with foil
Crackle varnish and manicure foil are not the only ways to achieve the effect. There is another unusual method to get craquelure effect on nails. For it, you need ordinary foil (from chocolate or for baking) and two varnishes of different colors.
Coat your nails with one coat and let it dry. Apply a second and immediately press a crumpled piece of foil to the nail. Take it away. Part of the varnish will remain on the foil, and part will lie in the form of cracks. To dry the surface, after drying, apply a coat of colorless varnish or fixative.
It is worth noting that the above methods give different results. Try them all to find the one that suits you more than others.