NTNA Challenge 2: Days Gone By...

Inspiration Board- Inspired by The Roaring 20’s! The 20’s were a time of great break through, woman’s rights, a change in technology and a break with Modernity. Using this inspiration board, these nails were to create a sense of fun, rebellious, sexy nails.... with a bit of class.  

Start with a nail tip that has already been painted and cured with black with Akzentz Black-On. Using the gold pearlescent powder, rub into nail with a make-up applicator or sponge. Using stripping tape, find the center of the base of the tip (cuticle) and run tape down the center of the nail to the edge. Create a fan like pattern starting at the base as well and fan out on either side twice. Make sure your lines are evenly spaced. Using silver gel play. Then using black gel play, paint the two outer areas, gently remove tape and cure. Now using gold gel play, fill the spaces between keeping very straight crisps lines, cure. Using black fluid acrylic paint, out line between the gold and silver. Finish with Akzents Shine-On.  

Using a tip, size how large you wish to create your 3D piece. Draw out the shape of 3 diamonds over lapping . Covering with wax paper now, use Akzents balance gel and gently form the shape of the diamonds, following the patterns underneath. Make the diamonds individually, you will eventually connect them later. Once you have your 3 diamonds, file down the edges making clean crisp edges. Once your perfect diamonds are formed, connect them using nail resin. Now these 3 diamonds will have formed a balanced art deco appearance, use Akzents Black-On and cure. Apply gold pearlescent powder to most of the piece with a make-up applicator but be careful to only lightly dust, not rub, towards the bottom portion. This will give your 3D piece a vintage feel. Now using black gel play, outline the top of the first diamond and partial outline to the middle diamond and cure. Also using black gel play, follow the shapes of the diamond downwards but create an ombre feel to help add a distressed look so it fades into the chrome and cure. Using gold gel play, fill in the top frame of the first diamond and add some filigree patterns at the base of the nail at the center of your bottom diamond, cure. Use black fluid acrylic paint to the inside of the gold for added tone and texture. Repeat at the top center of the nail but reverse your color scheme. Finish with Akzentz Shine-On  

Start with a nail tip that has already been painted and cured with black with Akzentz Black-On. Using a make-up applicator, dip very lightly into Akzentz gold pearlescent powder and very gently dap the perimeter of the nail. This will create a distressed appeal to the frame of the nail. Using Gold Gel play, create a small diamond shape floating in the center of the nail, cure. Outline the diamond with silver gel play, flash cure. Following the shape of the diamond, now use gold gel play to create one large "V" with another directly below it but reserving space to fill, cure. Repeat this process painting another "V" facing downward toward the larger "V' and making it half the size and intersecting it with the larger "V". Now use black gel play to fill in the spaces between the silver V's and cure. Using gold gel play, stripe very neat lines over that black area previously filled in. Use fluid black acrylic paint to detail the center diamond. Top coat with Akzents Shine -On  

Start with a nail tip that has already been painted and cured with black with Akzentz Black-On. Using the gold pearlescent powder, rub into nail with a make-up applicator or sponge. Using Black-On again, now polish a "V" shape french tip and cure. Outline the tip with a very thin outline sing silver gel play, flash cure. Directly under the silver line, use gold gel play to follow suit, Creating some art deco designs to complement the french tip. Cure. Lastly use black acrylic fluid paint to separate the gold and silver lines creating a bold look and One line down the center of the tip to the french point to add a little edginess. Top coat with Akzentz Shine-on.  

Starting with a nail tip that has already been painted and cured with black with Akzentz Black-On, use Akzentz Gold Gel Play to create 2 "V" shapes facing the same direction, one above the other. Making sure to keep the lines a little on the thick side. cure. Then paint another smaller "V" but in reverse fashion of the first two, cure. Now using Akzentz Silver Gel Play, paint fine lines perfectly centered within the Gold V's, cure. Lastly, Using fluid acrylic paint, outline the silver and gold to make sure the colors can really pop. Top coat with Akzentz Shine-On.  

For the final touch to this 5- nail "Art Deco" inspired set, Add just a few crystals using your favorite nail resin to centered areas of your nails to give that added and final sparkle to these sexy, yet classy set of nails to take you back to the roaring 20's!