Monday, March 4, 2013

DIY: Gold Flecks Mani


I missed out on OPI's Man With The Golden Gun 18k Gold Top Coat from their Skyfall collection and while there are some available online through resellers, I will never spend $50 for a bottle of nail polish (eBay)! Talk about greedy businessmen! And to my shock, someone on Amazon.com is selling it for $62!

OPI Man With The Golden Gun Top Coat

In all fairness, it is absolutely gorgeous so I am not surprised that there are people actually shelling out good money on it. Good thing, it is totally DIYable! So save your money or get yourself something else that is worth your $50!


Here's what you'll need: (clockwise, from top left)
  • Dark Nail Polish - I used Make Up For Ever's Black With Blue Highlights from their Black Tango Collection
  • Base Coat - I use OPI Ridge Filler
  • Gold Leaf
  • Tweezers
  • Top Coat - I use Essie Good To Go
  • Scissors


I got the gold leaf from Bangkok during a trip a couple of years back. It was from this super cute store, Loft (a wasteland heaven!). I bought it because I immediately had an idea to create a really cool makeup look with it and it was pretty cheap. So, why the hell not? 

This should be available in craft stores or try this.

The gold leaf I have is super thin and breaks easily. It almost feels like nothing when you touch it - like air. I find that it is best to use tweezers when handling it. You'll need very small flecks of this for the mani. Grab a small pair of scissors and cut repeatedly.

Apply base coat then two coats of your choice of dark nail polish (deep red, dark purple, etc.). Work with one nail at a time and while the second coat is still wet, randomly apply the flecks. Gently press the fleck on the polish even if the polish isn't completely dry just to make sure the pretty gold specks are secure. And lastly, apply top coat once the nail polish is dry.

And that's it! Pretty easy, right? :)

No comments:

Post a Comment