QUICK & EASY MANICURES WITH CND SHELLAC & :YOURS ELEMENT DUOS

31st Aug 2021

Offering nail art as part of your services is the perfect way to add value, whilst elevating any manicure. But as we know, time is money, therefore, nail art in the salon need to be as quick and easy as possible. That's why we asked nail art enthusiast, Fee Wallace to create some trending design with the Shellac & :YOURS Duos to inspire you this season. Continue reading for the step-by-steps!

CND™ Wrapped in Linen & :YOURS Gold Drums Element Duo
Technique: Glitter Embellished Quilt with Stamping

Begin by applying and curing two layers of CND™ Shellac™ Wrapped In Linen.

Stamp on a fishnet/diamond patterned stamp. We used the :YOURS Trendy Netting Stamping Plate, :YOURS White Light Stamping Polish, and the :YOURS Halo Stamper.

Apply CND™ Shellac™ Matte Top Coat to the stamped nail and cure. Once cured, remove the top film with IPA.

Using a dotting tool, apply small dots of Shellac™ Wrapped In Linen to the points where the pattern intersects, and cure.

Now apply the :YOURS Gold Drums Glitter all over the nail with a dry brush, it will only stick to the cured colour and not to the dry, clean background.

The final step is to apply dots of CND™ Shellac™ Top Coat to each of the glittering dots. Once cured, the glitter will be sealed in place to create an eye catching, three-dimensional shiny on matte effect.

TIP – When placing your stamped design, take care to line up the pattern so that when it’s time to place the glitter dots, they will sit balanced and neat across the nail.

CND™ Candlelight & :YOURS Gold Digger Element Duo
Technique: Glitter Foil Fade

Begin by applying and curing two layers of CND™ Shellac™ Candlelight.

Apply a darker metallic foil in thin sections from a bottom corner of the nail by tapping the matte side of the nail art foil against the top film of the cured Shellac colour layer. We used Lecenté Gunmetal Nail Art Foil.

Now apply a small amount of the :YOURS Gold Digger Glitter Element using a dry brush to the same area. The glitter will stick to any colour showing through the little sections of foil.

Finish with CND™ Shellac™ Top Coat and Cure.

TIP – Less is more. Use a light touch when applying foil and glitter in this way. I tiny bit is all you need when you want to keep some of the original colour underneath showing through as part of the final look.

CND™ Wooded Bliss & Pink Beats Element Duo
Technique: Glitter Paste

Begin by applying and curing two layers of CND™ Shellac™ Wooded Bliss.

On a pallet, combine a little scoop of :YOURS Pink Beats Glitter Element with a few drops of CND™ Shellac™ Top Coat.

Use a detailer brush and/or a dotting tool to apply the glitter paste in a section down the centre of the nail. You can use a detailer or gel brush to sharpen up the edges of the glitter section, then cure.

Using a white and black polish or gel polish with a striping brush, add a slim outline to each side of the glitter section. Once air dried, or cured, finish the look with the CND™ Shellac™ Top Coat of your choice.

TIP – Experiment and create a different shaped section for each nail for an abstract look. If you make a mistake with the white or black lines, it’s perfectly fine to remove them with IPA on a clean pad, the colour and glitter below are already cured.

CND™ Books and Beaujolais & :YOURS Bound To Element Duo
Technique: Glitter French Smile Line

Begin by applying and curing two layers of CND™ Shellac™ Books & Beaujolais.

On a pallet, combine a little scoop of :YOURS Bound To Glitter Element with a few drops of CND™ Shellac Top Coat.

Use a detailer brush and/or a dotting tool to apply the glitter paste to the tip of the nail creating a deep smile line. A dotting tool is particularly good for this, and you can use a detailer or gel brush to sharpen up the edges of the glitter section before curing.

TIP – Take care not to make the glitter section too thick. A heavy blob of product at the tip of the nail will likely lead to peeling. Check how it looks from the side, you can remove some of the bulk if necessary, before curing.

CND™ Soft Fame & Red Reggae Element Duo
Technique: Double Stamp with Vertical Glitter Fade

Begin by applying and curing two layers of CND™ Shellac™ Soft Flame.

Use a dry brush to apply a small amount of the :YOURS Red Reggae Glitter Element by pressing (not brushing) it down one side of the nail. With a light touch, gently brush some glitter across the nail towards the opposite side wall. The effect will be a delicate glitter fade.

Apply and cure a layer of CND™ Shellac™ Top Coat.

Next, double stamp a graphic to the side of the nail with less glitter. Start with a dark colour stamping polish, then stamp again on top with a light colour, laying down the stamp a little down and to one side of the previous stamp. This will give the impression of a drop shadow, making the graphic appear to stand out from the nail. We used the :YOURS Foliage Stamping Plate, :YOURS Stamping Polishes: Black Out, and Nude Hazel, and the :YOURS Halo Stamper.

Finish with further layer of CND™ Shellac™ Top Coat and cure.

TIP – Because this look requires multiple layers of top coat, we recommend using CND™ Shellac™XPRESS5 Top Coat. This will prevent a bulky end result.

CND™Verbena Velvet & Glittaz in Paris Element Duo
Technique: Glitter Spray Fade

Begin by applying and curing two layers of CND™ Shellac™ Verbena Velvet.

Use a dry brush to apply a small amount of the :YOURS Glittaz in Paris Glitter Element by pressing (not brushing) along the cuticle area of the nail. With a light touch, gently brush some glitter up the nail towards the tip. The effect will be a dazzling spray of glitter.

Apply and cure a thin layer of CND™ Shellac™ XPRESS5 Top Coat.

Now use black polish or gel polish to create a half moon ‘lunula’ at the base of the nail, and cure. Finish with CND™ Shellac™ Top Coat and Cure.

TIP – We find black gel polish applied with a dotting tool to be the easiest way to create the half-moon at the base of this nail. Use a clean detailer or gel brush to neaten up the edges before curing.