I am entirely new to nail foils, but they looked so dang neat that I wanted to give them a try. People talk about water marbling being hard, and I laugh at those people now. Nail foils were quite the learning experience. First off, you have to have slightly tacky polish to apply foils. If the polish is too wet you will peel the polish off. If it's too dry you won't get much of a transfer. Second, if you use a regular top coat they will wrinkle (see all photos above). Apparently the way to keep foils from reacting with the polish chemicals to either not top coat them or use a water based top coat.

I don't hate how these came out, but I know they would look much better if I had a water based top coat. If you happen to be a nail foil pro, I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave me a comment with any tips you may have. This is definitely a technique I would like to master.

I currently have a non-Born Pretty Store silicone mat, but it's almost too big for my tiny Ikea desk. When I saw the Born Pretty Store mini silicone mat (item #34555), I knew I had to have it. For any of my American friends who are just as confused by centimeters as I am, this mat sits around 6 inches by 8 inches. It's just big enough to protect your work space while stamping or working on your manicure, but not so large that you have to store it between uses. If you feel the urge to store it, it does come in a sturdy cardboard tube (pictured top right).

This look isn't entirely consistent with how the image transferred, but I think with time I will get the hang of it. 

You can find all of these products for sale at the Born Pretty Store or by clicking the respective links. Don't forget that you can use CBLW10 for 10% off all regularly priced items.

If you enjoyed this post you might like Bliss Polish Werk Collection and Born Pretty Mandala Nail Art.