Nail Art Tutorial: 3-D Orange Party Nails

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Follow along as Rachel of Nookie’s Nail Lounge demonstrates the technique to achieve these celebratory orange flower petal nails.

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Step 1: For the extensions I have use NSI Acrylic System in Radiant Pink. Paint the nails with 2-3 coats of China Glaze Orange Knockout. Leave an accent nail on each hand bare as these will be for your 3-D flowers. Paint your statement fingers in 2 coats of OPI Eiffel for this color. When all nails are dry, use OPI top coat only over nails painted with Eiffel. Do not top the China Glaze Orange Knockout as it has a lovely natural matte effect. We need to keep this to create a contrast between the 2 different polishes. Leave nails to fully dry before going on to the next step as the acrylic may smudge the polish.  

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Step 2: To create the 3-D design you will need acrylic liquid, The Edge Ultra White Acrylic Powder, and NAIO Neon Acrylics Powder in OMG It’s Orange and Lime Green. You will also need a deep green acrylic powder. Any brand should work fine for this design. First we will start with the flower and then move onto the leaf. To create the open flower design, we need to work from the larger, outwards petals, inwards to finally create the tiny petals in the heart.

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Step 3: Make sure your sculpting brush has been soaked in your acrylic liquid and remove any excess. You only need a very small amount of liquid to be held in your brush. Dip your brush into the white acrylic and create a small ball and then quickly dip it into the orange to pick up a chunk about 1/3 of the size of your white. Place your ball onto the Eiffel-colored nails and leave to settle for a few seconds. When placing your ball make sure the orange is placed where you imagine the petal to attach to the flower. This will be blended into the white and create a two tone petal.

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Step 4: While the ball is settling remove any excess liquid from your brush and roll the tip into a sharp point. Place the point of your brush towards the center of where the flowers’ center will be and press downwards into the petal and outwards.

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Step 5: Keeping the point of your brush in the center of the flower, move the belly of your brush to one side of where you have just pressed into the petal and then to the other side, pressing downwards and outwards in both positions to create the shape of your first petal.

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Step 6: Using a needle pen, press lightly into the petal and gently lift some areas on the outside. This will give the flower some detail.

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Step 7: Finish the first layer of your flower by placing another 2 balls alongside your first petal in a circular motion and follow steps 3-6 working with one ball at a time.

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Step 8: For the second layer of petals you will need another 3 balls. This time, make them slightly smaller so they will create smaller petals. With your first ball, place it a few millimeters closer to the center of the flower and slightly overlap it over the 2 adjacent petals. Follow steps 3-6, but this time do not press as hard downwards as you will press the petals too far into the underlying ones. It helps to keep your sculpting brush slightly vertical. Work with one ball at a time.

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Step 9: For the center of the flower, place another smaller mixed white and orange ball into the center of the flower and leave to settle. Keep your brush vertical and place the point of it into the center and lightly press outwards to create a closed high petal.

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Step 10: Place another mixed color ball into the center of your last petal and place the point on your brush into the center of that ball. Keep it vertical and lightly press in the opposite direction from the last ball.

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Step 11: Where you have a space left, place a small mixed green ball. Create a two tone ball with your two green acrylics in the same way you have done with the white and orange balls, making the darker green your main color. When placing your ball, place the lighter side next to the flower.

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Step 12: After cleaning your brush and rolling into a point, place the pointed end towards the flower and press downwards and lightly drag outwards to begin to create your leaf shape.

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Step 13: With the point of you brush in the middle of the leaf’s base, gently push out to the left and then to the right to create the flat open area where the leaf would connect to it’s stalk. Using the point of your brush, bring the end of the leaf together to a nice point.

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Step 14: Using your needle pen, create impressions in your leaf to mimic the veins.

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[Courtesy of Rachel Thompson]

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