Cover nail artist and head educator for The GelBottle U.S. and Canada Sarah Thompson shares how she created the neon sparkle swirl nail art featured on Nailpro's July/August 2023 cover.
Follow the tutorial below to learn how to recreate the look for your clients.
How-To:
- Prepare nails by doing all your cuticle work and buffing the entire nail plates. Shorten the natural nail length to avoid a lip where the natural nail lines up with DesignEx Pro.
- After the prep, cleanse the nails with acetone ensuring you have nothing on the nails or cuticle/sidewall areas.
- Size each nail with the proper DesignEx Pro tip. If you can’t find the exact size, size up and file both sides equally until you have the perfect fit to your sidewalls.
- Apply a thin layer of Clear All-in-One BIAB to the natural nails, and cure for 60 seconds in the Light the Way Nail Lamp.
- Once cured, apply a small bead of Clear All-in-One BIAB at the base of the DesignEx Pro tip and set it just above the cuticle. Roll it up until the BIAB reaches the free edge. Tip: Leave a space of about one mm above the cuticle so you can blend the DesignEx Pro tip to the natural nail plate for a seamless transition. Then flash cure for 10 seconds under the USB Flash Lamp.
- Cure all 10 fingers in the Light the Way Nail Lamp for 60 seconds.
- Once all fully cured, use a 120/180 file to blend the tip by the cuticle.
- Follow with the 100/180 sponge buffer to buff the entire tip.
- Use acetone to remove any dust. Apply a thin layer of Clear All-in-One BIAB, and cure for 60 seconds.
- Apply Solo from The GelBottle’s new Road Trip collection as the base color, and cure for 60 seconds.
- Place all the colors you are using onto The GelBottle palette. Then, use a TGB Liner Brush to make swirls at the free edge and the opposite side of the nail by the cuticle area. For the swirls, I used Weekender, Vacay, Playlist and Rainbow from the Road Trip collection.
- Once the design is complete, then cure for 60 seconds.
- Apply Headlights from the Road Trip collection in a thin swirled line from one side of the nail to the other, then cure for 60 seconds.
- Apply Extreme Shine Top Coat, and cure for 60 seconds.
- Use a 120/180 file to crisp up the sidewalls and free edge. Brush off the dust and apply Peacci ManiPedi Scrub for a nice hand exfoliation followed by Peacci Cuticle Oil and Peacci ManiPedi Cream.
Dream Team
Hair: Haley Wight, @_glowbloomfield
Makeup: Megan Brown, @megbrownie24
Nails and Model: Sarah Thompson, @sarahthompsonnails77
Lashes: Jenna Hadley, @estheticsbyjenna_
Photo: Sonia Weland, @magnoliaphotocopec
The GelBottle Inc™ is a professional gel nail polish and nail supply brand. With an impressive range of high-quality gel polish products, tools, and nail accessories, TGB is a top choice for nail techs and their salons around the world. Driven by innovation and compelled by quality, The GelBottle Inc develops cutting-edge products like our Builder in a Bottle, well-known as BIAB™, and GelPot. Their range of gel polish colors and finishes, which now consists of more than 500 unique shades, delivers highly pigmented and long-lasting results. Their commitment to vegan and cruelty-free beauty goes hand in hand with our dedication to stronger, longer, and healthier nails. Whether it’s natural nails or extensions, love at first coat is guaranteed!
