Monday 10 March 2014

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies (Pastel Galaxy Nail Art Tutorial Inspired By LacquerStyle)

I totally had another post to sandwich between Bestie Nail Art Challenge Week One and this one, but alas I did that thing where I upload all the photos except for one and I couldn't post without it. Meow, so I just decided to have at it. So Caitlin from Addicted to Lacquer's and my Best Nail Art Challenge March continues with GALAXIES as the theme of Week Two!

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Caitlin opted for a purple galaxy pattern and I went for a pastel galaxy since it was my third attempt and I didn't want to do the same thing again (although I wanted to - sometimes when something works, it just feels right).

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

I remember that my first galaxy nails looked terrible and they always look OK at the end but right through the process they just don't look good at all. I needed some guidance and bumped into LacquerStyle's tutorial on how she made hers so I followed it. I also happened to photograph the whole thing for you. Spoiler alert: These things somehow took me a long time.

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

So here's a list of materials I used for my pastel galaxy nails:

+ make-up sponge
+ dotting tool
+ fine nail art brush
+ Quo by Orly Runway Ready (light grey base)
+ Essence Oh My Glitter! (purple shimmer)
+ Sally Hansen White Out (white creme)
+ Sinful Colors Cinderella (baby blue shimmer)
+ OPI Princesses Rule (baby pink shimmer)
+ OPI Pink Friday (baby pink creme)
+ Essence Space Queen (iridescent glitter)
+ Color Club Eternal Beauty (purple holo)
+ Color Club Miss Bliss (pink holo)
+ Color Club Over the Moon (blue holo)

I didn't want to waste the make-up sponge I used for last week's gradient challenge so I actually tried to "reuse" last week's sponge by cutting it. I don't know if it was worth it but I felt less bad about it. And also there's nothing like working with a fresh sponge but alas.

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

I started off with Nail Envy base coat (which I already had on since I didn't wear polish this week), and then put on two coats of Quo by Orly Runway Ready:

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Around the edges, I added Essence Oh My Glitter with a make--up sponge. (Oh good lordy it already looks terrible):

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Then I sponged on Sally Hansen White Out in C shapes (sorry I accidentally have some of the blue in this photo, IGNORE):

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Around the white galaxy shapes, I added some Sinful Colors Cinderella:

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Similar to the blue, I added some OPI Princesses Rule around the white shapes. However the polish was far too sheer, so I used a bit of OPI Pink Friday to beef up the colour:

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

I went over some of the galaxy shapes with Sally Hansen White Out where I wanted some emphasis:

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Then I added some highlights using Essence Space Queen, Color Club Miss Bliss, Color Club Eternal Beauty and Color Club Over the Moon:

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

I used a dotting tool to make the smallest dots on my nail, and then dug out these Daiso nail art brushes I had purchased ages ago. Finally decided it was time to use them! The package said they were disposable but I just cleaned it with my remover and I'll save it for next time:

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

I added some cross shapes and then topped it off with Seche Vite:

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Bestie Nail Art Challenge - Week Two: Galaxies

Honestly I don't know how they ended up looking semi-decent because throughout the whole process, I was just worried the entire time. I think it actually might just be the top coat. Somehow it just evens out everything! Who would have ever thought!

Have you ever tried galaxy nails? Do you share the same sentiments that they always somehow look bad right up until the very end? What's your favourite colour combination for your galaxies?

8 comments:

  1. Sponging is such a nerve-wracking experience until you get to the topcoat stage, but this looks fantastic! Also these are Excellent props ;)

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    1. Right up until the top coat stage, I just didn't think it was going to work out at all! Hahaha how nervewracking! And thank you - I gotta fit in my other weird hobby (toy collecting) with this one, hehehe. :) <3

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  2. wow these are so gorgeous and different from usual galaxy nails. i really love the little starbursts you added with the nail too. i have never tried sponging before, but I'll have to...soon?

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    1. Hehe I bet you'd be able to nail sponging - I was using a kitchen sponge for a while but using a make-up sponge is actually a game changer! Who would have thought?

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  3. I love them! I like how you went pastel instead of the usual dark galaxies.
    I really need to try galaxy nails, but at this point it will have to wait a while cause my small - and sometimes kicked into - bladder won't allow me to sit for too long, lol!

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    1. I'd like to try a variation of this again with some Diablo 3 themed nails - I want to do ARCANE nails (hehe) for Reaper of Souls but I dunno if my confidence is high now because of the turn out. Apparently top coat can fix anything. I bet you'd agree! :D

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  4. omggggg i love these. the color palette is amazing, and the star shape you used is my favorite ever, too! ✧‿✧ it's so much cuter than a typical 5-pointed star to me for some reason.

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    1. Hehe the + stars are MUCH easier to draw on as well! That works for me! Thank you - I love the colour palette as well - I think I might even like the pastel galaxies more than the traditional deep space ones!

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