The Velvet Manicure

Today I have something very special manicure for you. Not only is it Pink Wednesday, but this is my very first try at the newly popular Velvet Manicure.  And not only is it pink and velvet, it is also budget friendly! Yay! I'm sure you've heard of the expensive brand that sells the tiny containers of crushed velvet and microbeads for fish-egg manicures (you can see I'm doing my very best not to write their name, nor their copyrighted term for the fish-egg). Anywho, instead of buying that tiny bottle of very expensive crushed velvet, head on over to your local craft store and pick up some flocking powder. Flocking powder comes in tons of colors and it's cheap. I got mine from ebay, $2 for an ounce.

So here it is, my first velvet mani!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

I was originally going to use OPI Mod About You, but decided that if it was just going to be "glue" for the flocking powder, I'd use something cheap. I used two coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Pink Blink, and it ended up being a perfect match for the color of my flocking powder! While the second coat was still wet, I firmly placed my finger in a bowl of flocking powder, then pressed it into the nail. Voila! Easy!

Here are some more pictures!

Velvet Manicure

Close up

This mani is a hit around my house tonight, I like it - it's so different, and I feel very high fashion - and both kids love it - it's so soft! It's also very durable. it has lasted through dinner, bathtime and bed for the kids no problem. I was afraid that getting it wet would mess it up, but it dries perfectly. This is a surprisingly no-fuss mani.

What do you think of the Velvet Manicure trend? Will you be trying this yourself?

-Kara