In this tutorial I will show you how to recreate a studded accent nail look that I originally made to go with a collar bought in Miss Selfridge. It is quite simple to create yourself and is a great way to jazz up a plain manicure.
I will show you how to create it over a black base but also give examples of other colour combinations you could use. The best thing about this design is that the possibilities are endless; you can choose the colours to match an outfit or even go for something neutral with a bit of edge. Before you start you will need some 2 millimetre square studs and rhinestones, both of which you can easily find online. I also recommend using a good base coat and top coat to protect your nails and give a shiny (or matte) perfect finish.
Step-by-step instructions
Paint base coat
Paint a base coat over your nails to protect them. I used Seche Rebuild and nail strengthener as my nails are currently quite weak.
Paint colour
Paint your nails a base colour — I used Barry M Black — and let them dry completely. You can paint a layer of Seche Vite top coat over it to speed up the drying process.
Select your studs
For this look I used 2 millimetre gold square studs, 1.5 millimetre clear rhinestones and 2 millimetre round gold studs.
Start placing the studs
On your accent nail (your ring finger) start with a line of square studs down the middle. You can use clear polish to stick the studs into place or, if you want them to last longer, use nail glue. Elegant Touch do a brush on glue that is very easy to work with.
Tip: The best way to apply the studs is by using tweezers with a touch of top coat or glue on them. This way the stud can be picked up and stuck on the nail in one go. To do this apply the glue or top coat to your nail first then gently touch the surface of the nail with the tweezers. Then touch the surface of the stud to pick it up and put it in place.
Add rhinestones
Either side of the square studs stick some small, round rhinestones using the same method as in step 4.
Add gold studs
On either side of the rhinestones stick the round gold studs as in step 4.
Add top coat
Paint a layer of top coat over the studded nail to make the studs and rhinestones stay on longer.
Paint matte polish
Paint a matte polish over the unstudded black nails to give a contrasting look. My favourite matte topcoat is Rimmel Matte Finish.
It’s as simple as that!
Additional looks to try:
Blue sapphire accent: use Essie Aruba Blue, silver square studs and sapphire rhinestones.
Red Multicolour Accent: use OPI Monsooner or Later and a mixture of different coloured rhinestones.
Nude Matte Studded accent: use Nails Inc Basil Street with a matte top coat, gold square studs, silver round studs and small black round studs.
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