Today I have created something that I've never tried before - a monochrome mani. I've always been reluctant to try a simple black and white colour scheme for fear of messing it up - those crisp lines and sleek designs are so intimidating!. A monochrome manicure is the height of sophistication, glamour and chic - three words which certainly do not apply to me! But I've always loved the look, so here it is:
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| The finished product! |
My palette for this one was simple: Rimmel 'Black Out', Barry M 'Matt White', Ciate 'Amazing Gracie' and Barry M matte topcoat.
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| L-R: Barry M Matte Topcoat / Rimmel Black Out / Barry M Matt White / Ciate Amazing Gracie / Essence Black Stampy Polish / MoYou Stamper |
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| Ciate Amazing Gracie - available here for £9 |
I clearly haven't taken advantage of the Ciate Mini Manor advent calendar that I got in January as I had no idea how gorgeous 'Amazing Gracie' is! It's a barely-there nude with a sheer finish. You can hardly even notice it on the nail under stamping, but it is perfect for laying down before working on your 'negative space' as it is so natural looking. I applied two coats to this mani. I love it!
I wanted to incorporate negative spacing and stamping into this, as it adds a feeling of delicacy to the look, don't you think? The stamping design is from Cheeky Jumbo Plate 10 'Happy Nails' and is wonderfully intricate. For a matte manicure, always remember to add your favourite non-smudging topcoat first to protect the design - something that I didn't do here. My design was so neat until I added the dreaded matte topcoat which instantly smudged black into white, so frustrating!
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| Cheeky Stamping Plate #10 - Happy Nails is available here |
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| Monochrome Glam! |
Overall I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out. I don't know if the matte finish really works in this (Mr Polished seems to think it doesn't), but I think everything is better mattified! I'm not sure I can pull off the monochrome look (certainly not for every day wear anyway) but I am really enjoying creating my own designs, finding my own style and understanding what works for me.
Thanks for reading!
Helen x
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