Jump Into Summer with a Laser Manicure

One of the biggest new fads in nail art is the use of striping tape.  Striping tape is super thin and comes in big rolls so they last a long time and can be found at beauty supply stores or craft stores for pretty cheap!  Today I’m going to show you how to use striping tape to make a laser manicure!




For this manicure I used three different nail polish colors because I like to do an accent nail.  For the base, I used Zoya Rory and Zoya Zuza from the Summer 2012 Collection and the black is Illamasqua Scorn which is a matte.  I chose a matte because I like the juxtaposition between matte and shimmery!  I also have a roll of 1/32 inch striping tape but if you can’t find striping tape, cutting scotch tape into thin strip will work as well.


First, use your favorite base coat and paint your base color.  This is the color that the laser strips will be so it’s good if this is your brighter color that will peek through the darker top.  If you’re in a hurry, apply a fast dry top coat otherwise it will take about 20 minutes for the polish to dry enough to go on to step 2.


Cut the striping tape (or tape strips) into smaller pieces so they can be applied to the nail.  Make sure you have enough excess so you will be able to pull it off.  Place it on your nails in whatever patterns you would like the base color to show through.  I find it’s best to make triangle designs and not use more than 3-4 strips of tape per nail.


At this point, your nails should look like this – all different strips in different patterns.  You can make them all the same if you like but the effect is more daring when each nail looks different!  Make sure the tape is smooth against the nails so there is no seeping underneath and messing up your effect!


Now it’s time to choose your top color and paint it on top of the tape.  Make sure this is a color that’s opaque in one coat and darker than your base.  Paint carefully on top of the tape, making sure you cover all of the base color evenly.


After waiting a few seconds (or a minute or two depending on how thick the polish is and how quickly it dries) carefully peel off the tape.  It’s important to remember which pieces are on top and which are underneath but if you get stuck, just place the tape back down and find the piece on top! 


Now if you used a matte like I did you’re done!  If now, feel free to add your favorite top coat once you are done pulling off all the tape and enjoy your laser manicure!  Try it with a neon underneath for a huge pop of color or a grey on top for a less severe look!

  Read more from Carly at Lacquered Lover, or follow her on Twitter!