Rosy Russian Dolls

Hi! I'm finally home after a week away, and I'm so glad to be back to my nail-arting ways. Today's design was suggested by a friend, and it was such a good idea that I had to have a go. This is actually my third attempt at Russian dolls (the first two didn't go down very well), and I discovered that simplicity is DEFINITELY the way forward. I also made use of my brand new nail art brushes, which you will see pictured below...

The equipment:

Sinful Colors 'Unicorn'
Sinful Colors 'Pistache'
e.l.f. 'Smokin Hot'
Models Own 'Soda Pop Pink'
Models Own white nail art pen
Models Own black nail art pen
Barry M 'Shocking Pink'
No. 7 'Totally Teal'
Essie 'Matte About You'
Fine nail art paint brush
Small dotting tool
I started out with a base of 'Unicorn', which took 3 coats for opacity. Once it was dry, I applied the base red of the dolls. It's a lovely rich scarlet by e.l.f. Cosmetics, and my most used colour from the set I recently won in a competition. I tried to ensure each Russian doll decreased in size, although my index, middle and ring finger nails are all pretty much the same size.
Once dry, I started adding details. I used my white nail art pen for the dots and faces, and black for the hair and eyes. Then I used 'Soda Pop Pink' and the dotting tool for the rosy cheeks. I also used this colour for the roses, and applied blobs before painting petals using Barry M 'Shocking Pink'. I added some highlights with my white nail art pen, and then created the tiny leaves using 'Pistache' as a base, with 'Totally Teal' for added detail.
Oh, and I can't forget the lips! I painted tiny heart shapes using 'Shocking Pink' and my fine paint brush. Once everything was completely dry, I topped off the manicure with 'Matte About You'. The dolls also looked good shiny, but the matte top coat seems to tie it together more effectively. This manicure isn't as precise as I would have liked, but the tiny scale of the dolls made it almost impossible to get every detail neat and tidy. However, front a distance they look much better!
These are the brushes that arrived today. I ordered from Amazon and they cost a mere £2.26... Amazing! It's a 15 piece set and includes brushes of all sizes and widths, as well as a lovely little dotting tool. The only problem is that the coating on the handles doesn't agree with nail polish remover (as with many cheap brushes), so you have to be super careful to not make sure your painting hand doesn't get acetone on it... It turns out to be a rather sticky situation! If you fancy some bargain brushes, check them out here. They're also available in pink and black, and I could have sworn I ordered the pink ones, but never mind! They still do the job :)

What do you think?  Have you ever attempted a Russian doll manicure?

Askruk46

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