I wanted to make a really fly set of press on nails for Culture Con, and babyyy, I did just that. The theme of Culture Con this year was the “Museum of Us” so I wanted to create a set of nails that reflected that theme. So I decided to feature the Ebony logo and pictures of some of my style icons. So many people complimented me on nails, honestly way more than on my outfits. Also, the NFC tag I placed in my nails was great for having memorable networking moments.
Here’s how I made these extra-long square press on nails.
The Nails I Used
I used the XL Square instant apex nails by Beetles. These are literally the longest nails I’ve ever worn. The length did slow me down a little, but they were the ultimate baddie nails. Personally, I think the nails needed to be more curved, as they didn’t lay super flush against my natural nail once glued down.
How I Made My Custom Nail Decals
I wanted to print photos of some of my favorite style icons, along with some newspaper nail art. I decided to make them all by printing the pictures and designs on white waterslide decal paper. Using white waterslide decal paper makes my printed designs look more vibrant. Once I printed the designs, I cut them out on my Cricut Maker 4 (as a print and cut project) so that I didn’t have to cut them out by hand.
Don’t Skip The Seal
It’s important to seal the design on the waterslide decal paper before you use it (unless you’re using the kind that doesn’t require it. I found a great option I’ll share soon). If you don’t seal it, the design will dissolve once you place the paper in water to lift your design. I typically seal my nail decals using a coat of my favorite gel top coat and cured them under my nail lamp for 60 seconds.
How To Apply The Nail Decals
After I finish applying my base color or designs, I apply a coat of nail foil art glue by Beetles and cure it for around 60 seconds. Then I applied the nail decals I printed directly on top.
Newspaper Nails
For the base of my newspaper nails I used a tan shade from Beetles skintone collection. I did two coats, and went over it with a coat of “Pearly Gates” gel polish by Twinkled T.
Ebony Magazine Nails
For the Ebony Magazine inspired nails, I used “Gothic Plum” by Chaun Legend as my base color. Then, I cut out the letters using white permanent vinyl on my Cricut Maker and applied them.
Style Icon Photo Nails
For the nails featuring some of my favorite style icons, I used some cat eye gel polish by Goay, and jelly gel polish by Born Pretty. I added some rhinestones and gold flakes too. On the nail that had my NFC tag, I also painted on leopard print nail art using my favorite nail art liner brushes from SheIn.
NFC Tag Tutorial
Wanna see how I set up the NFC tag in my nail? Check out this blog post for step-by-step instructions and the app I used to set it up.
Builder Gel and Top Coat
To finish off my nails, I applied a coat of BTArtBox builder gel and a coat of top coat by Gaoy. I cured each coat for 60 seconds under my nail lamp.
My Nail Prep Routine
Do you have trouble getting your press on nails to stay pressed on? It’s probably you’re nail prep routine sis. To make sure my press on nails stay on as long as possible, I make sure to prep my natural nails really well. I show how I prep my nails in my tutorial below, and you can check out this blog post for more details.
Culture Con Nails Tutorial on TikTok (Step-by-Step!)
@flyfiercefab Here’s how I made these extra long press on nails for Culture Con with custom nail decals 💅🏾 My nail inspo was Ebony magazine and mt fave style icons. The NFC tag in my nail was great for creating memorable networking moments. I’m not gonna hold you, I feel like the shape of the nails needs to be curved a bit more to lay flatter against the nail bed. Products Used: 💅🏾 @BeetlesGelPolish XL Square Instant Apex Nails 💅🏾 Beetles Base Coat 💅🏾 @Chaun Legend Nails Gothic Plum Gel Polish 💅🏾 @gaoy_official Cat Eye Gel Polish 💅🏾 Gold Flakes 💅🏾 Beetles Nail Foil Art Glue 💅🏾 GAOY Premium Glitter Gel Polish 💅🏾 @Kokoist USA Max Magnet 💅🏾 @KoalaPaper Waterslide Decal Paper (I recently found a different kind of paper by them that I like better, tutorial coming soon!) 💅🏾 GOAY Top Coat 💅🏾 Pochit Tip Stand Jelly #pressonnails #blackgirltiktok #nailtutorial #diynails #nfctagnails ♬ Long way 2 go 2006 – 2000s90sMusicLover
Want to see how I made my Culture Con nails step-by-step? Check out my new TikTok tutorial now on my channel.
What nail inspo do you have saved for your next set? Let me know in the comments below!
Stylishly Yours,
Theresa Seyi
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