4D Nail Art

Having seen this product in shops and read different things about it, i was eager to try it out. Known widely as a 'caviar manicure', tiny no-hole beads are used to decorate some or all of your nails, for a raised and textured effect. So when i found Nail Constellation by MUA for a bargain £3, i just had to get it!

MUA has a whole range of different colours, each named after a star sign. I chose Pisces, a silver, turquoise and light pink mix.

Firstly, i painted all my nails with one coat (i used 'Catwalk Couture' by 17) and left them to dry. Having chosen to decorate just my ring finger nails with the tiny beads, I painted them in a second coat and sprinkled the beads all over. I then gently pressed them down, ensuring they were stuck, and painted the rest of my nails in a second coat.

 The instructions on the label suggested that was the end, but elsewhere I've read that it's a good idea to apply a coat of clear nail varnish at the end to secure the beads. I chose to use clear nail polish (hoping for durability!), but this has had less than desirable effects. It made the tiny beads appear a lot less shiny and a lot discoloured quite swiftly. A few days on, they're looking close to a matt effect, but they're all still stuck down!

All in all, I've really enjoyed trying this effect out. I like having accent nails, and this is something a bit different. I will try out the MUA product another time without using the clear varnish, and see how durable they are. It would also be worth looking round for beads that won't discolour, and it may be worth spending a bit more for a better quality product.