This is what I used today:
- OPI Nail Envy
- ArtDeco High Gloss 59
- Seche Vite
- Spooky Nails 2 in 1 nail tattoo liner black
- LOOK by BIPA nail tattoo liner 4 white
- Sally Hansen Diamond Shine
I started with my usual base colour: two coats of Nail Envy, then three of ArtDeco 59 and Seche Vite. While Coccinella Septempunctata (the most common type of ladybug found in Europe) is often depicted as bright red it can be anywhere between red and orange. Most I've seen have been orange, so this is what I chose as my base colour.
ArtDeco High Gloss 59 is great: The colour is a fantastic shade of orange with golden shimmer, vibrant and warm. If you like orange polish you should own something like this.
It applies wonderfully, smooth and even, but not very opaque. This polish dries quickly and to a high shine. I prefer the more sturdy Seche Vite on top, but 59 is wearable on its own.
Here's ArtDeco High Gloss 59 in two coats without top coat (sorry about the scratch, my camera ran out of juice and replacing batteries is a pain):
And this is ArtDeco High Gloss 59 in three coats topped with Seche Vite.
And now for the actual ladybug design:
I started by marking the point where pronotum meets the elytra:
Then I used my white nail tattoo liner to paint the white splotch that's found there (my knitting keeps creeping into my nail photos):
Then I drew the line between the elytra (this could be done in a darker orange or red, but I felt lazy):
The next step was to add head and pronotum:
Then I added the dots, seven of course, else it wouldn't be C. Septempunctata...
The last step was to add the white spots on the pronotum and to seal the manicure with Diamond Shine. I really need to stop using the white liner for nail art, it always smudges, even after leaving it to try fully.
Finished! You could also improvise this if you get bored of a half moon manicure with the bugs facing your cuticles. This manicure works best on fairly short nails, but I imagine you could just paint the tips of your nails as ladybugs and the rest of the nails a leafy green.
Would you wear bugs on your nails?
