Today I used some Water Decals from
Viva La Nails. Since I have never used these before, I checked the website to see if there were instructions. Luckily, there is a video at the bottom of the
page with details of how to apply the decals. I’m sure I could have guessed but I wanted to make sure I got it right. Here is how I applied my decals…
1.
Paint on your base colour and allow to dry thoroughly. I used Barry M Cyan Blue.
2.
Prepare everything you need:
Cut out the decals you are going to use.
Have a nail stick nearby, or any tool you prefer like tweezers.
A cup or bowl of water, the website specifies warm. You can use cold but it takes much longer for the decals to come away from the paper.
3.
Hold the decal between your thumb and first finger and plunge it in to the water.
Leave it there for about 5 seconds, or longer if the water’s cold.
You will feel the decal starting to slide around on the paper.
4.
Remove the decal from the water and slide it away from the paper by gently rubbing your two fingers together.
It should come off easily. If it doesn’t, put it back into the water for another few seconds.
5.
The decals are fairly sturdy so you don’t need to be too careful when handling them, they can take a bit of rough and tumble.
Get the decal onto your tool and prepare to transfer it to the nail.
Fingers work just as well as any tool when using these decals.
6.
Once it’s on the nail, you can move the decal around as it takes a while to dry.
If it dries and you don’t like the position you can dab some water on it to loosen it up and move it around again.
7.
Once the decals are dry and you’re happy with them, just add a top coat.
The Verdict
I really like these decals. Application was easier than I expected and the finish is brilliant. Unlike with
stickers, the edges of the decals are undetectable once the top coat is on so there is no temptation to pick at them as well as the fact that it looks really professional.
The only downside is that they take a while to dry, I would say close to ten minutes, so you have to be very careful until they do because they will slide around.
