CND Shellac Nail Art - Leopard Print

So this is the third and most recent CND Shellac manicure that I did on my cousin Nat and she decided to go for a complete change and something a bit more daring.

She was still in love with glitter fade from the previous time and was tempted by another colour combination. Until I showed her how I'd been practising some animal print and she took the plunge into leopard print heaven! 

I was ecstatic with the results, in particular, the colour combination on her accent nail. 

To achieve this look, I used Shellac Blackpool as a base colour and I mixed Shellac Iced Coral with Gosh Nail Glitter in 02 Gold into a glitter paste to paint on the leopard print pattern.

The accent nail was a reverse of this - I used the Iced Coral and glitter mixture as a base and then painted the leopard print pattern on top in Blackpool.

To create the leopard print pattern, I used a small thin nail art brush (mine is the Orly Detailer Brush) to first draw 4 or 5 circular rings that weren't always fully joined (almost like a lip print), then in between these I randomly dotted some big and small splodges. To make the look smoother, allow some of the patterns to appear as if they continue off the edge of the nail.

The great thing about this style is that it can be done with normal polish too! Drying time just takes a little longer.

To repeat this whole look with CND Shellac:
Prepare each nail with P.E.P, apply base coat and cure for 10 secs.
Paint two coats of Blackpool on each nail (not the accent nail), curing for 120 secs after each coat.
Mix the glitter paste from Iced Coral and some gold nail glitter, paint the leopard print pattern onto each nail and cure for 120 secs.
Paint two coats of the glitter paste onto the accent nail, curing for 120 secs after each coat.
Paint the leopard print pattern on the accent nail with Blackpool and cure for 120 secs.
Finally apply a top coat onto all nails, cure for 120 secs, wipe of any residue and apply solar oil.

Done!

It's quite cool how the iced coral glitter paste goes slightly green on top of the Blackpool - the wonders of Shellac layering! I particularly love the beige/gold base, created by the glitter paste on the accent nail.

Let me know what you think, will you be trying this look on your next manicure?