A wide Milk Bath wave across Chilli Lacquer, with a thinner Brick wave running beneath it.
3 bottles: Chilli Lacquer, Milk Bath and Brick. Chilli Lacquer and Milk Bath sit a comfortable distance apart: the motif is clearly legible without shouting, which is the easiest range to freehand in. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
On an almond shape the canvas narrows toward the tip, so the design reads as slightly elongated. Usually flattering, occasionally something to compensate for.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Chilli Lacquer Wave nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two thin coats of Chilli Lacquer, curing each one.
- 2 One wide Milk Bath wave across cured Chilli Lacquer, then the thinner Brick wave once the first has set.
- 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.
Questions about Chilli Lacquer Wave
Is Chilli Lacquer Wave hard to do at home?
It is the hardest tier on the site. It is doable at home, but the technique is the point rather than the colour. Budget an hour or more for a full set, and three colours means three chances for something to bleed, so cure between each one rather than working wet on wet.
What polish do I need for Chilli Lacquer Wave?
3 bottles: Chilli Lacquer (crème), Milk Bath (sheer) and Brick (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Chilli Lacquer Wave work on short nails?
Almond needs a little length to hold its taper. On a short nail the shape reads closer to round, and the design still works, it just stops elongating the finger.
How many coats does Chilli Lacquer Wave need?
More than you would expect. Milk Bath is translucent, so the colour builds over three thin coats rather than covering in two. Stop wherever you like the depth — that is the point of a sheer.