Pearl Iris Micro Check nails
Pearl Iris with a fine Snow White chequer — the same idea as the checkerboard at a third of the scale.
3 bottles: Pearl Iris, Snow White and Iris Bloom. Pearl Iris and Snow White are close in tone, so the design is tonal rather than graphic. It shows up in daylight and softens indoors. The bottles are not all the same finish (shimmer and crème), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
It sits on an oval, with walls that follow the finger and a tip rounded off, which flatters a short nail bed without needing much length and keeps the motif undistorted.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Pearl Iris Micro Check nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two coats of Pearl Iris, floated on so the particles stay lying flat, and cure hard.
- 2 Rule the Snow White grid with a striping brush in both directions, then fill alternate cells.
- 3 Two top coats to level the grid without smearing it.
Questions about Pearl Iris Micro Check
Is Pearl Iris Micro Check 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 Pearl Iris Micro Check?
3 bottles: Pearl Iris (shimmer), Snow White (crème) and Iris Bloom (shimmer). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Pearl Iris Micro Check work on short nails?
Oval is one of the better shapes for a short nail: it lengthens the look of the bed without needing free edge to do it, so the design carries over unchanged.
Do I need a UV lamp for Pearl Iris Micro Check?
Yes. Pearl Iris and Iris Bloom only work as a gel — the effect depends on rubbing or setting the finish into a cured tacky layer, which air-dry polish never gives you.