Long petal strokes in Studio Black pulled from the cuticle outward over Vanilla Cream, tipped with Clay Pot.
3 bottles: Vanilla Cream, Studio Black and Clay Pot. Vanilla Cream against Studio Black is a hard contrast, so the motif reads from across a room, and any wobble in the line reads with it. The bottles are not all the same finish (sheer and crème), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
It sits on an almond, tapered at the sides and rounded at the tip, which narrows the nail and lengthens the finger, and stretches the motif slightly as it approaches the point.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Petal Ink nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Vanilla Cream, cured.
- 2 Long Studio Black petal strokes from the cuticle outward, one stroke per petal.
- 3 Tip them with Clay Pot, then top coat including the free edge.
Questions about Petal Ink
Is Petal Ink 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 Petal Ink?
3 bottles: Vanilla Cream (sheer), Studio Black (crème) and Clay Pot (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Petal Ink 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 Petal Ink need?
More than you would expect. Vanilla Cream 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.