Star Trek TNG: All the Redshirts

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Closing out my Star Trek series, I have to make a nod to all the boys wearing command red.  Q is of course my fave, especially in his completely over-the-top judge's robes from the very first episode, so this design has as much black in it as red.

indoor, bright CF lighting

Baroness X has been releasing some amazingly pretty fluid art polishes - instead of simple crème finishes, she's adding shimmer or flakies, and for X Marks the Spot she's added a handful of holo dust.

outdoor, overcast daylight

To get this look, I started with a layer of Julep Karmen, a fiery red foil that's been used several times in nail art experiments, painted thickly across a silicone mat.  I then added drips of OPI Glamour Game, a somewhat sheer champagne gold shimmer, and drips of X Marks the Spot.  When I had a big enough pool to work with, I folded the mat in half a couple of times, and tilted the mat on it's side to get the paint to flow and spread out.

outdoor, overcast/shady daylight

I let the sheet of paint dry for about 2 hours - you'll need longer if your final puddle is thicker, and thin decals are easier to work with, so it's definitely worth trying to get things to spread evenly - then cut it into sheets a bit bigger than my nails.  

indoor, bright CF lighting

I made enough in one go for both hands, and as always, even after I picked the best spots for my swatching hand, I ended up liking my right side better:

outdoor, overcast daylight

To get the decals to stick onto my nail, and simultaneously make sure there weren't any see-through patches (it's ok this way if your decals end up too thin), I painted a single very thin layer of the red polish and let it dry partway.  Then I applied the decals, smoothed them down with my finger, trimmed the edges, and topcoated. 

outdoor, overcast daylight

It's not as obviously Star Trek TNG as my other designs have been, but I think it perfectly captures the nebulous and mutable nature of Q... and maybe a bit of the swirling galaxies in the opening credits.

indoor, bright CF lighting

~Michelle

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