The top photo is the first version. I used one coat of Essie Absolutely Shore, and didn't worry about it being streaky. On top of that I put two coats of China Glaze Moonlight, a very sheer off white. Then I topped the whole thing with three coats of Nubar 2010 and one coat of Essie Good to Go. It was very shiny and I felt like it didn't look too much like opals.
The next morning I realized it might look a little better with some matte topcoat, so I applied that, and sure enough, it started looking more like opals! Very hard to photograph though! The second photo is a tiny ray of sunshine in which I tried to catch the opalescence, and in the third I finally captured a little of the pink.
I think next time I try this, I'll add in some pale pink blobs while the green is still wet, and then cover it with the sheer white and the flakie. This was a good start though, and I'm glad I finally tried it - it's been in my mind for a couple months!
I'm sorry to see the snakeskin gone, but the opal look is really beautiful! I guess flakies look better matte? I'm also intrigued by what that might be that you're holding.
ReplyDeleteI'm holding my coffee mug :-)
ReplyDeleteSnakeskin isn't gone yet - I actually did the opal before the snakeskin! I was so excited about it I posted it first!
This looks really nice!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! You came pretty close. I'm excited to see further attempts.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pam! I was going to do "ruby" explosions on the tips like you, but then it chipped too badly. Next time!
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