Oftentimes when I first look at any given stamping plate, there are one or two images that really stand out to me and that I can't wait to get on my nails. Sometimes, though, I hold off because somehow I convince myself that I don't want to waste it - as though I can't go back and use it again. I swear, sometimes I feel like these posts when I describe my thought process are like therapy - really going into the weird and specific ways that my mind processes things. Anyway, I've been wanting to use the stamping image I used for this mani for a while now, but I really didn't want to waste it. I don't think I did!

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For this mani, I knew going in that I wanted to pair black or charcoal with mixed metallics to create a sort of gilded, deco sort of look. Initially, I had planned on doing a dark base with mixed metallic stamping, but ultimately I decided to swap that and do a metallic gradient base with black stamping.

For the gradient, I used three different metallic stamping polishes from Pueen - honestly, I'm a wee bit obsessed with using Pueen stamping polishes to create gradients, so I had no doubt this was going to work. I went with a silver, a sort of mauve-y gunmetal, and a golden apple green and decided to try to create an almost magnetic polish sort of look with the design. 

I applied strips of silver and gunmetal at a diagonal across the center of the makeup sponge and then I did smaller lines of the green at both ends to sort of encapsulate the other colors. When applying the gradient, I decided that I wanted to add a little bit of subtle visual interest to the design, so I alternated the direction of placement. Because I had the green at either end, this ended up being a really subtle detail but I love that. In person, it really did make a huge difference. It took two passes of sponging to get the opacity and blend that I was looking for, but I did do a quick third pass with a drier sponge to leave behind a little bit of texture to the metallic.

Next, I went in with my stamping, which was pretty much a no brainer. This image picked up and transferred beautifully with black stamping polish and I think it really created an impactful design that managed to not be too busy. Once I was happy with my stamping, I cleaned up and then sealed in it with a nail art top coat. Finally, I finished with a generous layer of glossy top coat and voila! 

I have to admit that this is one of those times when I really, really wish that pictures could pick up how absolutely gorgeous this mani was in person. Honestly, the amount of dimension and interest that this had on the nails was so beautiful that it made me want to experiment some more with different metallic gradients, which is something I've never really tried before.

If you're interested in any of the Pueen products that I used in this mani, they're available from Amazon. In fact, the stamping plate, stamper and black stamping polish are all available in a starter kit that is really affordable and a great way to try out stamping if you're new to it! Definitely check it out!

Thanks for reading!