NAIL ART: Drybrushed Sheer Nude Flakie Pond Mani

by - September 13, 2021


I feel like today's mani is a design that has become sort of a staple for me and it's one that I really, really love. While so much of the nail art that I do involves stamping, which is definitely my favorite and most inspiring technique, this is one design that I do and love that doesn't require any tools or really even any specific skill when it comes to nail art. It's also really, really versatile and works for any occasion, which is always great. So of course, as I was doing a week of nude/neutral nail art, I had to throw together a mani using this design along with my new favorite flakie pond mani base technique. 

Keep reading for more!


Last year I fell in love with OPI's Robots Are Forever, which was one of those unfortunate love stories where I want to use it constantly but it was limited edition and is impossible to find a backup of, so I was forced to find a replacement. Luckily, this led to a new favorite technique of mine which is to pair sheer jelly polishes with flakie toppers sandwiched between them to create a similar vibe... and I've sort of gone mad with power with it at this point.

For this mani, I grabbed for OPI's Bare My Soul, which is a pale, sheer pinky beige that's basically dead on nude for my skin tone, along with Starrily's Unicorn (purchased from NailStuff.ca), which is an iridescent flakie topper that basically hits the entire rainbow and is straight magic. I started with one coat of Bare My Soul, followed by one coat of Unicorn, and then one more coat of Bare My Soul to create this sheer, flakie goodness that lets you see my natural nail but helps camouflage the imperfections in my nail bed.


Next, for the drybrushing design, I went in with three different stamping polishes. I started with a pale nude pink that felt like an opaque version of the base colour, then a slightly rosy milk chocolate brown, adn then finally a metallic rose gold. I decided to go diagonally in the same direction on each nail, focusing my dry brushing on opposite corners of the nail and working inward. Once I was happy with my dry brushing, I went in with a dotting tool and added some subtle dots to each nail in one of the bare corners, adding a little bit of interest without overwhelming the design.

Once I was happy with the design, I sealed everything in with a water based top coat and then finished with a generous layer of quick dry glossy top coat for shine and volume. And voila!


All Products Used
OPI - Bare My Soul
Starrily - Unicorn
Whats Up Nails - You Mocha Me Happy
Whats Up Nails - Roses Are Gold
Maniology - Ballet Flats
Maniology - Smudge Free Top Coat
Glisten & Glow Top Coat
NailStuff.ca Dotting Tool**

** = PR Gifted from NailStuff.ca - use affiliate code TRYSH for 10% off your first order!


There are a handful, I'd say, of designs that have ended up sort of go tos for me and this dry brushed technique has definitely become one of them. Oftentimes I will add some stamping to the design to make it a little more themed, but for this one I wanted to keep it really soft and simple and nude. For someone who is a beginner with nail art, I think this is a fantastic technique that really doesn't need any special skill or tools and I feel like this is something I really would have gravitated towards when I first started doing nails a few years ago.

Be sure to check out Cosmetic Proof and See The World In PINK for more nails for this week's #CBBxManiMonday!

Thanks for reading!


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