Spectacular Nail Art
A Step-by-Step Guide to 35 Gorgeous Designs
by Larit Levy
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Pub Date Sep 02 2014 | Archive Date Sep 30 2015
Charlesbridge | Imagine
Description
Have a spooky Halloween with black-and-white cobwebbed nails; hail the red-white-and blue and stars-and-stripes forever with Positively Patriotic; and celebrate the coming of spring with vintage fancy flowers. Go wild with animal prints. Get playful with retro dots, or wedding-ready with pearly bubbles.
Tips on nail care, products, and basic manicures (including a French one) help you keep your hands in tip-top shape. One thing’s for sure: with this art on your nails, you’ll never want to wear gloves again!
A Note From the Publisher
This book was originally published in 2014. Enjoy this backlist title... nail art is timeless fun!
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781623540258 |
PRICE | $12.99 (USD) |
Links
Featured Reviews
Easy to follow instructions, interesting nail art designs. This is perfect for beginners when it comes to nail art. And the basics at the beginning answered some questions I had about nail care since I started doing nail art myself.
Spectacular Nail Art is a great book for anyone who would like to do nail art themselves. The step-by-step photos made recreating the designs a breeze. Using basic tools anyone can have beautiful nails for a fraction of the price of going to a salon. This would be a wonderful book to include with nail polish and tools for a fun teen gift!
I don't know about you, but I tend to look at nail art designs on Pinterest. However, that is all I tend to do is just look and wish I could do them. I am rather jealous of those that can.
This book teaches you how to do 35 different designs. And all of them are fantastic. What is even better, is that I am sure that you can take some of the techniques that this book teaches you for one design and apply them to make one that isn't even in the book! This makes your nail art options practically endless!
I really like how each design is set up with easy to follow steps. Then each step has a picture with it so you know what that step is supposed to look like. That is so much easier to follow than written word alone when you are trying to duplicate some form of technique. Each design also comes with a photo of what the completed design should look like.
Super easy to follow with great directions. This is one for anyone who likes to do something to snazzy to their nails, even if it is only once in a while!
This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
INITIAL THOUGHTS I do really enjoy looking at books like this from more than one point of view. I look with interest to see if I would be able to do any of the designs. I look at the book with a professional eye as many moons ago I qualified as level 2 Nail Technician, my daughter is a fully qualified level 3 qualified Nail Technician. Finally I look at the book from the point of view as a parent, and ask myself the question would I purchase/recommend this as a gift for a friend relative.
MY REVIEW I downloaded an e-arc of this one from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. The cover I would say is quite busy, showing lots of pictures of the different nail designs that are featured inside the book. There's lots and lots of girly pink on the cover too. The title and author name are the main focus of the book and are in the centre of the front cover as well as the sub-heading/by line of "A Step by Step Guide of 35 Gorgeous designs" which describes the book and it's contents quite well. Would the cover of this book make me pick it up from a book store shelf? If I were browsing in a book store I think I'd pick it up to take a quick look inside at the designs, though in my opinion the cover is targeting the girly tween market, which I guess is the perfect audience for a book like this.
The book begins with the "Basics" which explains the contents of the book, that it is a step by step guide to a good range of designs, a mixture of special occasion to everyday wear creations too. This section also explains that there are different skill and patience levels for each different creation.
The book goes on to a Caring for your hands and nails list of do's and don'ts for example "always wear gloves both when washing up or using any chemicals" There's also a section which recommends how to choose a Nail Salon. The Techniques section covers the different nail shapes and how to push your cuticles back. Personally and from a professional point of view I think the book could have done to put a little more emphasis on doing so carefully so as not to tear the cuticle. I think the description on the method for how to apply nail polish is totally spot on as is the tip of rolling nail polish between your hands to mix the colour pigment and so enabling the polish to be applied evenly. (A really great professional tip!).
I think the instructions on how to do a french manicure and how to apply the white makes it sound quite easy when to be honest I still see poorly applied french manicures done by so called qualified professionals. A french manicure is also variable upon where you live in the world too. I think the description of pouring nai polish onto cardboard or foil could be a ittle wasteful when you could paint the colour onto the dotter and that way is much more economical. The actual designs fall under five categories though are not individually labelled as so, they just flow one design after the next. I'd say I loved the vintage style flowers, the darling daisies, pearly bubbles and cascading blossoms too. A quirky wedding themed nail covered is the Tux deluxe.
The book felt like it ended a little too abruptly for my taste. It would have been nice to have a paragraph or so at the end of the book saying "Good Luck with your nail creations" and something like "Remember practice makes perfect!" then perhaps have some media links to a few popular nail blogs.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes, it I enjoyed flicking through it. Would I recommend the book? Mmm yes to a young tween or teen interested in Nail Art and Makeup etc. Would I want to read another book by the people who created this one? I don't honestly think I would buy one for myself, perhaps as a gift. Would I be interested in another Nail Designs book? I usually check out all Nail Design books and Hairstyle book, old habits die hard lol.
FINAL THOUGHTS Perfect for Tweens and Teens, or perhaps even for you to try yourself, or to have a mini pamper party time with your daughter! I remember my daughter being very into having her nails done and also her wanting to do mine too. I often ended up going to work with different colours and designs!
What a fun and informative book this is! My 14 year old daughter and I both had a rollicking good time trying to accomplish different styles that were demonstrated and (YAY!) Well explained.
While not something I personally wear all the time I know people who do, and I enjoy the learning and playing. Great book no matter your level of interest.
I was given this book by Net Galley to read for my honet review and I have given it here.
A wonderful book of nail art with pictures that will allow anyone to create a professional look.
I love painting my nails!! So when I saw this book I knew I had to have it. I have tried so many of the designs in the book. I only wish I could have seen the pictures in color.
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