Birds of a Feather

A real feather mani is a fun, natural, bohemian look that is easy to create.  A soft pink base color pairs well with the hot pink feathers so the feathers stand out.

I received these polka dot feathers from +Bundle Monster in exchange for an honest review.  I love them!  I've been wanting to try a real feather mani for a while, but could never find any feathers at the arts and crafts stores.  These feathers are great quality and come in 10 different colors!  The set comes with 100 feathers - 10 each of the 10 colors.  I can't wait to try them all!  The ones I used for this mani are the darker pink ones, pictured second in the top row.  I think the light blue ones would look great over a nude or taupe color.  I'm going to have to try that next.  There is a link below if you want to try them yourself.

 Polish Used:

• Essence - Sweet as Candy

Other Supplies:

• Polka Dot Feathers
• Clippers/scissors
• Nail file
• Base and top coat

Although this may seem daunting, fear not my friends.  It was actually really easy to apply the feathers.  It is best to work one nail at a time, since the feather will be sticking out past your nail until you get to the trimming step. Here's how to create the look:

1. Apply a light pink base color.
2. Prepare the feathers.  Using a cuticle clipper or scissors, cut the fluffy part off of the feather.  You wont need this part, and the fluff can get in the way or stick to the nails.  The dotted part of the feather is long enough to handle.
   
3. Apply a thick coat of clear top coat, and immediately place the feather.  Carefully dab all the little strands down with your finger to smooth everything out.  It helps if your finger is wet so it doesn't stick to the tacky top coat.  I used a quick dry top coat, so I had to do this FAST.  If you don't want to be rushed, use a slow drying top coat for this step.
   
4. Apply a few coats of clear top coat to seal the feather on.  If you didn't get all the little strands of the feather to stick to your nail, it is helpful to paint the first layer of top coat in the same grain as the feather (from tip to base, instead of the normal base to tip).  Paint top coat on part of the feather that sticks out past the nail.  This will make it easier when you get to the trimming and filing.
   
5. Once dry, trim the excess feather off with clippers/scissors.
   
6. Using a nail file, file off the rest of the feather like you would a nail wrap.  This smooths out the edges and is really helpful for the hard center core of the feather.
   
7. Apply another layer of top coat, being sure to cover the edge of the tip where you just filed, so the feather won't come up.

 

 

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