Artistic Nail Design's Rock Hard Liquid-and-Powder Application

Artistic recently launched its Rock Hard Liquid-and-Powder Kits for creating natural looks, crisp smile lines, or customizable nail art. Three kits are currently available: Rockin’ French, Flawless French, and Rockstar. Rock Hard Nail products provide a more leveled surface to cut back on file time and are derived from a proprietary blend of monomers chemically altered into fine polymers and smooth oligomers. Learn how to create a basic clear nail with VIP Clear, which can be found in both the Rockin’ French and Rockstar kits.

1. After prepping the nail with a 180-grit buffer, apply pH Nail Prep and then lightly moisten the nail with Opening Act, a non-acid based primer. Apply a Get Bent Nail Form. Saturate your Artistic #8 Oval Acrylic Brush with Center Stage Monomer Nail Liquid and wipe out the liquid completely on a lint-free wipe to prepare the brush for each use.

2. Pick up a medium bead of VIP Pink or Clear and wait until it turns creamy.* Place the bead on the apex area. Tap the top edge of the bead as close to the cuticle area as possible, leaving a tiny free margin between the product and the skin. Press the bottom edge of the bead onto the nail form to create the extension. Brush the surface to smooth.

3. Pick up a second bead of VIP Polymer Powder and wait until it’s creamy before placing it at the apex of the nail. With your brush flat, lightly pat the product toward the cuticle and brush the bead toward the end of the extension to fill in low spots, build the arch, and provide strength and structure.

4. During the curing process, the nail will feel warm and be ready to mold the C-curve. Carefully remove the Get Bent nail form. Use an appropriately sized Artistic C-Curve Stick under the edge of the nail and press the edge of the nail around it to create your C-curve.

5. Gently press on each side of the nail with your thumbs to hold the C-curve in place while the product continues to cure. Repeat steps two through five on all 10 nails.

6. Refine the liquid-and-powder application by filing with a 150- or 180-grit file.

*To pick up beads of Rock Hard Liquid-and-Powder, saturate the brush with Center Stage Monomer Nail Liquid and wipe the edge of the brush on the side of the dappen dish to remove excess liquid. Pick up a medium bead of VIP Polymer Powder and wait until it turns creamy.