There are times when a nail tech is called to perform a special nail design. These designs may not be worn often by clients, as they are bold and adventurous, but it is a matter of testing the nail tech’s skill and her desire to break down her own technical boundaries to create a scepter of nail craftsmanship for all to see.

JoAnne Millar of En Vogue is such a tech. Here, she reveals how she creates this rhinestone-tipped curl on a gel nail.

1. The nails are prepped first, then extended with En Vogue Modeling Resin to build a thin extension from the free edge and out onto a form. After curing, the nails are filed into stiletto shapes.

2. The nails are then decorated with a dotting tool and colored gels of white, pearl, and blue, which are then cured and capped with clear modeling resin.

3. But the grand quest is done away from the client’s fingers. Millar creates the elaborate curl with blue gel on wax paper or a form. She adds a rhinestone, and the curl is cured for two minutes and peeled off.

4. The curl is then dipped into blue colored gel to act as the glue that fastens it to the end of the stiletto. A bit of glitter gel is used to conceal the mend, and the curl is cautiously cured for two minutes.

May your nail adventures be safe and bountiful.

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