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British nail polish brand Ciate has made a name for themselves by creating nail looks with crazy finishes and textures. Last year, their "caviar mani"—the one with glass beads on top—became one of the most popular DIY manicures, and they're hoping to top it this year with their new "chalkboard mani." We gave the pre-assembled kit a whirl last week, and today, we bring you five easy steps to doing it yourself. Enjoy after the jump.
Step 1: Do all the normal stuff you'd do for a home manicure—trim or file your nails, take off old polish, etc.
Step 2: Paint your nails with one (or two, if you've got time) layers of the black Chalkboard Nail Pot polish.
Step 3: Let the polish dry. That sounds obvious, but it's the single most important step to the success of your future manicure. If you try to put the "chalk" on top of wet nails you'll just get a big smudgefest. Use the time while you're waiting to decide which of the four chalk polish colors (white, yellow, pink, and blue) you want to use on your nails. Or just use all of them. But don't touch the chalk until your nails are completely dry.
Step 4: Take the chalk pen and gently press it down on your nail, squeezing slightly to make sure the "chalk" comes out. Then go crazy. Doodle whatever you want, whether it's flowers, squiggles, patterns, or even a message. If you make a mistake or decide you don't like your drawing, just quickly rinse your hands with water and the chalk polish will come right off.
Step 5: Once you've got your nails the way you want 'em, go over them all with a topcoat to keep it all in place. Ciate includes their own Mattnificent topcoat with the kit.
· The Caviar Manicure Is the Next Nail Trend—Here's How to Do It [Racked]
· Pop Quiz: How Many Nail Polish Brands Can You Guess By the Shape of Their Bottles? [Racked]
· Ciate [Official Site]