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Thursday, June 14, 2012

Nebula/Galaxy Nail Tutorial (and an epic battle!) - PIC HEAVY

I'VE MADE HISTORY, FOLKS! Never in the 3+ years of writing this blog have I managed to get my beloved boyfriend, Mr. G, absolutely ENGROSSED in something that's beauty-related. Sure, I've come close, like when I asked him to review men's grooming products like this one, but I've never managed to have him spend an entire night on the couch (watching So You Think You Can Dance with me, no less) deeply focused on something beauty-related.

And all it took was the prospect of "visiting" outer space.

Do a YouTube search for "galaxy nails" or "nebula nails" and you'll get tons and tons of tutorials on this very popular manicure. I've been obsessed with trying it out for months now, but little did I know that when I showed a YouTube tutorial to Mr. G, his response would be, "I'm down!" 

So before I show you our Epic Battle Of The Galaxy Manicures, I'd like to give you a tutorial on this manicure, in case you're new to it.

The thing I LOVE about this manicure is that you don't need anything special for it. In fact, it's fun to go through your existing polish stash and pick and choose things that might work (don't be afraid to experiment--you are not tied to the colors I've chosen for this tutorial!).

Most tutorials suggest using those cheapie makeup sponges (the kind that are shaped like pie slices) that you can get at the dollar store. The last time I was at Dollar Tree they did NOT have those sponges, so I improvised and bought an 8-pk of pink hair curlers for $1. This turned out to be a great choice, as just one curler will provide you with MORE than enough sponge for a full manicure (you can probably get a dozen manicures from just one curler, because you just tear off a tiny amount per polish).

NOTE: I don't suggest using cheapie kitchen sponges for this, because those sponges are very porous (i.e. the holes in those sponges are huge). You really need a denser sponge for this to work properly.


I thought it would be fun to use nothing but Wet n Wild polishes for this tutorial, so that you can see that you definitely don't need a lot of money to have some fun with this!

Items used:
  • Wet n Wild Black Creme
  • Wet n Wild Everybody Loves Redmond
  • Wet n Wild Tickled Pink
  • Wet n Wild Sugar Coat
  • Wet n Wild Midnight (Limited Edition from 2010, but you can use Eggplant Frost instead)
  • Wet n Wild French White Creme
  • Wet n Wild Hallucinate
  • One sponge from a pink hair roller, torn into tiny bits (you can also use a makeup sponge)
  • Tweezers
  • One toothpick

STEP ONE: Apply Black Creme as base coat


STEP TWO: drop a few dots of Everybody Loves Redmond onto a piece of paper. Pick up a piece of sponge with your tweezers and dip gently into polish: 


STEP THREE: lightly stipple (dab quickly in short bursts) a diagonal band of polish across the nail: 



STEP FOUR: Repeat process with Tickled Pink:



Try not to completely cover Everybody Loves Redmond. You want some of the red to peek out from beneath the pink:


STEP FIVE: now do the same thing with Midnight (or Eggplant Frost if you don't own Midnight):



Try to use a very thin layer of purple so that you can still see the red and pink beneath it (this is where sheer polishes REALLY come in handy):


STEP SIX: Now use Sugar Coat (it's important that you use a sheer polish for this step) in the same way as the others:

  
Try to concentrate this color toward the middle of your design:



STEP SEVEN: place a few drops of French White Creme on your paper and, with a toothpick, make some dots for "stars" in random sizes and clusters on the nail:



It SO does not need to be perfect, so don't worry if your dots aren't perfectly round:


STEP EIGHT: Top your entire nail with a coat of glitter polish like Hallucinate (you can also use solid silver glitter, or any type of glitter you want. Chunky, fine, a mixture...it doesn't matter!)

Voilà! You're done!


If the idea of having all ten of your nails look like this seems a bit much, consider doing just ONE nail (an accent nail) such as your ring finger in this design, with the rest of your nails painted solid black or deep blue. I think that would look stunning.


AND NOW...THE EPIC BATTLE BEGINS!

Mr. G's designs:

 

Mr. G created these three designs using lots of polishes from my stash from China Glaze, Wet n Wild, Jordana, Sally Hansen, OPI and NYX. 

 

 He was a little upset that JUST as he was working on the tail of his comet (far left nail), I happened to plop down on the couch, which made his hand move (oops!). He wanted the tail to be much thinner than it is here (sorry, honey!).


Now, my designs:

 

 

I also used polishes from the same brands that Mr. G used: China Glaze, Wet n Wild, Jordana, Sally Hansen, OPI and NYX. 

 

So...who won the epic battle?

That's entirely for YOU to decide! Please leave a comment and let us know if you prefer Mr. G's designs or mine! My feelings won't be hurt if you like Mr. G's better, but giving him bragging rights might drive me nuts for a couple of days...just sayin'!

Some of the polishes featured in this post were given to Nouveau Cheap for previous reviews.
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53 comments

  1. I give Mr. G A+ for effort! But yours totally rocked!

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  2. Your galaxy nails look great, like what I hope mine would look like when I do them Mr. G's on the other hand, are very different than the galaxy nails I'm used to seeing. His far right nail looks incredible and the comet is was such a good idea. I have to vote Mr G, just for his novel interpretation of galaxy nails.

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  3. I really like both of them! But I share your pain about the boyfriend having bragging rights and they just go overboard. To spare you, I'll vote for you ;) lol

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  4. I have to say I like Mr G's better. You could of probally won with a thick coat of Gelous... the main reason is your glitter looks a bit chunky. His designs are so original and different too. Sometimes it takes someone completely isolated from blogging and the 'typical' galaxy nail to make something completely unique and amazing :)

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  5. I love Mr. G's nail on the right. It's awesome!

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  6. Hmm, I think you both did GREAT (I so need to do this) but I've got to say, I think Mr. G won:)

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  7. I never heard of a galaxy nail before I saw this, so maybe I shouldn't be judging, but Mr. G's nail on the right is all kinds of awesome. I looked at the photos before I read the words and when I saw that one I thought "That looks like outer space!" Imagine my surprise to find out it was supposed to be outer space.

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  8. Too cool! They're all great, but my favorite is yours on the far right. Thanks for giving us some cheaper polish ideas! :)

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  9. I'd have to say Mr. G's are "out of this world" original! Unique for sure, but I really like them, especially the one on the right!....sowwy!!...Out of yours I love your first one in the demo the most! We can call it a tie!! :)

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  10. These all look so much better than when I tried this last weekend. I wanted to create the perfect galaxy nail (to honor the passing of Science Fiction author Ray Bradbury.)
    I have to say in this challenge I would vote for Mr. G, just for that orange-red and teal combination on the right nail.
    Thanks for sharing this tutorial, your color layering technique is different from what I'd seen and now I can't wait to try out another cosmic manicure.

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  11. It was a close one for me but overall I like your's the best

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  12. If it weren't for Mr G's bright, glittery galaxy nail on the right I wouldn't have been able to decide between the two of you. Your tutorial is wonderful & perfectly timed for me since I only have black on my nails atm.

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  13. This is the cutest thing ever. I'm going to go with Mr. G's comet design - it reminds me of the Hale Bopp comet :)

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  14. OMG i cant decide! they both look so awesome!!!!

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  15. I totally love these! I would have to sat it's a tie although I am partial to your demo nail. Thanks Doll for sharing:)

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  16. These look amazing! His look psychedelic and fun, yours look like real galaxies! I so wish I had nails to try this on!

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  17. Sorry G. but I have to give this one to the boy. His designs, colour usage are so original and a little fantastical.

    I think that it is just wrong when a total beauty noob comes sashaying in and pulls a slam dunk like that. lol

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  18. wow both of your designs are amazing! I really like Mr. G's comet though. I haven't seen that before!

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  19. I like the one with the orange glitter !! =D

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  20. Sorry G, I like his better! They just look more like actual galaxies!

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  21. Wow, this is the first time I've seen Nebula/Galaxy nail designs! You both did a fabulous job!

    I like G's red/teal design on the right, but I also like your left nail design w/ the yellow diagonal design. ^^

    Hehe, I want to try this sometime now. :D

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  22. Wow, this is the first time I've seen Nebula/Galaxy nail designs! You both did a fabulous job!

    I like G's red/teal design on the right, but I also like your left nail design w/ the yellow diagonal design. ^^

    Hehe, I want to try this sometime now. :D

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  23. You both did an amazing job and if my nails look like that, I would totally rock them. I do like Mr. G designs a little bit better though.

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  24. You both did an amazing job and if my nails look like that, I would totally rock them. I do like Mr. G designs a little bit better though.

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  25. Mr. G!!! The middle nail is my favorite.

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  26. I like yours better - they look like the tails of shooting stars!

    I can't help but think of mold and bacteria when I look at Mr. G's designs. x_x

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  27. Mr. G's designs look more galactical and original to me and I love the far right one with the teal and red. Yours are so pretty though--I'd wear that sort of look more often. This is tough.

    Well, since it's a "Galaxy Nail" manicure then my vote goes to Mr. G.

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  28. I'm going to have to vote for Mr. G as well.
    I really like the middle nail (not too much glitter) :]

    But awesome job you two!
    I wish my bf would do sth like this w/ me LOL

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  29. I really like yours on the left G...but I really have to give it to Mr. G! He took the challenge literally - his two on the right really look pretty awesome & real, like photographs almost :) Too bad his comet tail got cut short...bummer! Lol

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  30. I've been curious about how difficult it would be to do a galaxy nail for awhile... You have given me hope! I actually prefer your designs... the colors are blended more subtly, and I think they look more like actual nebulas and galaxies, but Mr. G's do have great character!

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  31. I give you an A++++. This is such an amazing nail art piece! I love how you did your design. It takes a lot of effort and patience by doing this.

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  32. Thanks for the tutorial. Actually, I really do like Mr. G's designs better, especially the far right. How about letting *him* do a tutorial? That would be fun.

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  33. My favorites are the middle designs from both of you.

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  34. I love all the designs... But I gotta say mr. G's cuz I looks the colors he used more.

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  35. ngl...I like Mr. G's better! This was a fantastic tutorial! Thanks for sharing!

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  36. Wow, I love both of your work, they look amazing! And I love that he did this with you!

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  37. I feel like you guys were playing totally different games! He went with structural pieces while you went with more of a far off look. I do LOVE his far right design though! That red looks so neat!

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  38. I really like both but the deciding factor for me was Mr. G's design on the far right (the one with the red). It looks so awesome!!!! I'm so excited he participated in this with you...what a great bonding moment ;)

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  39. I like Mr Gs far right one with the color!

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  40. i love his red nail design the one on the right the best of all of them! sorry!

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  41. Sorry, kiddo, but while your designs are fab, Mr. G's are fabber.

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  42. This is amazing, I always loved galaxy nails but I figuired it took years to do.

    Your designs are fab, and kudos to Mr.G for joining in with you!

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  43. Love Mr. g's middle and right nail! Can he come do my nails please?? I love this post by the way, amazing!

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  44. I like both of yours on the far right a LOT. Quick Q: Are we supposed to let each layer dry before moving on?

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  45. sorry G, gonna have to go with Mr. G...LOVE the two on the right side, look pretty damn close to what I saw in science class! You may have to bear with his bragging but maybe this will also motivate him to participate more? might just be the incentive he needs!

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  46. I liked both, but my favorite is yours with the yellow streak running through it. It looks like a shooting star!

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  47. hmmmm if these were on a canvas, i'd go with Mr. G.....BUT since they're not, I def like your designs much more, while his is a literal interpretation, your's screams "milky way" to me! I'd love to see more of these type tutorials from you!

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  48. Mr. G.'s. Sorry! His designs are unique, beautiful. The comet was a GREAT idea. I agree with the person who said sometimes it takes someone OUTSIDE the "beauty box" to put a fresh spin on an idea. Your designs were nice - but his were "out of this world" - pun intended. :) To infinity and beyond!

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  49. I'm voting a tie! You and Mr. G. did an incredible job!!!

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  50. You win! And thank you for posting a tutorial that gives me more than "apply random splotches" us type a perfectionists like details :).

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