The Digit-al Dozen Does Black Out: Day 2


Hiya guys! It's another day and another manicure created for The Digit-al Dozen. Our theme this month is Black Out and it has certainly proved to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. It always just feels tougher when you have to incorporate a color into a manicure, but to have it be the main color in the manicure too is rough. Lucky for me I haven't been doing nail art in so long I get to try out some of my favorite techniques again. For Day 2 I decided on creating a simple polka dot pond manicure!

The Digit-al Dozen Does Black Out: Day 2

What do you guys think? There is always something about a pond manicure that makes it look like a nail wrap. Like almost fake looking because it's so dimensional and shiny, haha. I don't know maybe it's just my eyes playing tricks on me.

The Digit-al Dozen Does Black Out: Day 2

Now some of you may be wondering... What is a pond mani?

A pond manicure is a technique in which a design is layered between sheer coats of polish. I've done this with snowflakes, clovers, and polka dots in the past. Essentially you want at least two coats of each so that you can create that dimensional effect. Any jelly translucent polish can be used or you can create your own using a cream and clear polish. As I mentioned with my last manicure, I love creating my own with Sally Hansen's Invisible.

In this case I did a layer of sheer polish, followed by white polka dots, another layer of sheer polish, more white polka dots. I did this two additional times and sealed it off with a glossy topcoat. And if that sounds like a lot that's because it is, haha. It took almost two and a half hours to complete and dry.

Some fellow nail artists like using a fast drying topcoat in between layers to help speed up the process, but that's not something I tend to do. Mostly I choose not to because I don't want to risk causing air bubbles between layers. And my other reason is because it's essentially adding more thickness to the manicure. The thicker a manicure gets, the more my nails tend to curve inward. If both of these reasons don't really apply to you, then I'd definitely suggest you giving it a try. Otherwise be like me and binge on Netflix as you do your nails, haha.

The Digit-al Dozen Does Black Out: Day 2

Here's everything I used to create this look: 
  • Polishes: Rica Polish - Blackout and Whiteout. 
  • Sheer Polish created using Sally Hansen - Invisible 
  • Winstonia: Metal Dotting Tool [use code Rose787 for 10% off]
  • Top Coat: Seche Vite 

Like my last manicure, pond manis are something I have done quite a few times throughout the years. So while I don't have a tutorial with this exact manicure, you can see similar ones on my YouTube channel. I think my most popular one I have ever done is my blue and white snowflake on - definitely one of my all time favorites too.

The Digit-al Dozen Does Black Out: Day 2

I'm pretty sure this is going to be my favorite mani from this week. I'm super proud of myself for having the patience to do a pond moni, even though I was on a time crunch. Now be sure to check out the other talented ladies from The Digit-al Dozen and their nail art during Black-Out week.


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