Review: Born Pretty Store Flocking Powder Kit

It's time to jump on another nail art bandwagon and this time I am talking about the Velvet Manicure which basically involves the use of flocking powder to give the nails a 'fuzzy sweater' effect.

Thanks to Born Pretty Store, you can now achieve this look without the hefty price tag that accompanies the high end kits.  The BPS kit comes complete with all that you need to create the velvet manicure, namely the flocking powder (13g), a pair of specially designed tweezers and a mini brush. The powder comes in a screw-top jar that ensures the powder will not come out and since it is transparent, you can see how much powder is left as well as the colour. I chose the brown-red variation.

The powder is very finely 'milled' and the texture really feels like velvet.  The brush is very soft and although it is not the best brush I have ever seen, it is perfect to use with the powder and the tweezers is intended to break up the clumps of powder prior to use.

Although it may seem a little messy at first, with a few tweaks, you can get velvet, mess-free nails so here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to achieve the look:

1. Apply a base coat and follow with one coat of nail polish that is similar in colour to the flocking powder you are using (for reference, the nail polish is O.P.I. Skyfall from the new Skyfall 007 Collection). Leave to dry completely.

2. If you are going to apply the flocking powder to all nails, work one nail at a time and start painting on the second coat of nail polish. Carefully, dispense the powder over the nail while the polish is still wet. I advise you keep a small tray or the jar's cap under your finger so you can catch fall-outs and re-use the powder.

3. Dust away any excess powder with the brush and voila'! Velvet nails in no time! Make sure to leave the nails to fully dry for around 20 minutes.

For the design I created here, I first applied striping tape (you can also get this from BPS) in a criss-cross fashion on my ring finger and then applied the second coat nail polish. Subsequently, I dispensed the powder over my nails and took off the striping tape after a couple of seconds.  For a more complete finish, I applied 1.5mm round gold stud rhinestones (also from BPS) to the intersecting points so as to give the impression of a quilted effect.

I was amazed at how easy it is to achieve velvet nails and the end result is very neat indeed! Moreover, the excess powder is easy to put back into the container after use without worrying that it will end up all over the place.

Since you won't be using top coat for this design (otherwise the effect is ruined), I recommend this manicure for special occasions as it will only last around 5 days; an yes, you can still wash your hands while wearing this manicure. Do avoid getting hand cream or cuticle oil on the powder though as it will make it look funny. Removal was also pretty easy with just some acetone-free nail polish remover.

You can find all the different colours and sets among other nail art supplies here on the Born Pretty Store website. The retail price for this particular kit is $7.99 and you can get 10% off with the code EBABK31 at checkout.

What do you think of this nail look?

PR Sample