Leading the way in nail art innovation with the creation of the Caviar Manicure, the latest from cult British nail brand Ciaté brings decadence to your fingertips — literally. Featuring luxurious crushed velvet, the Velvet Manicure leaves your nails adorned with a sophisticated, plush finish that is perfect for welcoming fall!
Applying this polish and the pillowy crushed velvet is foolproof. Even if you’re not good at doing your own nails, the application is pretty straightforward and not at all messy (see video). (Side note: Why are so many pinners on Pinterest good at doing their own nails? What’s up with that?)
Upon securing my beauty victim, my sister, I got to work and cracked open the Mink Cashmere Velvet Manicure kit, which contains one Ciaté Paint Pot in Cream Soda, one pot of luxurious Crushed Velvet Powder, one Little Black Brush and a clear plastic tray to catch the powder. I first applied one coat of the nail polish, and we waited patiently (not so much) for the first coat to dry. One nail at a time, I painted on a second coat. While the second coat of paint was still wet, I applied a generous helping of the crushed velvet powder, pouring it over the plastic tray, until the nail was thoroughly covered. Sweeping the brush across the nail and the finger, I removed the excess powder. I finished by carefully pouring the leftover velvet powder back in to the container.
It is really that easy, three simple steps and you’re done. The plastic tray that comes with the kit makes cleanup a breeze!
The result? Beautiful velvety nails. Ciaté has truly created a sensory experience. On the nail, the crushed velvet is soft and luxurious. It looks chic and sophisticated, and my sister couldn’t wait to show her friends!
Tips & Tricks:
- Wait for the first coat of Ciaté Paint to thoroughly dry. Not allowing the first coat to dry will result in exceptionally sticky nails that never dry. (We learned the hard way.)
- The instructions say to “sprinkle” the crushed velvet on to the nail. This resulted in a very slow process. I eventually took off the lid and let the velvet fall out in clumps. This resulted in a very dramatic velvet look.
- Don’t sweep the Little Black Brush over the nail immediately after you apply the velvet powder to the wet nail. This can make the velvet clump around the edge of the nail. I shook the nail off and then brushed around the cuticle. Wait until the nails have dried a bit to sweep over them.
Coming soon! Be on the lookout for Ciate’s haute holiday collections coming to a Sephora near you!
The Ciaté Velvet Manicure kit comes in three posh colors: Berry Poncho, Blue Suede and Mink Cashmere and is available at Sephora stores and sephora.com for $19.
Photos courtesy of ciate
