Tutorial: Inverted French Chevron with Barielle.

Barielle asked me to create a tutorial using their products and I was happy to oblige. In fact it was quite easy since they have such a great selection of colors in their Shades line. I was actually trying to decide what to do for my World Suicide Prevention Day post and it worked out perfectly.

Let's get started!

Materials Used:

Barielle Hydrating Ridge Filler

Barielle Shades in Designer's Shoes

Barielle Shades in Soho At Night

Barielle Intensive Nail Renewal Oil

Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender

Chevron Tip Guides

Prep your nails as usual; remove old polish thoughly, push back cuticles, cut and file if necessary. Wipe down all nails with a swipe of acetone, polish remover, or white vinegar. Any of these will work well to remove all the oils from your nails.

Apply one coat of Barielle's Hydrating Ridge Filler to all nails being sure to wrap the tips. I like using a ridge filling base because I don't have to buff and weaken the integrity of my nails. I also like the consistency of this one; it glides nicely over the nail. A base coat improves durability of your manicure and protects your nails from the polish possibly staining them. The Hydrating Ridge Filler also replenishes moisture loss and promotes flexibility.

I like to give my base coat 5 - 10 minutes to dry because lately my area has been very hot and humid.

Once your base coat is dry to the touch you can then begin to apply your Shades Nail Color. Paint all your nails, except your ring fingernail, with one coat of Designer's Shoes. Don't worry about wrapping your tips. This soft purple creme is very thick and opaque. Give your nails a few minutes to dry.

Then you will paint your ring fingernail with 2 coats of Soho At Night. This deep purple creme is a great fall and winter shade. I like to let my nails dry 5 - 10 minutes between coats; it will actually speed up dry time in the long run. 

After giving your nails a few moments to dry you can then go in with a small flat tipped detail brush and some acetone or polish remover to clean up the area around your nails. You can also make sure your cuticle line is nice and tidy. I then like to add some cuticle oil to the areas around my nail to hydrate and soothe them. Acetone and Nail Polish Remover is very drying. I used Barielle's Intensive Nail Renewal Oil. It's my very favorite nail oil; you can read my in-depth review here.

It's imperative to allow your nails plenty of time to dry before applying the Chevron Nail Guides. This is the downfall of nail art. If your polish isn't completely dry then the sticky guides will damage your base color. Now would be a great time to catch up on your favorite TV series. You could also apply some fast drying drops to your nails to speed the process along. You can find Chevron Nail Guides on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and in some French Manicure Kits. 

Wash your hands and nails with soap and water to remove any dirt and oils that may have accumulated on them during dry time. Your nails should be 100% dry before washing; a good test is to gently tap your nails together (surface area to surface area). If you hear a crisp click that's a good indication that they are completely dry.

When using Nail Guides you want to be very gentle with them. I peel them off of the sheet with an orange wood stick starting on the outer corners. The chevrons are a bit tricky because they tend to tear in the center where the chevron comes to a point so I pull the ends off evenly to ensure the chevron does not get warped or torn. To place them look at your nail head on and line the point up with the center of your nail. Also, note where the edges end up. You will want your inner edges to land right at the corner of the nail so you may need to readjust. Just be sure to pull the guide off of your nail the same way you pulled it off the backing sheet. It may take several tries before you are happy with placement. Also try not to tug or pull on the guide because this will give you an uneven design.

Once you are happy with placement of the nail guide use an orange wood stick to gently smooth down the decal along the edges. One of the keys to a nice clean line is making sure the decal is fully affixed to the nail.

Using your contrasting Shades Nail Color in Soho At Night, apply a nice even layer of polish (not too much and not too little) inside your triangle. Don't over work the polish or you will see the base color start to peek through. Be sure to wrap your tips now. Promptly remove the guide; if the polish dries while the guide is attached you will not get a nice sharp line.

Your ring fingernail is done a little differently; you will line the Chevron Nail Guide up to your cuticle to give you a chevron version of a half moon. Again, make sure you have centered the point of the chevron and that the outter edges of the chevron appear to be even on each side of your nail. Use your cuticle stick to make sure the outter edges are adhered to the nail. You will then use Designer's Shoes to paint the majority of your nail and wrap the tip of your nail as well. Be sure to remove the guide immediately to get a nice clean line.

 

Once again it is imperative that you let your nails dry completely. You need to top coat and seal in your design but if you do it too quickly it will smear and ruin your design. If you need to do any additional clean up around your nails now would be a good time to do that. 

When your nails are completely dry you will apply one thick coat of Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender. Even though your nails are 100% dry you still run the risk of smearing. The best way to avoid that is to apply a large bead of top coat and gently glide it over the design. The trick is to not let the brush touch the polish. You also do not want to overwork the top coat. 3 strokes; one down the middle and one on each side. Wrap your tips too.

The downfall of applying thick coats is you can get bubbling, especially in hot & humid climates. As you can see that's what happened to me here. In photos it's very obvious but in reality it's not that noticeable.

This is a perfect transitional look between summer and fall. I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or tips down below in the comments section.

I added some water decals for World Suicide Prevention Day; click here to see it.

*I received the Barielle products for review. All other products were purchased myself. See my full disclosure policy here.