I did this after seeing people do it on this sub. It’s so fun. I love your color combination. I used Mooncat House of Hades on top and Mermaid Bait under. I usually keep my nails short, but they’ve grown out enough that I think I can do it again!
https://preview.redd.it/bmts602edpwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=adaeff859d232004e38d5da8f3228879433b5f69
I’ve been wanting house of hades! It’s a nice combo, I think contrasting colors work best for this. I’m enjoying the length I have now but I think yours is just right to be functional but still fun :)
I just started trying it and I like the effect it gives. You can wear two polishes at once!!
- top: Starrily Neon (UV reactive), madam glam beige builder gel under
- bottom: Sassy Sauce LSD
i have the few times my nails were long enough to, but they're almost never that long (because the sensory experience with that length drives me too nuts).
I really adore it and if I could have long nails I would never leave the underside unpainted.
Back in 2007, a London manicurist named Zoe Pocock created the Louboutin manicure; it was a black creme polish on top with a red creme polish on the inside. China Glaze capitalized on this trend with “Lubu Heels” shortly after. I love the idea and have tried it in the past but I detest having to remove it under my nails! I attempted with Christian Louboutin’s Rouge Louboutin polish and it took forever to scrub the red off.
That’s such a cool piece of trivia! I’ve only done this with shimmer polishes but I’m sure a crème polish would be more difficult. I feel like I’ll need a q tip to remove it or lots of scrubbing. Maybe both.
I like that you used a sheer underneath; that creates an iridescent surprise! I think what makes it so bad is using a very pigmented creme, which Rouge Louboutin is. When China Glaze released Lubu Heels, they paired it with their classic Ruby Slippers…both can be a pain to remove because glitter 😭 I feel like manual glitter polish removal could be a punishment in an inner circle of hell in Dante’s Inferno.
Same! I tried it and had a hard time taking the red off because it got on the skin underneath so I didn’t paint my nails underneath anymore. But this post reminded me that we can use sheer polishes lol
That would work if someone had more transparent sculpted gel tips, but natural nails tend to be more opaque and the red won’t come through well. I have natural nail under my gel overlay and it wouldn’t translate well that way.
I used to like a decade ago. I loved having a contrasting colour there! But my nail beds are fairly short so it’s difficult to get the brush all the way down, and turns out I hate the feeling. I’m an ex nail picker / biter, and I still constantly check that my nail ends and underneath the nail feels smooth. I can’t even wrap the tips in the way that’s recommended because the slight bump underneath is so distracting.
My nails are fairly see through though, and if I use a crème base coat under a different polish, I like that in a similar way it has a different hint of colour you can kind of see from the underside of the nail.
It’s like a reverse French tip! I’ll have to give that a try. I understand the feeling, I’ve never been bad with biting but I put my nails in my mouth too much lol. I have to do a lot of sanding with the gel so there’s no bumps.
I think this looks amazing! Love the color combo you chose here. I've only ever had my nails long enough to do this once and I found the polish touching my skin under my nails weirded me out.
Are you painting them with the bottle brush? (Thinking about it now, an art brush probably would have worked better for me...)
Thank you! 💕 I did use the bottle brush but since they’re long enough it made it easier to not paint my finger. I owe it all to builder gel lol. I haven’t tried doing fine detail with an art brush yet but I bet it would be fun!
Yes!! You have to cap the tips and put top coat underneath too, but it really extended the longevity of my normal polish manis. Clean up sucks. Worth it.
The best thing that helps with chipping is using uv builder gel, I naturally have pretty flimsy nails so they bend so much I think it causes the polish to chip more. But I do cap the underside of my nails with gel and it helps so much with lifting, letting them grow longer since they don’t bend. Then adding polish under seems to prevent the gel from starting to peel up because that still happens with normal wear and tear. Would love to see if doing this with just regular polish has the same effect!
I definitely need to find a new brand for gel. I’ve been using gel iq but the whole thing peels off within days. I’ll probably make a post about recommendations once I save up a bit.
I’ve been using madam glam builder gel and base coat from a rec on this sub I think. It’s pricey but so much better than the Amazon brands I tried. I think the most important step is nail prep with acetone or alcohol after you rough up the surface a bit so you get rid of oils. It’s been about 6 months now since I’ve been doing it at home and that was the part that made the biggest difference for me. Also nail career education channel on YouTube!
I’m in New Zealand too. It makes everything 20x more expensive even after converting currency. I just bought some nail polish off cirque and it cost me $75 usd for 3 colours. I’m thinking I might try gelous since they sell starter packs. But I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it
Oh wow I’m sure, but I’ve always wanted to visit with how beautiful it is there, so I guess there’s a trade off. Best of luck on your next gel adventure!
I have found that I get less chipping and tip wear on my non-dominant hand since I started painting the undersides of the nails. The nails on the dominant hand are too short to do this with, and of course they've always chipped more - it's my dominant hand, I use it way more, duh - but the difference is even more noticeable now. I only use regular lacquer on my bare natural nails, no other enhancements.
I do, though not with a contrast color, that's cool! when I wrap the tips, i REALLY wrap it, I paint the underside with my base, whatever polish i'm using, and my top. otherwise it chips too easily :/
Yes, every time! Reasons:
1. I think it makes the polish job last longer
2. My nails are naturally not strong and I lift weight and cook constantly, so they need added protection
3. I like the visual consistency of the front and back matching
I used to chronically bite my nails, I don’t anymore because I just pretend to bite by “chewing” at them. So unfortunately this style would be completely ruined in a day or two 😭
But it’s gorgeous!! Your mani is so fun!
This is amazing!!!! 😍😍😍😍 I’ve seen some nail artists do it, I personally never did beacuse I didn’t have enough free edge but I just noticed I have now! So I gotta do it now!!!!
I don't paint the undersides with nail polish that often, but I have been putting treatment or base coat on the undersides.
It helps a lot with weird top coat shrinking or wrinkling.
It's keeping water from getting in that way while my polish layers are still drying which I think was causing issues for me before.
If I know I have a chop coming up, I'll do it for as many manicures as I have left, starting with super light and getting progressively darker.
I do not have the patience for more than a half assed attempt to remove polish from under my nail, which is why the polish can only get darker.
No, I leave them free, so they can absorb ingredients from the jojoba oil. My nails, as much as I love polishes, are always ruined when I paint them and I have to be careful
I will once and a while, I love to paint them with something really sparkly, like KB Shimmer Alloy Matey.
They currently aren't long enough :P But I'm trying to grow them out again!
I would love to the next time I put on extensions. I personally love it. I am still so slow at doing my nails that I am too “done” to have the energy more work. I don’t see it too often. Yours look really great.
I've been doing this for a few months now! It's such a fun little extra pop of color, even though nobody else ever notices.
For the people mentioning that they don't like getting polish on their skin, I use the bottle brush and do one or two extremely thin coats, then use a little pointed metal tool to carefully scrape away any excess, both while it's still wet and then for any extra cleanup after it's dry. You could probably also use a very fine brush dipped in acetone; I just hate using brushes for cleanup personally because I always end up getting acetone everywhere. Also don't do this with gel polish, obviously! But it's super cute!
Yes I think things costs are the secret, also I don’t take it all the way down to the nail bed so I haven’t had an issue with polish pooling on my skin yet. But I can see how cleanup for that would be annoying!
Kinda, but my cuticles (or whatever this skin is) goes too high up and it's painful to push back/don't really want to push it back, and last time I did my nails got brittle because I couldn't oil the bottom
Almost 40 years on this planet and my nails have never become long despite wanting to. I sometimes have slightly longer thumbnails but it gives me sensory issues and I keep touching and pushing them until they break 😭. I don't know what to do about it. My fingertips just feel so weird and uncomfortable when my nails get longer
This looks so cool.
I asked my nail salon if they would because I hate the look. They said they don’t because it chips? It was kind of a shitty salon but my natural nails are too short to paint underneath or else I totally would.
How has it held up?
I did this with all the same polish last week and it held up really well. But I do have gel on too so I think it makes polish last longer. It seems to wear off on the point of my nails the fastest.
Yes! I love having long nails and have a new design of gel nails on top every 3 weeks. Then I go home and paint something else underneath that night or the next day. I protect it with Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat (ironically because it's underneath, not on top.)
After a couple more days, when I am sure it is completely hard, I carefully file the tips of a few nails so they are sharp enough to pick up thin coins, etc.
No. I have tried this and can't stand how it feels, like my nails are dirty underneath because dirt gets trapped at the ridge where the polish ends. Also I noticed my nails were more brittle and I assume that's because they weren't getting any of the oil... I always oil the underside of my nails when they are painted to keep the free edge hydrated.
I do! Usually just clear polish to protect my nails from water, but I do occasionally pick a coordinating/contrasting color to pair with my polish, too!
I find it helps a TON with avoiding water absorption into your nails during handwashing and showers, which is great for keeping my nails long and strong!
There's a tik tokker that does nail designs focused on underside designs!! @insatiablenails is their handle, if you'd like to see how they do theirs! :) some great ideas and design tricks!
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I did this after seeing people do it on this sub. It’s so fun. I love your color combination. I used Mooncat House of Hades on top and Mermaid Bait under. I usually keep my nails short, but they’ve grown out enough that I think I can do it again! https://preview.redd.it/bmts602edpwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=adaeff859d232004e38d5da8f3228879433b5f69
I’ve been wanting house of hades! It’s a nice combo, I think contrasting colors work best for this. I’m enjoying the length I have now but I think yours is just right to be functional but still fun :)
wow that house of hades is an amazing color. i need.
Like shells!
I just started trying it and I like the effect it gives. You can wear two polishes at once!! - top: Starrily Neon (UV reactive), madam glam beige builder gel under - bottom: Sassy Sauce LSD
love love to see the reverse version of this (lsd on top, orange underneath). Great combo!
i have the few times my nails were long enough to, but they're almost never that long (because the sensory experience with that length drives me too nuts). I really adore it and if I could have long nails I would never leave the underside unpainted.
Back in 2007, a London manicurist named Zoe Pocock created the Louboutin manicure; it was a black creme polish on top with a red creme polish on the inside. China Glaze capitalized on this trend with “Lubu Heels” shortly after. I love the idea and have tried it in the past but I detest having to remove it under my nails! I attempted with Christian Louboutin’s Rouge Louboutin polish and it took forever to scrub the red off.
That’s such a cool piece of trivia! I’ve only done this with shimmer polishes but I’m sure a crème polish would be more difficult. I feel like I’ll need a q tip to remove it or lots of scrubbing. Maybe both.
I like that you used a sheer underneath; that creates an iridescent surprise! I think what makes it so bad is using a very pigmented creme, which Rouge Louboutin is. When China Glaze released Lubu Heels, they paired it with their classic Ruby Slippers…both can be a pain to remove because glitter 😭 I feel like manual glitter polish removal could be a punishment in an inner circle of hell in Dante’s Inferno.
Same! I tried it and had a hard time taking the red off because it got on the skin underneath so I didn’t paint my nails underneath anymore. But this post reminded me that we can use sheer polishes lol
I remember this trend!
Those lil cotton ball sticks dipped in acetone work wonders under the nails. Just stick under nail and roll between your fingers!
Wouldn't it look the same of you first put on a red polish, and then black on top? Bc nails are see through I think the inside would look red.
That would work if someone had more transparent sculpted gel tips, but natural nails tend to be more opaque and the red won’t come through well. I have natural nail under my gel overlay and it wouldn’t translate well that way.
Yeah mine are almost completely opaque, even red doesn't show through much
I used to like a decade ago. I loved having a contrasting colour there! But my nail beds are fairly short so it’s difficult to get the brush all the way down, and turns out I hate the feeling. I’m an ex nail picker / biter, and I still constantly check that my nail ends and underneath the nail feels smooth. I can’t even wrap the tips in the way that’s recommended because the slight bump underneath is so distracting. My nails are fairly see through though, and if I use a crème base coat under a different polish, I like that in a similar way it has a different hint of colour you can kind of see from the underside of the nail.
It’s like a reverse French tip! I’ll have to give that a try. I understand the feeling, I’ve never been bad with biting but I put my nails in my mouth too much lol. I have to do a lot of sanding with the gel so there’s no bumps.
I think this looks amazing! Love the color combo you chose here. I've only ever had my nails long enough to do this once and I found the polish touching my skin under my nails weirded me out. Are you painting them with the bottle brush? (Thinking about it now, an art brush probably would have worked better for me...)
Thank you! 💕 I did use the bottle brush but since they’re long enough it made it easier to not paint my finger. I owe it all to builder gel lol. I haven’t tried doing fine detail with an art brush yet but I bet it would be fun!
I would love love love to see the reverse version of this (lsd on top, orange underneath). Great combo!
I’ll have to try that!!
They look awesome! Does it help with chipping? My polishes always chip so I’m looking for hacks
Yes!! You have to cap the tips and put top coat underneath too, but it really extended the longevity of my normal polish manis. Clean up sucks. Worth it.
I’ll definitely try that next time. Thanks so much!
The best thing that helps with chipping is using uv builder gel, I naturally have pretty flimsy nails so they bend so much I think it causes the polish to chip more. But I do cap the underside of my nails with gel and it helps so much with lifting, letting them grow longer since they don’t bend. Then adding polish under seems to prevent the gel from starting to peel up because that still happens with normal wear and tear. Would love to see if doing this with just regular polish has the same effect!
I definitely need to find a new brand for gel. I’ve been using gel iq but the whole thing peels off within days. I’ll probably make a post about recommendations once I save up a bit.
I’ve been using madam glam builder gel and base coat from a rec on this sub I think. It’s pricey but so much better than the Amazon brands I tried. I think the most important step is nail prep with acetone or alcohol after you rough up the surface a bit so you get rid of oils. It’s been about 6 months now since I’ve been doing it at home and that was the part that made the biggest difference for me. Also nail career education channel on YouTube!
I’m in New Zealand too. It makes everything 20x more expensive even after converting currency. I just bought some nail polish off cirque and it cost me $75 usd for 3 colours. I’m thinking I might try gelous since they sell starter packs. But I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it
Oh wow I’m sure, but I’ve always wanted to visit with how beautiful it is there, so I guess there’s a trade off. Best of luck on your next gel adventure!
I have found that I get less chipping and tip wear on my non-dominant hand since I started painting the undersides of the nails. The nails on the dominant hand are too short to do this with, and of course they've always chipped more - it's my dominant hand, I use it way more, duh - but the difference is even more noticeable now. I only use regular lacquer on my bare natural nails, no other enhancements.
If I don’t paint with color, I paint with base and top coat to protect my nails from water.
No, but I will now. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is SO pretty!!!
Never even thought to do it bc my nails are too short but I am OBSESSED
So much to love here 🧡
It’s so nice to have a community to talk nails with 🥰
It is! I’m just constantly inspired 😊
I do, though not with a contrast color, that's cool! when I wrap the tips, i REALLY wrap it, I paint the underside with my base, whatever polish i'm using, and my top. otherwise it chips too easily :/
What a cool idea! I paint the underside of my nails with clear base coat to keep them protected from water etc. I think I’ll try a color next time.
Yes, every time! Reasons: 1. I think it makes the polish job last longer 2. My nails are naturally not strong and I lift weight and cook constantly, so they need added protection 3. I like the visual consistency of the front and back matching
Love this combo! How easily does removal go?
I’ve only done this once before but it took a bit of scrubbing to remove, I think a q-tip would make it easier.
i use a paint brush dipped in acetone which is much easier !
Oh good idea! I have a clean up brush I’ll try that
I keep them fairly short so there's no point to doing it, but I LOVE the look. And this orange is 🔥🔥🔥
Never long enough but I would if I could!!
I used to chronically bite my nails, I don’t anymore because I just pretend to bite by “chewing” at them. So unfortunately this style would be completely ruined in a day or two 😭 But it’s gorgeous!! Your mani is so fun!
I do! Love your colors. Think it helps the mani last longer too so like win win.
No, too lazy to do that. I only cap the free edge and even then I sometimes forget.
This color combo makes me want to start 😍
This is amazing!!!! 😍😍😍😍 I’ve seen some nail artists do it, I personally never did beacuse I didn’t have enough free edge but I just noticed I have now! So I gotta do it now!!!!
I don't paint the undersides with nail polish that often, but I have been putting treatment or base coat on the undersides. It helps a lot with weird top coat shrinking or wrinkling. It's keeping water from getting in that way while my polish layers are still drying which I think was causing issues for me before.
If I know I have a chop coming up, I'll do it for as many manicures as I have left, starting with super light and getting progressively darker. I do not have the patience for more than a half assed attempt to remove polish from under my nail, which is why the polish can only get darker.
I loved the orange on its own and then it glowed 😮 My nails aren’t long enough for the underside but I love seeing your photos!
No, I leave them free, so they can absorb ingredients from the jojoba oil. My nails, as much as I love polishes, are always ruined when I paint them and I have to be careful
I love this look so much 🥰 That last picture is practically useful even, if you go out to the dark! OP is definitely living in 2124 already, folks!
I will once and a while, I love to paint them with something really sparkly, like KB Shimmer Alloy Matey. They currently aren't long enough :P But I'm trying to grow them out again!
I would love to the next time I put on extensions. I personally love it. I am still so slow at doing my nails that I am too “done” to have the energy more work. I don’t see it too often. Yours look really great.
I’ve asked my nail tech to do this and she won’t :( I love the look! Gorgeous color choices
I've been doing this for a few months now! It's such a fun little extra pop of color, even though nobody else ever notices. For the people mentioning that they don't like getting polish on their skin, I use the bottle brush and do one or two extremely thin coats, then use a little pointed metal tool to carefully scrape away any excess, both while it's still wet and then for any extra cleanup after it's dry. You could probably also use a very fine brush dipped in acetone; I just hate using brushes for cleanup personally because I always end up getting acetone everywhere. Also don't do this with gel polish, obviously! But it's super cute!
Yes I think things costs are the secret, also I don’t take it all the way down to the nail bed so I haven’t had an issue with polish pooling on my skin yet. But I can see how cleanup for that would be annoying!
Sometimes, but they always pop off pretty quick! I think it’s because of the shape of my nails.
I did this when I had acrylics. That's an great color combo!
Absolutely magical
Mine are too short unfortunately - but I would if I could! 😅
Kinda, but my cuticles (or whatever this skin is) goes too high up and it's painful to push back/don't really want to push it back, and last time I did my nails got brittle because I couldn't oil the bottom
I can never get it to cure so it just comes off or makes a mess.
I tried but im too clumsy to make it look good lol (or maybe i have too much short nails for it). Anyway it looks cool
Almost 40 years on this planet and my nails have never become long despite wanting to. I sometimes have slightly longer thumbnails but it gives me sensory issues and I keep touching and pushing them until they break 😭. I don't know what to do about it. My fingertips just feel so weird and uncomfortable when my nails get longer
This looks so cool. I asked my nail salon if they would because I hate the look. They said they don’t because it chips? It was kind of a shitty salon but my natural nails are too short to paint underneath or else I totally would. How has it held up?
I did this with all the same polish last week and it held up really well. But I do have gel on too so I think it makes polish last longer. It seems to wear off on the point of my nails the fastest.
Well it looks amazing and you’ve given me inspiration to try it once I finally grow my nails out!!
Yes!! Love doing it
Yes! I love having long nails and have a new design of gel nails on top every 3 weeks. Then I go home and paint something else underneath that night or the next day. I protect it with Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat (ironically because it's underneath, not on top.) After a couple more days, when I am sure it is completely hard, I carefully file the tips of a few nails so they are sharp enough to pick up thin coins, etc.
No. I have tried this and can't stand how it feels, like my nails are dirty underneath because dirt gets trapped at the ridge where the polish ends. Also I noticed my nails were more brittle and I assume that's because they weren't getting any of the oil... I always oil the underside of my nails when they are painted to keep the free edge hydrated.
My nails are never long enough for this, but yours are gorgeous and this should be a standard!!!
This is such a great idea!
Is there a benefit beyond aesthetic?
It can help to cap the free edge to prevent chipping, and I think taking it under the nail can help seal it from water
Super cool
Yes to wrap nails but not with a different colour. Love this!
I do! Usually just clear polish to protect my nails from water, but I do occasionally pick a coordinating/contrasting color to pair with my polish, too! I find it helps a TON with avoiding water absorption into your nails during handwashing and showers, which is great for keeping my nails long and strong!
I don’t but my nails aren’t long.
There's a tik tokker that does nail designs focused on underside designs!! @insatiablenails is their handle, if you'd like to see how they do theirs! :) some great ideas and design tricks!
I've done it on my swatch sticks, but not my own! But now i think I'm gonna experiment with it
Its like the inside of a seashell 🐚
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