Tutorial: Vertical Lightning Bolt

Hello everyone! Welcome to my vertical lightning bolt tutorial! You may have already tried its siblings the lightning bolt French or double lightning bolt, if you like those but want to step it up a notch, then this fellow is the right thing. It involves more individual tape strips and precision than the previously mentioned designs, so using it on an accent nail only is recommended if you don't have too much time. But if you enjoy the process as much as the end result, such as myself, why not go all the way for a special occasion? Let's begin!

Start by cutting the tape strips. You'll need two triangular pieces and two straight strips. I make them by taking a little piece of tape (±1inch/2,5cm) off the roll first which I then cut in half diagonally for the triangles, or lengthwise for the straight strips.

Please note that I only use the black tape you see for the pictures of this tutorial. Normally I use regular stationery tape. The translucency can be a great advantage in some cases, but it makes the tape difficult to capture in photos.

Apply your basecolor and leave it to dry. The polish must be absolutely dry before starting with step 3, so you may want to use a coat of quickdrying topcoat to speed things up (or save yourself the trouble and go watch an episode of your favorite TV-show).

Now it's time to place the tape strips. To maintain the ratio of the lightning bolt each time, I always place the four strips in strict positions in the following way:

1. First I place a straight strip on the surface. It starts at the upper left corner and goes down to the middle of the tip.
2. Then I put a triangle on top, with one acute corner pointing upwards and also going down to the middle of the tip
3. The second triangle goes at the top, with the acute corner pointing down, just without facing the first triangle
4. And at last I complete the shape with the second straight piece, starting at the upper right corner of the nail and meeting the first triangle at the bottom for the pointy tail of the lightning bolt

If the strips are in the right position, carefully apply your layering polish with a thin coat and remove the strips right away. Finish with topcoat and your lightning bolt is done! Prepare to hear a lot of "HARRY POTTER!".

Check out the tutorial page for some useful tips. Also I would love to see your attempt on my design, so feel free to leave a link to your creation in the comment section!

Polishes I used in this post are Essence Sending You Kisses and Essence Romeo.