Nail Stickers: How to Apply Them So They Stay Flat

Nail stickers · 6 steps · no freehand

Stickers give you detailed nail art without painting. They stay flat when they go on a clean, cured color layer and every edge is sealed under top coat.

You will need

Nail Art Stickers
Base coat and gel color
Tweezers
No wipe top coat
LED lamp
Lint free wipes

Prep and base

Prep the nail, dehydrate with pH Bond, then apply and cure a thin base coat.

TipStickers sit on top of the gel, so a good base still matters.
Cure your color

Apply two thin coats of gel color and cure each one. Light colors show colorful stickers. Dark colors show gold, white and silver styles.

TipWipe any tacky layer with a lint free wipe before placing a sticker.
Pick the sticker

Choose a style: Butterfly (42 styles), Flower (26 styles), Leaves (11 styles) or a letter sheet such as Alphabet Gold. Cut out the pieces you want first.

TipPlan the placement on a practice tip so you do not waste a sticker.
Place and press

Lift the sticker with tweezers, set it on the cured color and press it flat from the center to the edges.

TipKeep stickers away from the cuticle so gel never touches the skin.
Seal the edges

Brush a thin coat of Diamond No Wipe Top Coat over the sticker, covering every edge and the free edge of the nail. Cure.

TipThe edges are where stickers lift first, so cover them fully.
Finish

Add a second thin coat of top coat if the nail takes a lot of wear, cure it, and finish with cuticle oil.

Tip5D stickers have raised detail. Seal over them with a slightly fuller coat of top coat.