Pages

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Newspaper Nails withOUT Alcohol (Vodka)

I noticed that so many people are wondering if you can do Newspaper nails without alcohol (vodka). I wrote this Newspaper Nails Tutorial, and I used vodka. Here's my second part to that which showcases other things you may have around your house to use instead of vodka. And if you're under 21 (or 18 depending on your country), you can still do Newspaper Nails!!

All nails were done with the tutorial I linked to above.



Nail Prep:
2 coats OPI Skull & Glossbones
1 coat Poshe


Note:
If you're having problems with the newspaper print not being dark enough, try a lighter base coat. It can make a HUGE difference. I tried this with Essie Nice is Nice and the print came out too pale. Just know that pale newsprint may not be due to your technique at all, it may be your base coat.

What I Used:
70% Rubbing Alcohol
Vodka
Hand Sanitizer
Almond Extract



My Results:



Index Finger - 70% Rubbing Alcohol
Middle Finger - Vodka
Ring Finger - Hand Sanitizer
Pinkie - Almond Extract

70% Rubbing Alcohol


Not bad, absolutely a great alternative. Unfortunately, though, I had to redo this nail several times to get it to look this way. I don't know if it's my nail shape or the rubbing alcohol, but it kept missing parts of the text. The intensity of the text is great, though.

Vodka


This transfers the text SO quickly. If you're looking to do this quickly, vodka is the best out of all of them. Intensity is very similar to the rubbing alcohol, but I don't feel I can do a complete comparison because some text didn't transfer right with the rubbing alcohol, which makes it look more faint.

Hand Sanitizer


Nope. Didn't work. Well, sorta worked, but no where NEAR as well as the others. I'd definitely say don't even bother.

Almond Extract


Umm, yes please!! I cannot believe how well this came out. I think it's my favorite. The text is very sharp, the color is very dark, and the extract smelled delicious!! The texture of the extract makes it very easy to keep it on one spot on the nail. I think that helps attribute to how well it works.

Which do I think is the best?
Honestly, I vote the Almond Extract. And the fact that it smelled DELICIOUS makes it that much more awesome.

Overall Opinion:
If you're looking for something besides vodka, go with an extract. The Almond Extract I used is clear (I say this because some extracts are not clear), and it lists alcohol as the second ingredient next to water. It uses 36% alcohol. Even if you have vodka, I still suggest trying an extract. The results are amazing. I'm sure other extracts, such as vanilla, orange, mint, etc would work fine, but the vanilla extract I have isn't clear, so I thought that might cause problems. The almond extract was clear.
I would also recommend rubbing alcohol, though it wasn't my favorite. It did a fine job transferring, so it will certainly work.
As for the hand sanitizer, don't waste your time.

Note:
I know that the close up photos still look fuzzy. This is because I'm shooting in macro. In real life, you canNOT tell there is fuzziness on the index, middle, or pinkie. And when I say the pinkie is the sharpest, even if it doesn't look it in the photos, it is. It's amazing.

74 comments:

  1. I'm glad to know that this can be done with clear extracts, because I use those a lot but I hate vodka and as much as I wanna do newsprint nails, couldn't bring myself to even buy a little bottle. Savin' money and having nice smelling nails, hooray!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have to agree that the Almond Extract is best. It transfered the print very well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Replies
    1. does that really work?? :O thats amazing! :L

      Delete
  4. I tried nail varnish remover it work ok!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Heyy thanx.... it helped!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. can you do it with water ???????????????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. no it has to contain alcohol :L

      Delete
    2. you can, it just doesnt work as well.

      Delete
  7. Idk that's a good question

    ReplyDelete
  8. any perfume works really well too!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. thx guys good to know perfume, or mouthwash can work also!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Vinegar is an option as well

    ReplyDelete
  11. does water work?! im too underage to buy vodka! lolz

    ReplyDelete
  12. Unclear extracts don't create problems they work just as well :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. okay so do these work?
    -alcohol wipes (not sure what they are really called but thats what is basically is)
    -water (i heard it works)
    -perfume
    -vinegar
    ?????????

    ReplyDelete
  14. actually alcohol OR TEQUILA worked

    ReplyDelete
  15. what kinda brand did you use for the almond extract. and are you sure moutwash works? i dont want it to be for a waste.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Alright! First of all, thank you for those who suggested over things that you can use! Now to answer questions directly:

    Q: Can you use water?
    A: As far as I know, no. It doesn't transfer the print.

    @billie
    In the first paragraph at the top of the page I posted a link to my tutorial on how to do it.

    Q: What brand of Almond Extract did I use?
    A: Spice Supreme

    And the other thing I wanted to mention was to look for things that are alcohol based. If there's alcohol in it as a main ingredient, odds are it'll work fairly well. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Charlotte KingstonMarch 23, 2012 at 8:48 PM

      Um, I think in the article she said the almond extract worked best and was her favourite. but out of ALL the products out there, i haven't got a clue

      Delete
  17. SOUNDS WEIRD... BUT: Pine Sol works, AMAZING!!! IT COMES OUT SO DARK! Thanks for inspiring me to use stuff around the house!

    ReplyDelete
  18. i tested nail polish remover and it worked perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried nail polish remover but it didn't work :(

      Delete
  19. the almond extract didnt work for me i used goodalls almond extract thnx 4 suggestins though

    ReplyDelete
  20. McCormick peppermint extract FAILS. It's 89% alchohol so maybe thats why, but it just ripped all my polish off. I tried alchohol free mouthwash pessimistically but it worked ok, better than ripping off the polish xD

    ReplyDelete
  21. [McCormick peppermint extract FAILS. It's 89% alchohol so maybe thats why, but it just ripped all my polish off. I tried alchohol free mouthwash pessimistically but it worked ok, better than ripping off the polish xD ]


    -----Just tried it on another nail, PERFECTTT
    The mouthwash is BeFresh, its the stuff you get free at the hospital

    ReplyDelete
  22. just so you know, water actually does work really well...you just have to press quite hard for a few seconds. it doesnt work as well as alcohol does though. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. This sounds weird, but i just tried it with peroxide, and it worked really great. I have some smudges, but i think that was my error, as it was my first time trying this.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Can u use anything else besides newspaper?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes as long as its lazer printed not ink jet

      Delete
  25. Cause I never keep the newspaper

    ReplyDelete
  26. What worked well for me was whiskey!?! I was thinking and decided to try it... I am very pleased!

    ReplyDelete
  27. yeahhhh but what works best!?!?!?!?
    i don't wanna mess up my nails:(

    ReplyDelete
  28. GO TO WELCOME TO KITTY CITY @ YOUTUBE.COM!!!!!
    WHOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    ReplyDelete
  29. Great alternative! But where did you buy the almond extract? Woolworths didn't have that brand, they also didn't carry rubbing alcohol! I did a how-to using methylated spirits instead ( http://samthebear.com/blog/2012/02/17/newspaper-print-nails/ ) also i have a trouble shoot section that might help some of your readers =]

    ReplyDelete
  30. Mouthwash worked best for me. Sc*pe (I think the name is copywrited?), to be exact. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahahaha! It's totally legal to write the name even if its copywrited. scope? omg! :)

      Delete
  31. omg!!! thank you sooo much! the almond extract worked like a charm!!!!! yayyyyyy!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. OMG perfume works!!!! SO HAPPY!!!!! thx for the people who suggested it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. i honestly just read all these comments and alot of people were saying nail polish remover and mouthwash work ok...should i try it or am i wasting my time and materials????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you know what? mouthwash works awesome. even better than alchohal(idk how to spell it) in MY opinion. i suggest mouthwash...might work for you

      Delete
    2. omg! really? thats awesome! thanx so much i will try it tommorow for SURE im so exited

      Delete
    3. no problem girlfriend! good luck i hope they turn out good!

      Delete
  34. I think it's a toss up between the rubbing alcohol and the vanilla extract. The vanilla would be much more pleasant to work with.

    ReplyDelete
  35. wait do you put the vanilla/other on your nails or your newspaper

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it works best if you put the extract on your nails :-)

      Delete
  36. Is newspaper the only thing that works, If I were to print pictures would that work too?

    ReplyDelete
  37. just tried this with nail varnish remover and it really works just make sure your base coat is properly dry before printing

    ReplyDelete
  38. your finger skin looks scary close up..

    ReplyDelete
  39. Soo. . . I can't use alcohol. (I'm underage :3) Best alternative? Thanks. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there! In my opinion, I'd say you should use hand sanitizer because i've tried it and it works really great!! Just follow the exact steps :) Sorry if it doesn't work for you.. maybe it's a different brand or something... I recommend you try it because it might just work really well!
      Good Luck! :D

      Delete
  40. i used perfume, just give it a couple of sprays on the nail and there you have it! worked amazing :) good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  41. OMG!!!!!! I just used hand sanitizer and it worked AMAZZZZINGG!!!! The brand I used was 'Dettol' and this worked 100 times better than I expected!!! I STRONGLY recommend that you use hand sanitizer because it's super easy and works awesome!!

    ReplyDelete
  42. This probably sounds stupid, but could you use lambrini alcohol?? Could you use nail polish remover??

    ReplyDelete
  43. Instead of asking her, if you have the product to hand, why don't you try it? A smidge on a cotton pad isn't going to 'waste' more than 2 ml of whatever you're trying! Sheesh.

    ReplyDelete
  44. So excited to try this! (:

    ReplyDelete
  45. Mouthwash (Listerine) worked okay for me - the ink showed, but it was faint. Then I tried perfume, and I'm absolutely shocked with the results! Perfume worked insanely well - I could leave the newspaper strip on my nail for less than half the time, ans the ink doesn't smudge at all. I just sprayed the strip twice with perfume and put it on my nail for about 15-20 sec.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks :) just about to try it.

      Delete
    2. It looks awesome!! I did it on white nail polish

      Delete
    3. Great! Glad I could help

      Delete
    4. How much perfume do u put on???

      Delete
  46. Hello, I am doing a 28 day nail art challenge in February, to help demonstrate a style I linked this post to mine. Thank you for being awesome!! Jilltastic
    http://www.jilltasticnaildesign.com/2012/12/nail-art-techniques-defined.html

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hi, I am allergic to nuts, (including almond extract) so it wouldn't be a good idea to use that. Would any flavour extract work as well as the almond one?

    ReplyDelete
  48. I used the 70% Rubbing Alcohol and if you leave the newspaper on for one minute it comes out dark and perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  49. I just tried it with a cheap Perfume and it worked really well, a good way to get rid of purfume you don't like...

    ReplyDelete
  50. I tried hand sanitizer and it worked well better then water or any other thing...thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  51. Cool! I use peach vodka and it works OK but i will try almond extract

    ReplyDelete
  52. can i use white spirit instead of ALCOHOL????

    ReplyDelete