DIY Cabs – Create a Faux Dichroic Look!

A few months ago, I got this idea to make my own dichroic-look cab.  I had just found a bag of cabs (some glass, some acrylic) that I had bought years ago, and I wondered what I could do with them.  I had been playing around with some nail art, so I thought, “Hmmm, wonder what these cabs would look like if I polished them”?

I tried it, and to paraphrase the potato chip saying, “I couldn’t stop with just one.”  With a bag of cabs and a zillion bottles of nail polish, I was having a grand time!  And as an FYI, in the video below, I got my cabs and bezels from Amazon.

 Tips for Great Looks

Here are some tips I came across for some great cabs,

• Use a base coat.  I tried out both black and white; each looked fine, but whatever color, a fast-drying polish is the best bet.
• Don’t use an expensive topcoat polish.  you’re going to use lots, so an inexpensive clear topcoat is best.
• Have fun with glitter or glitter polish.  I loved using all kinds of glitter and glitter polish.  If you use loose glitter, make sure it’s solvent-resistant.
• Let each layer dry thoroughly.   The more layers you apply, the longer it will take to dry.  The last coat may need a day to dry (if you put on more than 5 coats, that is).  Or, for your final clear topcoat, you can use Poshe or Seche Vite, which helps seep up the drying time considerably.
• If you have a UV lamp…  If you happen to have a UV lamp, try using gel nail polish.  Since I have a UV lamp, I tried using Gelish basecoat, then a bunch of different regular polish, then some Gelish topcoat.  Yes, I know it’s not exactly cheap, but it dries super-fast with the UV lamp.  Plus,  the gel topcoat will give the cab a lot of depth.

But the best tip I can give you is to just play!  Get out your nail polishes, grab some cabs, and have yourself a blast!