When you can’t afford a new outfit and you’re sick and tired of revision, painting your nails is the perfect 20 minute break. In this pictorial, I will explain how to get this cute gradient effect on nails even as short as mine! I have used two pastel colours, but the effect looks great using two shades of the same colour or when using a glittery polish with a matte one.
This technique involves a little bit of guess work – the colours might need topping up while your painting them, but if I can get great results then anyone can!
What you will need:
• Your base – this is the lighter colour
• Your gradient – this is the darker colour that you will put on top of the base
• Cheap clear nail polish – this is what you will use to blend the two colours. It won’t get wrecked, but it will become a bit murky as you can see from my picture!
• A sponge might come in useful for finishing off a blend or wiping the sides of your nails
1. Apply your base. Apply a thin coat of your base colour onto clean nails.
2. Apply a thin layer of the gradient colour onto the top half of your nail. Once the base has dried completely, apply a thin layer of the other colour onto the top half of your nail.
3. Apply more of the base colour onto the bottom half of your nail. Do this quickly before the top half dries! Make sure that they meet in the middle and start to blend slightly. There should be more of nail varnish applied here than in the previous stage, because this will be what you run into the colour on the top half in the next stage.
4. Use the clear nail polish to work two colours together. This is where we have to use a bit of guess work – in upward strokes, blend the bottom colour into the top. Make sure that there isn’t too much clear polish on your nailbrush because otherwise it will become too runny.
5. Top up the two colours – et voilà! Add a very small amount of extra colour to the top and bottom half to give them some definition. Once your are happy with your blend, leave it to try and pop a coat of nice clear nail varnish – I use a hardening one because my nails are very weak – and show the world your beautiful gradient nails
The first nail you do might be a little less than perfect, but once you’ve got used to it you will get great results. The longer nails you have, the easier it is. Happy painting!
