We’ve all seen them, the beautiful and often incredible gradient manicure. I know the first time I saw one I was like a deer in the headlights.. But how? It seemed to defy all logic I knew of polish. Which admittedly at the time wasn’t much. 😉
So today for Tidbit Tuesday I’m going to give you a quick tutorial for creating a gradient mani.
1) Start with a solid coat of your first color, preferably your lightest color. Make sure this coat of polish is completely dry before moving onto step 2.
2) Using a triangle make up sponge make 2 lines of your selected colors on the end of the sponge. Slightly overlap your stripes of color to create a blending effect.
3) Gently dab the make up sponge against your clean dry nail. Keep dabbing until you have the effect you want.
4) Repeat on all nails. I find it easier to create fresh stripes of polish for each nail, sometimes a couple of times per nail. Remember if you dab too hard you can start creating bare spots on your nail or even get some sponge residue on the nail.
5) Once you have created the look you want on all nails go over your gradient with a quick dry top coat. This will give your gradient a very smooth transition.
6) Use a q-tip, orange stick, elf brush (or your preferred clean up tool) to get the excess polish off your skin and around cuticles.
7) Enjoy your new nail art manicure!
The photo below (from http://sharal-barboza.hubpages.com/hub/DIY-Nail-Art-Designs-made-easy-5-tips-and-tricks-for-the-perfect-manicure#PhotoSwipe1416909065008) helps to demonstrate the steps as well.
So are you ready to try it out? I’d love to hear from you! Remember to be patient with yourself any time you are trying new nail art. It may take a couple times to get the hang of it!
Stay Polished ~ Tiffany