Wednesday, February 20, 2013

blue gradient

My nails are getting long, at least long for me.  Having longer nails means being able to do different paint jobs that don't work very well on short nails.  So I went back to a previous paint job, gradient. 
*more after the jump*
I like the look of gradient paint nails, especially when it is subtle.  My only issue with gradient nails is the clean up.  When you sponge the paint on, it gets all over your finger.  Maybe there is a trick I don't know about, but it takes a long time cleaning with acetone to clean up.
I started with a base coat of the lighter blue paint.  Once that was dry, I striped the two blue polishes on top of packing tape on a piece of paper.  I found that packing tape (or any smooth, non-pours tape) works perfectly because the polish doesn't seep into the paper and it stays wet longer.  I then did a little swirling with a toothpick and picked up the polish with a sponge.  Then dabbed it over my nails.  Super simple except the polish gets everywhere.
I am happy with this paint job, I think I am getting better at gradients.  However, with the two paints I picked, I wish I had done one more base coat.  There is still a little too much transparency even with stamping twice.
The left and right are the same gradient, it just goes in different directions on each hand.

Sinful Colors - Precious Metal, Ciao Bella, I Love You
Nicole - Stand By Your Manny

Any tips for avoiding excess polish around your nails when doing a gradient paint job?  Does it sound crazy that certain paint jobs look better when your nails are longer?

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