Gradient Nails & How I Did Them!

Happy Hump Day, 

It's the middle of the week already, this week is going fast too.  In two weeks I leave for our Burning Man regional event and I can not wait, but, have so much to do yet in these next two weeks to get ready, but, it's so worth it.  I can't wait to see all my weirdo burner friends and camp in a field in the middle of Delaware, yay, or as I call it, the Desert of Delaware since Burning Man is in the desert of Nevada :) 

The mani I have today is called a gradient where you use a few colors painted onto a wedge makeup sponge then sponge onto your nails.  I will explain how I did them as I go with the pictures.

I used one coat of Orly Bonder as my base coat, then two coats of China Glaze "Feel The Breeze" on all nails, then took my wedge sponge and painted three stripes of each color onto the sponge, then put that on my nail. Continue to paint and sponge until you are satisfied with the colors on the nails.  I go from one side to the other to sponge the color onto the nail.  I repeated this on each of my accent nails using the same sponge for all four nails.  I used Zoya "Yummy", OPI " A Grape Fit" and OPI "Pink Flamenco" for the gradient, then put one coat of China Glaze "Fairy Dust" on all nails, then finished them all with a coat of Seche Vite Quick Dry Top Coat. 

 For prepping the nails to be sponged I used Proclaim Hair Glue from Sally Beauty Supply and painted that all around my nails, makes clean up so much easier than using lip chap, when you are done, you simply peel the latex glue off and then are left with minimal clean up.  Lots of people are now using this for manis that create a lot of mess on the skin around the nails.  I love it, so much easier this way. Here's what it looks like when it's painted on. The glue comes in white and black, but, get the black cuz' the white dries clear and is harder to see.

The Proclaim hair glue and some lotion stuff I got at the Dollar Store to clean the brush off that I use to paint the glue on around my nails.

The brush I use and the hair glue I put on a bit of paper.  You don't need much, a little bit squirted out will do all four of my accents shown here.

The sponge with my three colors sponged on. I get two different manis out of each sponge.  I just cut the painted part off when I am done and still have enough sponge left to do one more mani which I like so I am not using one sponge for just one mani and wasting.  I get my sponges in the big packs at the dollar store for really cheap.

This is after I was done sponging, see how it is not on your skin at all this way, so much easier.

My nails after pulling the glue off.  I then used my clean up brush and acetone to clean up around the nail, see, so much less mess.  I love using the hair glue.

                                                                   Polishes Used:

Orly Bonder, China Glaze "Feel The Breeze", Zoya "Yummy", OPI "Pink Flamenco", OPI "A Grape Fit", China Glaze "Fairy Dust", Seche Vite Quick Dry

Feel The Breeze on it's own.

And, that is my little gradient tutorial.  This was only the second time I have ever done them on my nails and I am very happy with how they came out.  I have practiced on nail wheels before to get the hang of it. I really loved these nails a lot and will most definitely be doing more gradients, I love them.

Have a great rest of the night and I'll talk to you all soon.  I leave you with my girls, Miss Betty and Princess Pebbles, they are my girls.  I love them lots :) 

Polish & Purrs,

Melly