Razzleberry B l u e

Ombre, Ombre!

The good kind of feeling blue.

I've always wanted to try the ombre or gradient styled nail design, but was never sure the best way to execute. I tried a few different methods and I'm here to tell you which ones worked the best. 

So, you will need: 3 nail polish colors that match in tone // a clear coat and a base // a toothpick // a piece of tin foil // a triangular foundation makeup sponge 

I chose the Essie all-in-one base and top coat, 

and my three Essie colors: butler please, bikini so teeny, and mint candy apple.  

First, trim and file your nails so they are proportionate and symmetrical with one another.  

Then wash and dry your hands before you lay down the base coat.  

This is very important to ensure the paint sticks evenly 

and helps promote the longevity of your paint job. 

Second, after the base is dry put only one coat of the lightest color down first.  

It is okay if they are a little imperfect and look like they need a second coat, 

no need to cake them up with an additional coat.  

Third,  is when I decided which methods I thought were best.  

Shown above is one method that many have liked in doing the gradient effect, 

although I found it was best only to start the sponge this way

 to get the paint the way I wanted.  

You need to make 3 lines of color in order from lightest to darkest 

on the tin foil and very lightly mix the edges of the center color- 

a little with the lighter side and a little with the darker side.

Next, I cut my little sponge in half so I could use the narrow size 

that was about as wide as my thumb.  

The sponge is pliable and you can squeeze it as you apply

 to ensure you get all the color on your smaller fingers. 

So, finally you dip the sponge on the gradient of color 

you have created on the tinfoil and prepare to apply. 

Now, you have a choice.  

I chose to have the dark part of the ombre

 on the bottom closer to the cuticle 

because I felt it mimicked the "moons" we have in our fingers, 

although it is common to prefer the darker part of the fade on the top 

to sort of mimic a french manicure. 

So the chose is yours and then you take that dipped color and line it up above your nail 

so it will be in the perfect place and then press.  

Pick it up and press again. 

Here, is where I switched it up a bit.  

I found after the first dip on the tin foil that all the paint had been absorbed 

and I realized the method of putting the color directly on the sponge would prove more efficient.  

After I had a nice gradient on the sponge to follow because of the first method. 

So I began just following the lines on the sponge and reapplying the polish colors.  

It also wastes less of my essie colors. 

So, just keep thickly reapplying the nail polish

 directly on the sponge and pressing to each nail.  

I liked to keep spongeing it on to each nail until nothing came out of the sponge 

rather rather than focusing on one finger until it was completely done 

because as I continued to go over each one gradually 

it gave me the perfect faded gradient effect. 

Lastly, I topped them with clear coat.  I wait for them the dry and then remove the excess polish.  

You can do this with q-tips and nail polish remover.  

Or I feel scrubbing around the edges in a hot shower always does the trick without the risk of accidentally getting nail polish remover on freshly painted nails.

& Voila! The Finished product.