I completely forgot I made a header for these posts!
These nails were a real challenge! I read a bunch of different tutorials and tried a few different techniques, most of which were a total bust. I ended up taking all the polish off and starting over three times. The end result is so worth it, though, they’re so pretty!
pink gradient nails
MAC x Hello Kitty in Something About Pink, Sally Hansen Maximum Growth in Delightful Dawn, Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Diamonds, Ever bi Lena Holographic Glitter
To get the gradient effect:
1. apply 2 coats of dark/bright polish to the top ⅓ of the nail
2. apply 1 or 2 coats of medium sheer polish to the top ⅔ of the nail
3. apply 1 coat of light sheer shimmer to the entire nail
4. apply 1 or 2 coats of glitter to the entire nail (optional)
5. apply 1 coat of top coat
It’s basically eight coats of polish, so I was careful to keep the coats all very thin so my nails wouldn’t be gloopy and gross.
The holographic glitter is one of the cheap ones I got at the dollar store the other month, all of which suck and are way too thick and take a million years to dry. Except this one! This one goes on thin, dries fast, and deposits a decent amount of multi-sized glitter with each brushstroke. This is like, my HOLY GRAIL of glitter polish, and to think I’ve had it all this time!
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Diamonds is also a really excellent polish colour; it’s super sheer and just adds a hint of shimmer, which makes it perfect to help blend together the different shades in the gradient without obscuring the colours.