Ombre 2.0 (Glitter)

Ombre 2.0 (Glittery!)

This is similar to the traditional Ombre, except it has glitter!

Color used:
Sinful Colors - Daddy's Girl
China Glaze - Grape Juice

You will Need: A couple of makeup sponges, a piece of paper, 2 similar colors of your choice (one with glitter for your tips!) and a top coat.

1.) Prep Nails (remove polish, file, buffer, apply base coat, etc.)
2.) Apply 2 coats of you bottom color. In this picture, I used Sinful Color's Daddy's Girl. (It is a deep purple, with a bit of sparkle)
3.) Let dry (5-10 minutes at least)
4.) Sponge on your tip color. In this picture, I used China Glaze - Grape Juice. Sponge from the middle of the nail towards the tip.
5.) Apply top coat after sponging on the color for each nail BEFORE you move on the the next nail. (This lets the colors blend nicely)

Tips: I like to use Orly's Nail Defense as a base and top coat. It keeps nails from chipping, and works as a wonderful glossy top coat. I absolutely fell in love with the Ombre technique because of the many combinations of colors you can create.

Happy Manicuring!
LadyJ

Ombre Nails

Ombre Nails!
This one is fun and is easy to do! To begin, I would start with two colors. But for those who are more ambitious, the amount of colors and combinations are endless!

Colors Used: Sally Hansen Scented Nail polish! Banana, Orange and Cherry... My nails smelled delicious after this manicure!! :)

You Will Need: some makeup sponges, a top coat (or clear coat, either is fine), a piece of paper, and a few different colors of your choice.

1.) Start with first color, in this case, banana yellow! Paint on 1-2 coats (depending on your nails)
2.) Have your two remaining colors ready (with the caps undone so you can get your colors on quickly), as well as your top coat. You're going to have to work at a brisk pace to get the colors to blend the way you want them.
3.) Put a few drops (1-3) of the next color (here orange and then red) on a piece of paper and get it on the the sponge, or directly put the nail polish on the make-up sponge. (A little nail polish goes a long way)
4.) Sponge from the middle of the nail all the way to the tip, make sure you sponge enough on to where you can see the definite change in color. Depending on how much of a gradient (or fade) of color you want, sponge polish on the nails as much or as little as you wish. For the last color, use the middle of the second color to start sponging the color onto your tips.
5.) Once you finish your nail, put a layer (or two) of top coat over it to blend the colors together. You must do this one nail at a time, because you don't want your colors to dry out all bumpy!
6.) Repeat steps 3 - 5 until all nails are done.

And there you go!

Tips: Everyone has their own method of doing Ombre nails, this is just an idea as to how to go about doing it, as it was successful for me! I prefer to have a piece of paper to pick up the different colors so I have more control as to how much color I have on the sponge. Don't forget to put a topcoat over your nail BEFORE you move on to the next one to ensure the colors blend. The separation between each color that I did is pretty definite, but you can also create a different effect in spreading out the colors and the fading a bit more. I also suggest finding out what colors look good together by trying them out on paper.

Here is another example with two different shades of green and blue sparkles for the top that I did for a friend:

Have fun trying different combinations of colors and such!

Happy Manicuring!
LadyJ

Striped Tips

Striped Tips


Colors used: China Glaze Sun Worshipper (Orange), China Glaze Rose Among Thorns (Pinkish Red), Stripe Rite in Black, 


1.) Prep Nails (remove previous nail polish, file, buffer, etc..)
2.) Apply Base Coat (Optional - Some prefer not to use one)
3.) Apply 2 - 3 coats of China Glaze (Sun Worshipper)
4.) Let Dry! (This is important, to avoid smudging)
5.) Using a steady hand (or tape if you don't have a steady hand), paint your tips using China Glaze (Rose Among Thorns) 
6.) Let Dry! (10 minutes at least)
7.) Using Stripe Rite, paint a line between Orange and Pink 
8.) Draw vertical stripes with Stripe Rite (or any way you want it to look)
9.) On pinky nail, Add a stripe of purple if desired. 
10.) Finish with a Top Coat for Shine


And there you have it! I like the bright colors that China Glaze has, since they can work so well in many different designs. I decided to change up the pinky nail just for fun, 


Tips: For best results, let every color dry, even though the wait is tedious, you won't have to worry about smudging your nails. If you're in a bit of a rush, take a pea size amount of hand sanitizer, rub into hands, and lightly brush your hands over your nails. All nail polishes act differently, some need 2 coats, some need 3 depending on how thick your nail polish is. When using tape for tips, I suggest letting the 1st color dry completely, to avoid pulling the polish off with your tape. Don't give up if the pattern isn't exactly what you expected, nail art takes practice and lots of trial and error. Nail art should be unique, feel free to experiment with different colors, brands and patterns. 


Happy Manicuring!
LadyJ

And So It Begins.....

I have always loved doing my nails. Ever since I started to discover the many different designs and colors, I started to get into Nail Art. I like to think of it as painting on a tiny canvas that you can see everyday! Anyways, I figured I'd start a blog so I could get my creations out there. I'll post pictures and tutorials and links as I continue my journey into nail art!

Happy Manicuring!

LadyJ