gradient tape

mixing one of my favorites, ombre/gradient and a beginners technique, stripe tape, the gradient tape manicure was created! i've seen this design in several colors all throughout the web so this week i put my stripe tape to use and did my own version in purple. 

tools: two contrasting but complimentary nail polish colors, stripe tape and a makeup sponge. 

step 1: paint two coats of light purple, i used essie- lilacism.

step 2: once the base is completely dry, cut several pieces of stripe tape then place the strips on the nails intersecting with each other. make sure to flatten the edges of the tape so there are no bubbles or gaps on the tape to avoid polish from seeping underneath the tape as you paint. 

step 3: once strips are secure around the edges of the nails, using a makeup sponge to create a gradient design, paint on a dark purple, i used essie- sexy divide. the gradient method can be seen here from one of my earlier posts.

step 4: apply one coat of seche vite fast dry top coat. this will blend all colors and even out the surface.

galaxy

i have the universe at my fingerstips, literally! well not so literal but this is probably the closest i will ever get to touching the sky. just like the universe, each part is unique so bear in mind that you can make this look unique by changing up the colors. to get started follow the guidelines below: 

colors used: 

tools: (colors as seen in picture from top left to top right) seche vite fast dry top coat, revlon- stunning, essie- blanc, essie- play date, essie- sexy divine, essie- midnight cami, sinful colors- black on black, makeup sponge, small dotting tool or toothpick. 

step 1: apply 2 coats of black nail polish.

step 2: after the base coat is completely dry, paint white nail polish on the corner of a makeup sponge and lightly sponge a diagonal line on to the nail creating the nebula.

TIP: after painting the nailpolish on the sponge and before appling to the nail, blot the nail polish onto a card or paper so that you get more of a powdered look and not an intense white when appling on to the nail. i do this with all colors for this nail design. 

step 3: sponge essie- play date (lavender) on the outer edges and slightly on top of the nebula for each of the nails.

step 4: using another corner of the makeup sponge, sponge essie-sexy divine (metallic purple) on the outer edges of the lilac. 

step 5: using another corner of the makeup sponge, sponge essie- midnight cami (metallic blue) on the outside of both previous colors and even a little on the black base. 

step 6: apply one thin coat of silver glitter nail nailpolish. i used revlon- stunning. 

TIP: the glitter nail polish should look sparse. pick up some of the glitter using your finger if necessary. 

step 7: using the smallest dotting tool you can find, paint a few dots on each nail for the bigger stars. feel free to make small plus signs to look like starbursts or swirls for a galaxy. 

step 8: complete the look with one coat of seche vite fast dry top coat. 

need a visual tutorial? please watch 3d Nail Art Blog video tutorial on galaxy nails. 

triangle spears

this week i wanted to do a design that was clean and simple, easy to teach but still made a statement. since i had planned to see batman: the dark knight, i put these colors together. catwoman maybe? replicate the look by following the steps below: 

step 1: pick two complimentary but contrasting colors. i used essie- lilicasm (light purple) and sexy divine (dark purple). 

step 2: paint two coats of essie- lilacism. 

TIP: to speed up the waiting time between base color and design, especially when using a tape product. paint a coat of seche vite fast dry top coat. this is a great buy; nail polish dries in 10-15 minutes.

step 3: cut two pieces of tape for each nail. apply both pieces of tape on the nail creating a V stencil in the middle of the nail where you will apply your second nail polish color. make sure to flatten the edges of the tape so that no bubbles or gaps seep underneath the tape as you paint. 

step 4: paint the stenciled area in essie- sexy dive. one moderate coat will be needed.

step 5: slowly remove the tape while nail polish is still wet. 

step 6: complete the look with one top coat of seche vite fast dry top coat.