Ombre Nails

I don’t think this photo does a good job of showing how well this turned out. This was my third or fourth attempt and I think I have found a technique I really like, so I’ll share with you how I did it.

What you need:

• base color (not too opaque)
• darker tip color
• makeup sponge

1. Paint the entire nail with the base color (once or twice).
2. Place a few drops of the darker color on a piece of cardboard.
3. Take the makeup sponge (I cut them up into smaller pieces, so I get more use out of one sponge), dip it into the polish and dab onto nail, starting on tip.
4. Work toward half way up the nail, applying less polish as you move towards the nail bed (depending on the look you want, I’d suggest using the darker color on only 1/2 or 2/3 of the nail)
5. Continue to add layers of polish at the tip, so the color there is opaque.
6. I then put on layer of the lighter polish over the top, to help create a smooth gradient. It’s not necessary to go to the very tip.

(I usually use an additional base coat at the beginning and a quick-dry top coat)

Some good tutorial photos can be found on Going West.

I’d love to hear if anyone tries this, and how it works for them.