Ombre patterns have blown up this year! With the Ombre/dip dye hair trend leading the way for hair fashionistas. The French word ombré means “shaded,” and in fashion it refers to pretty much anything that starts out one color and then slowly morphs into another. We’ve weathered trends for ombe hair, ombre clothes, ombre fur. So why not ombré nails? And YES, they’re easier than you think!
1. You’ll need nail polish remover, nail clippers, and a makeup sponge.
2. The first step, as always, is to clean and trim your nails, push back your cuticles, and swab each of your nails with polish remover to remove any traces of oil or other contaminants that might affect the adherence of your manicure that might be present. (Once that’s done, apply your base coat. I would recommend Sally Hansen’s Hard as nails in clear.
3. In order to create an ombre pattern you’ll need to lay down a base colour, and then layering a contrasting colour over the top with a makeup sponge.
4. Apply that base colour, concentrating on making sure it’s opaque. But only towards the base of your nails. At the tips, the contrasting colour will cover any streakiness.
5. Once your base colour is dry to the touch (and waiting is crucial), dab a tiny amount of your contrasting colour on the tip of your makeup sponge. Smoosh it all over the tip of your nail, taking the contrasting colour down towards the halfway zone. (If the makeup sponge quickly became crispy with the dried contrasting colour, keep a pair of scissors handy to snip off the used surface and reveal fresh sponge beneath)
6. Applying the contrasting colour with fresh sponge gives a more even colour and allows for a more subtle gradient. If you find you’ve gone too dark too quickly, just use the sponge to dab on some of your base colour again. Add the contrasting colour in layers, building up depth towards the tips of your nails.
7. When you’re done, use nail polish remover to clean up your fingers (or just peel off the unwanted polish in the shower). Add your top coat. Because top coats have a way of picking up colour with each stroke. Apply your top coat in lateral strokes across the nail to avoid smearing contrasting colour all over your base colour and vice-versa.
