Ombre of Oranges!

I showed my first attempt at an Ombre manicure in an earlier post (http://diygirliestuff.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-color.html), and I mentioned that I thought it would be cool to try an Ombre featuring a creme and glitter or shimmer of some kind. Without further adieu...

Pretty, huh?

Part of my reason for blogging is to share tips and how-to's, so here's how to achieve the look:

First, here's my arsenal:

You will need: cotton balls, Q-tips, nail polish remover, base coat, a creme polish, a complimentary glitter or shimmer, top coat, a cosmetic sponge and a bowl or plate (or napkin or paper...whatever). The umbrella played no part in the manicure, but it looks summery and I found a box of them when I was looking for the little bowl pictured.

Step 1: Prep your nails. I like to do my nails after I get out of the shower so my cuticles are nice and soft. Push back cuticles, file to desired shape and if needed, buff any ridges so nails are smooth. After that, I wash my hands and allow a few minutes to dry. I then use Zoya's Remove+ polish remover to make sure all residue and oils are gone.

Step 2: Apply base coat. I've used Beauty Secrets Base Coat (available at Sally Beauty) for years. I recently purchased Zoya's Color Lock System, but I'm trying to be good and use the old before I open the new. We'll see how long that lasts.

Step 3: Apply the creme polish. You can really use whatever polish finish you want, I imagine, but I'm telling you what I did for this particular look. I used Essie's Meet Me at Sunset for this one. Let dry and apply a second coat.

Step 4: Place a few drops of your second shade on a plate, bowl, napkin, or whatever you want to use for "dipping." I used Zoya's Tanzy and a dipping bowl I'm sure was intended for something other than nail polish. It came with my fancy chopsticks. Using a cosmetic sponge, dip the corner in your polish and, using short light strokes, dab onto the tips of your nails. Allow a few seconds to dry, then repeat. This time, though, dab a little further up on the nail to blend, but don't go all the way to the cuticle. Don't worry if it's not smooth. That's what your top coat is for.

Step 5: Apply a shiny top coat. I used Beauty Secrets Top Coat, which dries pretty quickly and leaves nails really shiny. Beauty Secrets is also a good deal at about $5-6 for a huge bottle.

Please don't judge my cuticles. The looked okay until I zoomed in...

Step 6: This one is kind of optional. Use your polish remover and a Q-tip to clean excess polish from cuticles. Honestly, I don't do this often. I wait for the polish to set completely and use a hand scrub to get the excess from my hands. I generally take polish from my nail if I use the Q-tip method and the scrub does great things for the rest of my hands, too. I'm currently using a homemade scrub of white granulated sugar with olive oil and honey. I'll find the recipe I used and post it another day.

There you have it. My secret is out. I also found this video from another blog that gives some great instruction for a glittery Ombre using a similar technique. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P35Ye0lsFU8&feature=player_embedded

Not only is the Ombre a cool look and a way to add an interesting twist to your existing polishes, but it's also an easy way to camouflage chips and tip wear and extend the life of your manicure. Now, go to it!

Summer Color

This summer has been one of experimentation with color for me. Hot pinks have been my signature look since high school. I've worn reds and purples and corals and lots of white and lavender shimmers pretty regularly, but that's about as far as I've gotten. Last summer, I picked up some blackened purples and an almost black...and I loved them. Since then, my mission has been to further expand horizons.

Here are some of the fun colors I've worn over the last few weeks.

Essie's "Chinchilly"

"Chinchilly"

 

"Chinchilly"

 Essie's "Chinchilly" is a great grey color. The application is a breeze. Two coats are all you need and it has a nice gloss before the top coat. I added flower decals from Cina Nail Creations (Lacy Love is the name of this set.) for a little something extra. Sadly, this color is impossible to capture with my camera, but the blurry picture on the bottom is the closest to real life.

Essie's "Meet Me At Sunset"

"Meet Me At Sunset" Pedi

I love, love, LOVE this orange. Like Chinchilly, the formula is great. Two coats, nice and shiny, etc. I added the red flower with Art Club Nail Art Lacquer in the creatively named "Red," and a yellow rhinestone in the center. In case you can't tell, I dig flowers, especially in the summer. Also, please ignore the wounds on my foot. I have a playful cat who thinks he's a big, scary hunter and he sometimes forgets his teeth hurt.

Zoya's "Rica" from the Sunshine Collection

"Rica"

Rica was every bit as great for application as both of the Essie polishes and "Caitlin" from my previous post. I normally gravitate to creme finishes and the occasional light shimmer or glitter, but Zoya is giving me reason to make exceptions. The Sunshine Collection is very sparkly, but still gives a smooth finish and isn't hard to remove like a lot of glittery polish. I did find it worked better to remove the polish and then wash dishes or take a bath to soak off the remaining traces of glitter. One layer of top coat is all you need for extra sparkle. The pictures really don't do it justice.

Zoya's "Ivanka" from the Sparkle Collection

"Ivanka"

 I won't bother repeating praise of the formula, because it goes on pretty much like "Rica," but with a little more glitter. The bottom picture was an attempt at showing the sparkle, but it mostly made my skin look uber-white. This was a huge departure from my usual pinks and purples, but I do like the result.

"Rica" and "Ivanka"

"Rica" and "Ivanka"

I've seen some awesome Ombre manicures lately, and I got bored one night and decided to try my hand at this. This was my first attempt, and it's far from perfect, but I really like the idea. "Rica" was starting to bore me, and "Ivanka" was still sitting on my table, so I grabbed a cosmetic sponge and gave this a shot. In hindsight, I probably should have started with something a little more similar in color on the first try.

I do think you'll soon see more attempts at the Ombre look. I think some of the Zoya sparkles and shimmers would be a cool way to liven up some creme polishes. Yes, yes. I would expect to see more soon.