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Underwater Gradient Nails with Glitter & Stamping


These nails were something I thought of quite a while ago but only recently got round to doing! They are the more adventurous/time consuming version of the look I did here.

To create this look I used:

  • Nailfun Stamping Lack polish in Black & White
  • Rimmel Salon Pro in Green Dragon
  • Seventeen Gel Colour in Hurricane
  • Seventeen Colour Clash Nail Effects in In The Surf
  • Biutee BC-08 stamping plate
  • Stamper (I used a clear one)
Start off with a basecoat, and then add the white polish as a base. Next we're going to create the gradient effect. For this you can use a skin barrier such as latex or tape, but if you have neither of these you can just clean up around your nails with nail polish remover and a cotton swab or small make up brush.

On a clean make up sponge paint one stripe of dark blue (Hurricane), one stripe of the lighter blue (Green Dragon, although I really wouldn't say this polish is green), and one stripe of white. Then, dab it on your nails with the dark blue at the top and the white by your cuticle. You may need to do this a few times to achieve the desired effect, but just be sure to use thin layers.

I took this pic after I had done my nails which is why the lines are a bit smeared, but you get the gist!
Now it's time for glitter! For this all you do is swipe a layer of In The Surf over the nail, then use a dotting tool to align any big pieces of glitter near the top of your nail so it didn't get too chunky. Finish with a couple of layers of top coat to seal it in and smooth out the surface of the nail.

I then added the stamp of the whale just using the traditional stamping method i.e. I stamped the image straight from the plate. This look is fairly busy so I liked the idea of keeping the stamping simple.



Honestly, I am really happy with how these nails turned out! In the past when I have tried to do gradients they haven't come out very well, but I've kept at it and I do think I'm improving. In any case, when it doubt add glitter!

Looking at the nails now I have actually completed them, I have also realised that these could pass for a winter mani if you don't bother with the nail stamp. This wasn't my intention but a happy accident, so I guess this is kind of a two for one deal. 


 If you liked this please do check back for more. I have some big ideas and I am thinking about maybe tackling a challenge or two!

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