Tag Archives: Ombre

Manicure Mania, Pt. V: Neon Ombré

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in All Thumbs, Manicure Mania

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sometimes you save the best for last.

We love ombré. We love neon. So why not put them together? Like two A-list celebrities who pair up to become an A+ couple, neon and ombre’s powers combine to become exponentially more awesome!

My idea came from this ubiquitous Pinterest pin; I’m sure you have seen it.

I wanted to roll with the idea but clean it up a bit; make a more definitive neon spectrum. I tested my neons on a discarded piece of snail mail and developed the perfect order.

I knew I wanted my manicure to be as jaw-droppingly neon as possible, so I painted two coats of OPI Alpine Snow as a base. Then, I painted like so:

From thumb to pinky: ORLY Hot Shot, China Glaze Pool Party, Essie Short Shorts, Milani Juicy Glo, and Essie Haute As Hello.

In the sun, they were show-stoppers.

Then, I got over eager and was anxious to start my clean-up. And in doing so, I hit my right index finger on the edge of the counter and made a huge scrape. I stared at my nail in horror — what to do, what to do! Start that nail all over again? Or… disguise this boo boo?

I remembered I had some small holographic golden stars lying around in my Stash somewhere. If I arranged them in a charming way, it might work.

The two close beside each other are there out of necessity. The star above them is just for kicks.

I think my mini-constellation added some character!

haveablindinglybrightweekend, Francesca

P.S. Special shout out (and sincere thank you) to Weston for designing my Mani Mania headers this whole week. xx

Ombré Made Easy

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Lacquer Lust, Nailed It!

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Who doesn’t love an ombre manicure?

It’s fresh, on-trend, and a great conversation starter. It’s creative… but not crazy. It’s got the DIY cool without the usual DIY complications.

The hardest part is gathering the perfect spectrum — or shall I say “was” because THE NEW BLACK is taking all the guesswork out of locking down that perfect gradation.

Click the pic if you’re tempted to trot over to Nordstrom’s site to learn more about THE NEW BLACK’s ombrés in a box.

At $22 bucks a pop, a cute five-color set sounds like a smart bet.

I’m not usually one to repeat manicures, but even I would make an exception here. I’d try going from dark to light one week, then flip the ombré when I wanted to try a new look. And if you buy a set that blends well with your Stash, you could add even more shades to the ombré!

I enjoy the quest for the perfect ombre colors, but you know I get a little excited about nail projects. That said, I’d never judge a pal who didn’t have the time (or patience) to sleuth about for the perfect shades and opted for one of these kits instead.

A genius idea, THE NEW BLACK. Well played…

howdoyoulikeyourombré, Francesca

The Paige Pastel Manicure (& Happy Easter!)

06 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by in Lacquer Lust, Polish Prophecy, The Nail Files

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Spring is here, and with it: a rainbow of color. In addition to ubiquitous (but welcome!) pastels, we’re seeing neon accents popping up in unexpected places — nails! jewelry! totes! t-shirts! — and color being infused into what are typically uninspired wardrobe staples… like your favorite jeans.

Forget the simple spectrum of pale boyfriend jeans to crisp, dark denim. Now you’re faced with mint green… or kelly green? Nantucket red, or candy apple red? Decisions, decisions!

When I saw this email from Paige Denim in my inbox, it wasn’t just the jeans that caught my eye. It was, simply put, a beautiful array of color. So inspiring, in fact, that I made it my manicure.

I began with Paige Denim's palette and punched it up a little. From left: California Coral, Haute As Hello, Splash of Grenadine, Lapis of Luxury and Mint Candy Apple. All colors by Essie.

Here's the Paige Pastel lineup, indirect sunlight.

And in bright sunlight, each nail shines like a little jelly bean.

Cadbury Creme Eggs are a polarizing food. To some, the faux-egg fondant inside is off-putting. To others, it is egg-cellent. I could eat a dozen at a time, nom.

This manicure was as simple as can be; the hardest part was rounding up the colors! It was well-received by my pals at the office, and even has a bit of holiday flair. If you’re looking for a cheerful way to usher in spring, or a subtle nod to Easter without drawing actual eggs on your nails, then maybe you’ll give this a whirl.

xxo, GLOSS

[And here are some pictures of a few Easter eggs to get y'all in the mood!]

Cats, World of Warcraft, ombre shades... Yes, all of my obsessions are well-represented.

Sidenote, I love foxes. Fluffy tails, oh-so-clever, the stars (villians?) of practically every Aesop fable ever... How could you not love a fox. My boyfriend made a foxy egg for me...

... but it's the fox tail that's my favorite part of all!

Blue Period — Ombre

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in All Thumbs, Nailed It!, Polish Prophecy

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Yep, you guessed it!…another Ombre post.

Knowing how much I adore ombre nails, it’s really no surprise.

AND, what would this “Blue Period” be without a blue ombre??!!!

Honestly, this is my favorite ombre yet!

Check out some of our previous ombre posts:

Ombre Unas- A Gray Gradient
L’Ombre Rouge
Glitter Gradient
 

First, some ombre inspiration:

(I’m not one to post manicures done by professionals, but this one from Thefreshmani is soooo awesome!)

(Oh, Conrad and her ombre’s!….she gets me every time!!!!)

Ok.  Are you good and prepped now?

Here are the colors I used:

(From left to right: Zoya’s Dove, Essie’s Lapiz of Luxury, Sally Hansen’s Pacific Blue, Loreal’s Jet Set To Paris, China Glaze’s First Mate)

(Reverse the order listed above from right to left)

* Side Note: I am really digging Loreal’s new polishes (seen on index finger in above pic)!  The have some lovely colors and they go on nicely…so far….. 

This manicure was a hit and I received many compliments for the gorgeous blues!  Super fun and super easy!

Obsessedwithblue, Varnish

Glitter Gradient

23 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in All Thumbs, Nailed It!, Polish Prophecy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

The new trend is gradient.

We have seen in here with Gloss’ Ombre Unas- A Gray Gradient.  And here with my Ombre Rouge.  And here with my Sloppy Ombre.

This time, a gradient in glitter.

What is with this glitter crazy lately, you ask?  Well, I will answer that question with another question.  A scale question, no less.

On a scale of 1 to sparkles, how much do you love it when you nails glisten in the sunlight?

If you answered 1 to dull: please refer to the following trailer to begin your training in all things Glitter:

If you answered dull to shimmer: please refer to the following video for further education:

If you answered shimmer to blinding: Girl, you’re a diva!  So watch this last video to graduate to Glamourdom and then continue to the following tutorial:

 

To start you will need Essie’s Barefoot and Topless, Love & Beauty in Golden Girl, and Milani Nail Art in Art of Gold.

Cover nails in base coat.  Then two coats of Essie’s Barefoot and Topless.  Let dry completely.

Then cover 3/4′s of nail in one coat Love & Beauty in Golden Girl.  Let dry.

Then cover 1/4 of nail in gradient of Milani Nail Art in Art of Gold, applying it heaviest at tips.  Let dry.

Cover with top coat and marvel in the shimmer!

(On a cloudy morning and with a funky filer) 

(Full sunlight)

-Varnish

Ombré Uñas — A Gray Gradient Manicure

23 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in All Thumbs

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

What’s a great way to add some D-I-Y artistic flair to your fingers without whittling hours away?

An ombré manicure!

Varnish covered this in a post last month, and I’ve been meaning to try it ever since. Not to mention, I see a new variation of the ubiquitous ombré on Pinterest at least once a week, and I can’t take it anymore. Now, it’s my turn.

The key to painting a gradient that makes sense and looks good is access to a good-sized stash of polish. With my collection and my neighbor Celeste’s (hi Celeste!) combined, I was able to come up with an ombré that was not too shabby!

I knew I wanted to create a gray spectrum, but I debated and debated over how much contrast I should aim for. In other words, how stark a gradient should I paint? In the end, I opted for a subtle, charcoal-y spectrum, but I’ll show you my other idea in case you want to try it. I think it would look pretty sweet.

Here's my idea for a high-contrast gray gradient. From thumb to pinky, the colors move from light to dark.

Here's version 2 of a possible high-contrast gray gradient. From thumb to pinky, the colors start with black and fade to white.

Aaand here's what I actually did. Even though I tested on my index card, the gradient wasn't as distinct as I'd hoped for.

Ombré Tips (pun intended)

  • Try painting on an envelope or index card first, so that you can see how the colors will really look side by side, or see what you’re missing (though as you’ll see below, that’s not a foolproof method)
  • I recommend sticking with one formula throughout your spectrum; I used all crème polishes for a consistent look
  • A little planning beforehand will go a long way; if you’ve got your heart set on a plum to lavender gradient, but are missing that perfect shade of purple, check with your friends to see if they can help you with your missing link before you sacrifice the look by using the wrong shade or, worse, shell out cash on a new bottle that you may not really need

My line-up. Six colors, five fingers. Decisions must be made... Someone must be cut! From left: Sally Hansen Black Heart, CND Asphalt, Nubar Stronghold, Illamasqua DWS, Orly Mirror Mirror and OPI Alpine Snow. In the end, Alpine Snow was booted.

New base coat, recommended by Kris. I don't love it more than my usual Essie, but I think I like it just as much. Essie for smoothing, Orly for extra chip resistance.

Here's the finish of Orly Bonder; it's a little matte and feels slightly sticky to the touch.

My grays — indirect sunlight. You can see some decent variation...

The grays in direct sunlight.

Have you done any artsy ombrés? Send them my way and I’ll be sure to post ‘em!

xxo, GLOSS

L’Ombre Rouge

19 Saturday Nov 2011

Posted by in All Thumbs, Polish Prophecy

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Ombre, or ‘to shade,’ is all the rage these days!

It’s on the runway.

On the red carpet.

 On our nails.

And even in our hair.

Obviously, I am hooked on this ombre trend.  What can I say?!

Here is my little rendition of Ombre nails, which by the way, is a lot harder than it looks.  Although the shades of red may look great in the bottle, it is difficult to find the perfect the perfect crescendo of red.  Admittedly, I’m still working on it.

First, start with inspiration:

Then use a 3×5 card and play around with your reds to make sure they are similar in shade.

Then line your preferred bottles in order and get to work!

 (Mary Kay’s Pulse/Palpitation, China Glaze’s Fifth Avenue, OPI’s Ruble For Your Thoughts, Essie’s Cute As A Button, and Essie’s Muchi Muchi)

XOXO, Varnish

Sloppy Ombre

01 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in All Thumbs

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

The tutorial was inspired by another tutorial from Refinery29.com, I created a sloppy ombre nail with an accent glitter ring finger (seen above)!  In the original tutorial from Refinery29, they mix the colors so that there is a gradual change from black to blue.  However, in my tutorial, rather than blending and mixing, I use a sponge to create a kind of sloppy change from black to blue.  Try either of these ideas, for some fun with your nails!

Here are the steps to create the Sloppy Ombre:

The items that you need include, a base coat and top coat, fine blue glitter, black nail polish, bright blue nail polish, and a sponge.  Also, I recommend working on one hand at a time, as the polish can be quite thick and may drip some until it dries.  1.  Place one hand over a piece of paper (to catch any loose glitter).  Coat your ring finger of this hand with a base coat. Then quickly cover this with blue glitter, while the base coat is still wet.  Let dry completely and then cover all of your nails, including the glitter one, in a base coat.  This will seal in the glitter, as well as prep your other nails.

2.  While you let the base coat dry, clean up any loose glitter from your hands and the paper beneath your hand, to make sure that you do not get any on the polish.  You can use a flat make-up brush and some nail polish remover to clean up any glitter that may be sticking your your fingers3.  Then prep your black and blue nail polish by opening each bottle and having them ready to use and close by.  You will use both colors on one nail before moving onto the next.

4.  One finger at a time, cover the upper portion of your nails with black.  I used Wet n’ Wild’s Black Creme.

5.  Then, on the same finger, and while the black polish is still wet, cover the lower portion of your nails in blue.  I used OPI’s No Room For the Blues.

6.  Take a sponge and dab the two colors together.  Remember that this is called the “Sloppy Ombre,” so it does not have to be perfect.  Just have fun with it!

7. Repeat step 4-6 on the remaining fingers. Let dry completely.

8. Cover all nails with a thick top coat.

XOXO, Varnish

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 82 other followers