HOT NEW POLISH TRENDS

We are absolutely loving the nail trends this season with all of the bright vibrant colors!  They kind of remind us of our bottles!  These adorable looks can be easily achieved in a few quick steps. 

Gradient Manicure

A gradient manicure is the gradual blend of two colors going from light to dark as seen in the example below.  First, select the two shades you desire, one light and one dark.  Next, grab a bottle of fast drying clear top coat and that’s it for supplies.  Begin by applying the light shade to the bottom of one nail and the dark shade to the tip.  While still wet, sweep the top coat over the entire nail starting from the bottom and move towards the tip in one motion.  This will drag the light polish into the darker tip color giving it the gradient effect.  Repeat this on each nail, cleaning the top coat brush in between. 

You can also create this look using a slightly different technique with a makeup sponge.  We found it a little more time consuming and a tad bit messier, but it works great as well.  Here is a link to a great picture tutorial.  Just Click Here

Ombré Manicure

An ombré manicure has often been the term used to describe the gradient manicure but it is actually quite different.  A true ombré is the gradual let-down of one color, from one nail to the next, as seen in the example below.  To achieve this look you will need a dark shade of polish, a matte white polish, a fast drying top coat, and something you can mix polish in such as a small disposable dish or even a paper plate.  Because you will be mixing the dark shade with white to obtain your lighter colors, you will want to make sure you have an ample amount of both polishes.  First, pour a very generous amount of your dark shade into your mixing dish.  You will want to pour enough to coat all of your nails.  Paint both of your pinky nails the dark shade.  Next, add a few drops of white polish to the dark shade in your dish and mix to create your next let-down shade.  Paint both of your ring fingers.  Then add a few more drops of white polish to this now lighter shade to make the next one.  Hopefully by now you get the gist of it, just keep it going until you have painted your thumbs the lightest mixed shade.  Finally, brush on a top coat if desired.  

Skittle Manicure

For this last look, you will need a minimum of two shades of polish and a fast drying top coat.  We like to use five, a different color for each nail.  These colors do not need to be in the same color family, think of a bag of skittles, which is how this manicure got its name.  We will not bore you with a step by step as this one is pretty easy and up to your imagination.  You can use two colors and paint the full nail in an alternating pattern or simply paint each full nail a different color, the choice is yours.  When you are all done, brush on a top coat if desired.

Now for something fun!  Why not experiment and combine the Gradient Manicure with the Skittles Manicure or Ombré Manicure.  The possibilities are endless!

photos courtesy of the-swatchaholic.com