How to apply ombre nail polish

Ombre nail polish (similar to ombre hair dye) is a way to style nails with gradients. The light color at the base of the nail gradually changes to a darker color at the tip. It takes practice to get the perfect ombre effect, but there are many basic ways to create a unique ombre effect on your nails.

Table of Contents

Create an ombre effect with foam

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Clean nails. First, you use a cotton ball soaked in some nail polish remover to clean the remaining nail polish. The next step is to trim the nails until you get the length you want. ^{[1] X Research Source} Finally, you use a nail file to smooth out rough edges and shape the nail.

You can also push your cuticles inward with a round tip nail bar. ^{[2] X Research Source} This increases the nail surface length to make the nail look longer.
Or, you can push the cuticle using the nail of the other thumb.

Paint a clear coat of primer. You need to apply a thin layer of clear primer over the entire nail. This layer of paint prevents the nails from yellowing due to the paint and increases the adhesion of the paint by reducing the peeling of the paint. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Paint background color. For ombre nails, the base is usually white or the lightest color you want to use to create an ombre effect. White paint will highlight other colors, but using the lightest color in the ombre color group will create a gentle, subtle ombre effect. ^{[4] X Research Source}^{[5] X Research Source} Paint this color all over your nails.

For an opaque base, you should apply two coats. Wait for the first coat to dry completely before applying the second coat.
To make your nails dry faster, it’s better to apply two thin coats of polish instead of one thick coat.

Paint an ombre on a makeup sponge. You will paint ombres in adjacent horizontal lines on a small makeup sponge. ^{[6] X Research Source} The paint on the sponge should be equivalent to the width of the nail. First, paint the lightest color on the foam. Next is to paint the darker color just below the first color. Finally, paint the darkest color directly below the second color. Make sure all paint colors are applied adjacent to each other without leaving any gaps between the colors on the foam. ^{[7] X Research Source} For each color on the sponge, you should apply several coats so that the paint is wet enough to be imprinted on the nail.

Usually, you need two or three colors to create an ombre effect, but you can experiment with different colors and color combinations to see which you like best.
For better effect, you can dip the makeup sponge in water before applying color. You just need to dip the makeup sponge in water and squeeze out 80% of the water. ^{[8] X Research Source} The next thing is to paint colors on the foam.
Dipping the sponge in water will prevent the paint from being absorbed too much and quickly drying. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Marta Nagorska

Nail technician

Marta Nagorska is a nail technician and nail art blogger based in London. She runs a successful blog called Furious Filer, where she offers advanced nail art and nail care tutorials. She has been practicing nail art for over 5 years. She graduated from Northhampton University with a degree in nail art and nail technology in 2017.

Marta Nagorska
Nail technician

Paint two colors on the makeup sponge . Nail art blogger Marta Nagorska says: “Start with a base coat, then apply a coat of white to accentuate the ombre. Paint two colors onto a triangular makeup sponge. Make sure they almost overlap, then dab the sponge on your nails a few times. Continue dotting until the color is as smooth as you want it to be. It’s important that you have a top coat finish to avoid creating. bubble out”.

Print nail polish. You will print the nail polish by repeatedly pressing the sponge (with the painted surface facing down) on the surface of the nail, picking up the sponge after a few dots to check if the ombre effect is strong enough and you like it. Are not. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Apply nail polish. You will roll the polish onto the nail by placing the edge of the sponge next to the edge of the nail. Next, roll the sponge (with the paint down) slowly over the other edge of the nail. ^{[11] X Research Source} Repeat the operation continuously to deepen the paint color and increase the ombre effect.

This will leave some paint on the skin around the nail. To avoid this, you can apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline cream) or tape to the skin around the nail. ^{[12] X Source of Research}^{[13] X Source of Research} Or, you can use nail polish remover to clean your skin after styling.
There are many ways to make nail polish stick. You can adjust the placement of the sponge (horizontally across the width of the nail, diagonal to dot a certain color) so that the ombre effect is unique and different. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Apply more paint on the sponge. When you’ve finished the ombre effect on one nail, reapply the paint onto the sponge so that the ombre remains wet and bright. You still paint the color the way you did before, first the lightest color and then the darkest color. Make sure the painted colors are adjacent to each other. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Note, if you create a foam ombre with a dry finish, the dry surface can actually strip the base coat and ruin your styling. ^{[16] X Research Source}
If you want to do a quick dot or roll, you need to apply paint on the sponge after each two nails are completed. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Paint the surface coating. When the nail has dried after a certain amount of time (about 10-15 minutes), you apply a clear coat on the nail surface. You can apply two coats of the surface for a smooth finish, as the foam leaves small holes. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Clean the skin around the nail. Use a small brush or cotton swab dipped in some nail polish remover to clean the edges and cuticles. ^{[19] X Research Source}

A cotton swab will help remove nail polish from the skin, and a brush is very effective in removing any remaining polish.

Create an ombre effect with glitter

Clean nails. Every time you paint your nails, you definitely need to paint on clean nails. Remove any remaining nail polish from your nails with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. Also, remember to trim your nails to the desired length. ^{[20] X Research Source} You can add a nail filer if you want to reduce nail length and eliminate sharp corners on the nail.

Push cuticles with nail bar to increase nail surface area. ^{[21] X Research Source} Alternatively, you can also use the thumb of your other hand to push the cuticle if you don’t have a dedicated nail bar.

Paint a transparent primer. Paint a layer of clear primer to prevent the nail from being yellowed by the nail polish color. ^{[22] X Source of Research} A clear primer helps prevent paint flaking for a more durable finish.

Wait about 5-10 minutes for the transparent primer to dry before you apply other colors.

Paint background color. The next step you need to do is to paint the base color for the entire nail. The background color can be any color you want; This depends on your preferences. For a strong base coat, you can apply two thin coats instead of one thick coat. ^{[23] X Research Source} Wait a few minutes (approximately 5-10 minutes) between each coat for the paint to dry completely.

Two thin coats of base coat will increase the opacity of the color without causing the coats to stick.

Paint the first layer of glitter. Open the cap of the paint can and brush the inside of the neck of the jar to remove the glitter. You only need a little glitter on the brush to apply the first layer of glitter on your nails. ^{[24] X Research Source} Paint the entire nail but make sure the nail near the cuticle doesn’t stick to too much glitter. The tip of the nail can hold more glitter, since you’ll need another coat of glitter anyway. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Wait about 5 minutes for the first layer of glitter to dry completely.

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Paint a second layer of glitter. This time you just brush a little paint on the brush to get more glitter. Paint the top half of the nail, but pay attention to add more glitter at the tip. ^{[26] X Research Source} Wait about 10 minutes for the nails to dry completely.

In fact, you can add as much glitter to the top half of your nails as you like. However, note that the glitter ombre should transition from thin to thick naturally.
You can always apply another coat of glitter on 1/3 or 1/4 of the tip, but your nails will be very wet (because of too much polish). Nails that are still wet with multiple coats of polish will take a long time to dry.
Try it on to see which looks best and fits the amount of time you have to wait for your nails to dry.

Paint transparent coating. Apply a clear top coat to protect the nail and give it a smooth finish. ^{[27] X Research Source}

You can apply two thin coats, as the glitter can make the nail surface rough. Besides, you need to paint over the glitter so that the glitter doesn’t stick to the outfit or cause scratches to the skin.

Advice

If you apply petroleum jelly around your nails to avoid getting the polish on, be careful not to get the wax on your nails or the polish won’t dry.
The thumb should be painted last. That way, you can use your thumb to clean off excess paint around the cuticle on your other hand. Remember to remove excess polish on your thumb with nail polish remover before painting.

Steps

Create an ombre effect with foam

Create an ombre effect with glitter

Advice

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