Cult of Pretty

Matte red is retro delicious ... backstage at Badgley Mischka FW13

Hair: Moroccanoil; Makeup: M.A.C.; Nails: Deborah Lippmann

Image: The Greyest Ghost for Cult of Pretty

On a whim I decided to try an ombré nail … a semi-sheer silver to a deep gunmetal.  Surprisingly after just a few tries, it pretty much worked!  I have to say … it’s prettier from afar … very subtle and kind of elegant.  Here’s my little ombré nail tutorial.

1. I skipped base coat because I didn’t want an additional layer of polish that might gunk up.  I started with a coat of Deborah Lippman Believe, which is a semi-sheer silver.  (All polishes are from this Deborah Lippmann for Juicy Couture boxed set for $48).  I was careful to truly only apply one coat here … and I followed with Envi Nail Enamel Dryer Spray to set it (can’t find this online, here’s a similar).

2. I applied Jewel in the Crown, a deep gunmetal, creating an arced shape ending at the tip.  No idea why but this arc makes the fade more subtle and believable.  I used the side of the brush a lot - get comfortable making tiny thin lines to fill in the edges. Didn’t apply dryer spray to keep this slightly blendable.

3. Followed with Believe, using an almost-clean brush to apply the sheerest coat right around the blend line between the two colors.  Again, I painted thin lines with the side of the brush to create the illusion of a seamless blend.  Some lines should be longer than others …  It’s about abstraction : ) It kind of reminded me of an ikat print actually.  Lastly, I threw on a top coat.  I use Orly Won’t Chip.

If you have any tips for a flawless ombré, share in the comments!

P.S. something’s up with my disqus comments … they’re working but the count shows as zero.  Hopefully fixed soon.

Nail set c/o Juicy Couture.