Show Me Your Nails 2.0

[Tamara76]

Due to some technical glitches with the original Show Me Your Nails Thread, I am starting a new thread with @vegchililover78's blessing (She says "hello," by the way!).

Please share your nail looks, nail art and manicures!

...And don't forget to check out @Beadshopgirl's Nail Stamping Thread for stamping inspiration! ❤️  

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Nailed-It/The-Nail-Stamping-Thread/m-p/3328865

[itsfi]

Awww, thank you @JoSometimes! That’s such a great compliment. These were great polishes to work with! 

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi Oooh, total Summer vibes!  That looks fab.

[itsfi]

Thank you @CookieGirl1! These were a great bunch of orange shades. Love the variety in color and finishes, and really like how the ombré turned out. 

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

Gorgeous! 😍😍 Loving your orange combos here, so many fiery shades! 🧡❤️

[itsfi]

I’ve become more and more enamored of orange polishes since joining this thread @RGbrown. 🧡 I blame all of you. 😆 

[Titian06]

I L-U-V this mani, @itsfi !!! 🧡🧡🧡  These colors are all so great!  Your ombre turned out wonderfully.  I love that you tried an experiment.  It looks beautiful.  The one thing I dislike most about nail polish is waiting for each coat to dry! 😂  I think we all feel that way.  How do you like using the sponge tool?  Do you replace the spong each time or is there a way to clean it?

[RGbrown]

@Titian06 @itsfi 

Sponge...tool? Is this different from just a wedge shaped makeup sponge? I'm curious!

[Titian06]

@RGbrown - @itsfi answered your question better than I could!  I saw a tool like this on Maniology, but the description didn't indicate what you could use it for. 🤔  I was thrilled to find someone who knew! 🙂

[itsfi]

@RGbrown @Titian06, not sure what the proper name is ombre nail sponges? Here's what it looks like. I picked up just the tool but liked it enough that I went back to pick up this set.

Photo credit: Amazon

RGBrown, from what I've gathered here and on YT, ombre nails can be done with - 

- wedge shaped makeup sponge

- these ombre nail sponge tool

- stamping plates

- special nail art brush for ombre / gradient nails

Photo credit: Amazon

I picked up a brush similar to this, not as fancy. I'm sure these can be found at Sally's Beauty Supply as well. It was just easier to find one online on amazon.

[JoSometimes]

@itsfi Interesting… I’ve never seen that before. All the tutorials I’ve watched for ombré and gradient nails have just used disposable makeup sponges. How do you like it? Do you have to toss the head when you’re done a set or are you able to clean them up for another use with some polish remover?

[itsfi]

@JoSometimes, I stumbled across this tool recently and thought makeup sponges were the only way to do an ombre / gradient nail. I found that using an acetone-based nail polish remover and paper towels is easier and more thorough for cleaning up the sponge tip. So far, I've been able to get 2, sometimes 3 uses out of a tip - I can probably get more if I'm more gentle and patient with the clean up process - will try to do that with the next new tip and let you know.

[JoSometimes]

Thanks for the update @itsfi! I’d love to get into ombrés and gradients. If this has more advantages over regular makeup sponges, I might look into it too. 

[itsfi]

@JoSometimes, it’s fun to do an ombré and gradient mani. So many different variations to be had too! 💅🏼 I personally prefer the ombré nail art tool but it might not be for everyone. @RGbrown had some great suggestions (she always has such fab insights!) a few response below ⬇️ for working with a makeup wedge sponge. I plan to give those tips & tricks a try soon (maybe over the weekend) and will let you know whether they change my mind about makeup sponges for creating an ombré nail.  

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

Ahhhh, ok, I have seen those before but mostly dismissed them because I am cheap at heart and happy with my wedges 😂😋 So you like it better than a wedge? 

I think brushes mostly work better for gel, since it never dries until you cure it, though I also would not be surprised if there are more folks doing it with regular polish and a brush than I realize lol. As someone who is all about polish, I can be surprisingly hard headed and stubborn about learning new techniques if I'm happy with whatever I'm doing lol  🤭

[itsfi]

@RGbrown, I do like it better than the makeup sponge wedges, for a few different reasons -

• Easier to control placement
• Cleaner ombré but it deposits less color per tap / roll than a wedge sponge - I own that if I were more patient this would be less an issue but I get a lot of air holes/bubbles when I use a makeup sponge. Many times it can be made to look better / more smooth with a couple layers of top coat, but these sponge tips have been good.
• I can get by without needing to use liquid latex around my nails. Conceptually, the idea of liquid latex is great, but I’ve noticed that when I do use it, my nails, cuticles and the skin around my nails dries out something awful.

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

Have you tried wetting your wedge sponge? Let it fully expand, and then wring it out good. I've found that can help get the finish a little smoother, and also helps keep the sponge from leaving little bits behind. You could also cut the wedge down to fit your nails a little better so there's less overhang. 

I hear ya on latex being a bit of a pain though, it's why I don't do many ombres. I'm too lazy for all that work very often lol

[itsfi]

Ohhhh, those are marvelous tips and tricks @RGbrown! I've not done either but have many a makeup sponge available to put botht those to the test. Thank you, thank you! Will search through my polishes to see if there are any that jump out at me for doing an ombre. 💅

[itsfi]

Thank you so much @Titian06! Hahaha! Waiting for my polish to dry definitely tests my patience - I know I don't have the most patience - doing my nails doesn't just confirm that but it shines on light on just how impatient I can be. 😂🤣😂

I'm finding the sponge tool to be my favorite way of doing an ombre / gradient. I haven't tried a stamping plate yet. I also tried an ombre / gradient nail art brush but that didn't go so well. I'll keep practicing with it though, to see how it works when I have a better handle on how to use it. That's a great question - you can wash the sponge tool, rinse out the polish, but doing so also causes the sponge to expand. I saw on YT that some sponges than shrink and shrivel up and become hardened. The ones I've used have gotten poof-ier. The next ombre mani I do, I'll do ombre on at least two nails - one with a new sponge and one with sponge that's been washed and is poofier. I'll let you know how it goes.

[CynthieLu]

This is beautiful @itsfi I'm loving that Ombre alot 😃 🧡

[itsfi]

Thank you @CynthieLu! I love the inspiration, support and encouragement this thread provides. 💕

[CattyT3]

Thank you for the reviews on each polish. I love all the shiny orange colors you've got - I've been on the hunt for a nice orange that doesn't just look neon or way too coral/ pinky. I did get CND Shellac done for a family wedding in a beautiful almost rust orange (I was told it's a patented color called Fine Vermillion - so I literally cannot get the color anywhere as a regular polish twin) and haven't been able to find something to please my heart enough to try to see if it will be a close second best.

As a chicken sandwich lover, I think I know which one I'm leaning towards trying 😋