Day 10 - Gradient Nails

Hey all,

You aren't imagining things! This is three posts in one day.  I did all these nails on the proper days, I just was fiddling with the internet and studying all night, but in the end it is a bonus for you readers: more posts! :)  Today's actual manicure is a gorgeous gradient! I haven't had much luck with sponging gradients in the past, as I can't get the colors to fade out enough.  So I did my preferred kind of gradient - a glitter gradient!

The base is Wet n Wild Stream of Wonder, a metallic (but not brush-strokey) turquoise that is very pretty, but not terribly unique.  It needed a second coat, and it is - as I said - pretty, but not remarkable or crave-able.  The glitter gradient was done with:

Kleancolor Chunky Silver - a polish with very large silver hexes in a thick, gloopy clear base.  It definitely makes a statement, but it is very hard to get the hexes on the nail with any accuracy or consistency.  Nonetheless, it is unique in my collection and I will keep it for gradients like this one.

Cover Girl Disco Dazzle - this laying polish has tiny silver glitter and medium sized silver hexes that reflect all colors of the rainbow! I love this for accent nails and gradients, and in this mani I used it at the base of the nail to make the gradient appear thicker there. I got this polish from Polished Pirate's blogsale!

And then, on the accent nail, I did an inverse gradient.  I used Revlon Aloof as the base for this one.  It is a very very light silver color, bordering on white, with silver shimmer throughout.  This is from the current Revlon Edgy Elegance collection, which I am a HUGE fangirl of.  It is the only collection I have ever wanted all the colors from (and indeed, bought all the colors from!) They are all slightly frosty and opaque in one coat, and have silver shimmer throughout.  This color is my least favorite of the collection, but that is like saying vanilla is my least favorite type of cake - it is still cake! I still love it! :)

For the gradient, I used Wet n Wild Shock Wave! It is a unique blue-ish turquoise layering glitter, which matches perfectly with the Stream of Wonder on my other nails.

I really, really liked this look! That isn't a very eloquent way of expressing my love for this mani, I know, but they are the first words to leave my ...fingers.  I will absolutely recreate this mani with other colors after the challenge, with as many colors as I have matching glitter for the accent nail!  I also need to get a chunky gold glitter too, either Kleancolor or the Milani FX one.

Phew! Too many words! Here are the pictures:

Wet n Wild Stream of Wonder

Kleancolor Chunky Silver and Cover girl Disco Dazzle

Wet n Wild Shock Wave

Revlon Aloof

Gradient mani:

Unlike most nail bloggers, I really like showing the whole hand, because I think it gives a better idea of what the mani looks like in real life.  This means I have to confront my hatred of my short fingers... but it is worth it to show the colors for y'all :)

Two blurries to show TEH SHINY!

Do you like the inverse gradient?

No more posts for today, talk to you tomorrow!

Maria