Dip and Dye, not hair but NAILS

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Dip and Dye, not hair but NAILS

Posted by The Closet Digger 5 May 2012 7 comments

Dip and dye is all around us! I found this tutorial for dip and dye nails, and I really loved how it looks... Here it is:

1. assemble the right tools

To start, you will need two complimentary pastel polishes—I used Dior "Saint Tropez" and Ginger + Liz "He's So Into Me." You'll also need an angled eyeliner brush to apply and mix your colors—don't use an expensive one because it will get covered with nail polish! Use a thin base coat to mix with the pigmented polish (make sure you don't choose a quick dry formula)—this will allow you to apply your color in translucent layers. Finally, a good top coat like Seche Vite will hide any bumps.

2. apply a base coat

Make sure to wipe your nails free of oil so the polish stays as long as possible. Then, apply two layers of the base color onto clean nails. Use the lighter of the two colors you're working with as the base for the best results. Allow about 10 minutes to dry.

3. mix colors

Use a piece of tin foil to mix equal parts of your second color with the thin base coat. Use the eyeliner brush to mix the color and base coat. Blend this in very small amounts, because as it dries it will become tacky quickly. You want to make sure you're using fresh polish on each layer.

4. layer lacquer

Begin layering the mixture of base coat and blue by lightly dabbing and swiping the color from the middle of the nail to the edge of the nail using the eyeliner brush. Make sure you work quickly and don't brush too much in any areas since it may cause the polish to separate.

5. add thin layers

Add a second and third layer of the thinned out polish starting closer and closer to the tip of the nail each time, so that the color is concentrated at the ends of the nails. Each new layer should make the effect more and more opaque. At the very tip of the nail, brush on some un-thinned polish in your second color for maximum opacity.

6. top it off with top coat

You may need to add more layers to the gradient several times to perfect it, but a thick top coat is very forgiving and will cover up any texture mishaps as well as help blend the color even more. Finish the design by adding one to two coats of Seche Vite Top Coat.

ENJOY!