Two-tone manicure
One-color manicure is considered a real classic of nail design, but experiments are in vogue today. Very stylish, but at the same time elegantly looks the coating made in two tones. Such a manicure is appropriate both in a strict office and at a friendly party.
Successful color combinations
The most common combination of two-tone manicure is a design in which all nails are varnished in one color, and one or two are painted in a different tone.
Today, many will not even remember where this fashion came to us from. In fact, the emergence of two-tone manicure is directly linked to the spread of feng shui theory. According to his teachings, each nail on our hands has its own special origin, and in order for all secret dreams to come true, each must be painted in a certain color. A little later, this approach was significantly simplified and only one of the nails began to be covered with an alternative color - the one that was responsible for the most important desire.
The girls liked this decor and they began to paint their nails using this technique, no longer giving the decoration any secret meaning.
A two-tone manicure is also often performed using a different technology, when one color flows smoothly into another. This effect is called ombre or gradient.
It is very important to choose the right color palette, and this activity is much more difficult than it might seem at first glance. Nail art specialists are faced with the problem of choosing a color every day. They know and know how to combine all sorts of shades and therefore give girls several recommendations that will allow them to choose the optimal color palette for their nails.
There are several basic techniques for using varnishes of two shades. One of them involves the choice of a "leading" color and its combination in adjacent colors, for example, lime and light green, indigo and blue, red and coral. In this case, the colors can be combined in the coating of one marigold, or you can apply a different color to individual nails.
Another no less stylish technique is a combination of contrasting shades, and there are a lot of options here, the choice of color is limited only by your own imagination. White, red and blue in various combinations are at their peak this season.
Girls who love pretentiousness and outrageousness should dwell on the most daring combinations - yellow with purple, red with green, blue with orange or coral with turquoise, and those who prefer a delicate style should pay attention to the combination of pink and mint, as well a silver shade in combination with turquoise looks good.
If you have a business meeting or want to add a touch of femininity to a strict office outfit, pay attention to the combination of nude shades, for example, beige, milky or light pink. They will look perfect when decorating a moon manicure or a traditional jacket.
For parties with friends, it is better to give preference to rich dark shades. Here, rich purple, burgundy, dark green or even black will be appropriate, and gold and silver shades can accompany him. In hot summer, the resort looks great with candy tones - delicate strawberry, light lemon, rich orange, pale green or mint. Unions of red with chocolate, purple with mint, or yellow with blue look very original.
Young girls most often prefer a powdery tone, which emphasizes their tenderness and fragility.
A manicure in white and pink shades reminiscent of apple blossom will look the best here.
Strong and independent ladies who are used to relying only on themselves in everything should take a closer look at the combination of green and black. This imitation of the khaki style will emphasize their strength, proactive attitude and self-confidence.
In winter, manicure done in silver-blue shades will not be overlooked, and in yellow-orange in autumn.
The use of two tones in manicure will allow you to forget about repainting your nails for a few days, because you can always choose such an outfit so that the whole image - from the crown of the head to the very tips of the nails - makes up a single complete composition.
Design options
There are as many options for applying a two-tone manicure as there are colors. The creation of a marble effect is considered a classic of the genre. For example, black veins on a white background look very stylish. Such nail art can perfectly complement absolutely any image.
Colored polka dots look very cheerful. This pattern is more suitable for such giggles or adolescents, while you can depict such decor on nails even at home, without resorting to salon services. All that is needed for this is only two varnishes and dots. However, the latter can be replaced with the most common toothpicks.
The jacket looks invariably elegant, and in execution it is quite simple. Here you can use delicate combinations of beige shades, or you can create a "predatory design". For example, apply a dark varnish as a base, and make the ends white.
Some girls believe that on short nails, a combination of several shades looks inappropriate, and completely in vain. In this case, it is worth applying a print called "crow's feet", while the shades used can be absolutely any, the main thing is contrasting.
A one-color pattern consisting of many lines and short strokes on shortened nails is very attractive.By the way, you don't have to use a light varnish as a background coating - you can easily get by with the usual transparent or mother-of-pearl.
Long nails are also often painted with two varnishes. You can draw various patterns on them, but here it is extremely important not to overdo it - overloading with elements sometimes leads to the fact that the nails look tasteless or even vulgar.
Very simple, but at the same time, the alternation of two colors on the nails looks impressive.
In this case, coloring in one tone will emphasize the beauty of the shape of the marigold, and the use of a contrasting tone will become a highlight, as if saying that the owner of such a manicure is not alien to the fashion trends of the beauty industry.
On sharp elongated nails, a French manicure and a reverse jacket, which is also called lunar, look perfect. In this design, most of the nail is painted with some basic tone, and a small fragment (tip or lunula) is covered with a contrasting shade.
This type of manicure is considered a classic, but it is possible and even necessary to experiment with both options. For example, it is worth making a beveled jacket or geometric lunar decor, and the combination of a forward and reverse jacket is also a good solution.
How to do it at home?
To create a stylish and effective manicure from two multi-colored varnishes, it is not at all necessary to resort to some complicated techniques - you can paint your nails beautifully at home, spending a minimum of time and effort.
The easiest option is to alternate nails painted with an even layer in a different shade. Here, all elementary - cleaned and degreased nail plates are simply covered with the selected varnishes, while painting can be either through one or applied according to the 4 to 1 or 3 to 2 scheme.
As for the more complex techniques, the following are considered the most popular:
- jacket and all its variations, including moon and geometric manicure;
- gradient - this option assumes a smooth flow of one shade into another, while the stretch can be located both vertically and horizontally;
- stamping - here ready-made drawings of a contrasting color are simply stamped on nails painted with a basic shade.
To make the now trendy ombre effect, varnishes of several similar shades are used, as well as a cosmetic sponge (instead of it, you can take an ordinary kitchen sponge, foil or plastic wrap, an applicator for applying shadows will work).
To begin with, the nails should be cleaned of the previous coating, filed, sanded and degreased. After that, the first color varnish should be applied to the sponge, and next to it, slightly overlapping it, the second. The third and fourth shades are applied in the same way. The base painted in this way is tightly pressed against the nail, after which the varnish near the nail plate is removed with a cotton swab dipped in a special liquid - usually the skin near it gets slightly dirty. You can cover the areas of the skin around the marigolds with a film even before applying the coating - in this case, your manicure will be more accurate.
It is better to do such a coating in 2-3 layers, so it turns out to be glossy, and the color is bright and saturated.
After the coating is dry, you need to apply a layer of fixer, thanks to which your original manicure will last for at least a week.
To paint a French manicure with a transition of shades, you will need two varnishes, a very thin brush, and stencils. First, the adhesive strip is attached slightly below the tip of the nail, and then the base varnish is applied to the free part. After the coating is thoroughly dry, you can remove the stencil. If you do this a little earlier, then there is a high probability that the varnish itself will be removed along with the adhesive tape - then all the work will have to be done anew.
If you do not have a stencil at hand, then you can use the most common tape.However, if everything is easy and simple with the first one, then you will have to work hard with scotch tape, because first you need to cut out a smile of the correct shape. To do this, the nail plate is visually divided into two equal parts, the strip is fixed exactly to its middle, and then a crescent is cut out so that its shape is the same in shape and size on both sides.
This option takes much more time, however, it allows you to adjust the depth of the crescent and its shape, and it is much easier to buy scotch tape than to look for a stencil, which is not sold in every store. Lunar manicure is done in a similar way, however, in this case, the lower semicircular part of the nail plate is closed with adhesive tape.
As for stamping, everything is simple here. - nails need to be painted with basic varnish, and then, using special seals, apply a contrasting pattern. If you have artistic abilities, you can create such a stamp yourself - for this, varnish is applied to the film, the required pattern is given to it with a toothpick and applied to the prepared nail.
Having made your choice in favor of a two-tone manicure, you must adhere to simple rules, then your nails will look extremely stylish and elegant, and your hands will be well-groomed.
Before choosing the main colors of the coating, make sure that they look beautiful in different lighting conditions. Try to use varnishes with an identical texture - either matte or glossy. An exception is made only for coatings with glitters or when combinations of glossy and matte varnish of the same color are used.
It is better to purchase varnishes from one manufacturer, so you can find the right pair easier and more efficiently, and such a coating will hold better.
Interesting examples
Nail designers use a variety of color combinations to create a two-tone manicure.
The most popular this season are monochromatic coatings, when different marigolds are painted in similar shades, for example, dark blue with regular blue or blue with pale blue.
Or aqua with mint.
The combination of pink and coral looks quite stylish.
Double-sided manicure looks great on nails of any shape.
The related double decors are very sophisticated, when all tones are united by some common shade, for example, yellow-red and blue-red. These options are optimal for creating an ombre.
For stylish women who are not afraid to be bright and noticeable, contrasting combinations will be ideal, which, it would seem, cannot look good together, but, nevertheless, invariably impress others.
Ideas for combining delicate pastel shades are considered classic decors. For example, a combination of pink and mint, beige and white, lemon and turquoise always looks elegant.
And, of course, white, gray and black shades are always at the height of fashion, and they can be combined with absolutely any tones. For example, yellow and pale pink varnishes go well with gray, light lilac with black, and deep blue with white.
In the next video, see 3 two-varnish manicure ideas.