How to make an ombre on your nails at home?

One of the most attractive styles of manicure is considered ombre, otherwise called a gradient or stretch. Its identifying feature is the unhurried color transition from light to dark. As a rule, this "movement" comes from the hole, that is, the base is covered with varnish in pastel shades, and the tip is already deeply dark. Best of all, the transition of paints of a single color scheme looks, for example, from pale pink to rich cherry. A special kind of gradient is called a stretch across the entire arm. In this case, the thumb is painted in one shade, the little finger in another, and intermediate colors are formed between them.

In order to create an ombre on nails, you will need traditional processing tools, for example, a nail file and scissors, a special base and a transparent glossy fixer, a foam sponge, several varnishes, white paper or foil, as well as cotton swabs and a coating remover. Varnishes can be regular or gel varnishes. Palette options include items such as a piece of plastic, a saucer, a plastic lid, or a disposable plate. Instead of a special sponge, by the way, you can take a regular one for washing dishes and then cut it into several pieces.

Of course, the kitchen sponge has its drawbacks. Due to the cellular structure of the material itself, a slightly uneven shade transition is formed, as if covered with grains.It turns out to smooth it out by pressing the sponge to the nail several times, but in this case, small air bubbles are obtained in the varnish layer. Therefore, it is better to purchase an expensive latex sponge used to apply foundation. It is as resilient as a kitchen sponge, but with much smaller pores. As a result, the layers blend harmoniously without the appearance of bubbles, and the resulting gradient is natural.

It is better not to take cheap latex sponges, as they are too soft and cannot print a gradient. Moreover, they absorb excess varnish and even disintegrate during use. The simplest variation of the ombre can also be created with the help of foam applicators used to apply shadows. Of course, specialists have already invented specialized sponges. The first variation looks like an elongated triangle made of foam latex, and the second looks like a round sponge made of finely porous foam rubber attached to a plastic base.

Experts identify three main techniques for creating ombre, which can be modified and adjusted to the required design. By the way, the smoothness of the transition, as well as the amount of varnishes used, depends on the wishes of the master or the customer.

In a vertical ombre, the transition is carried out from one edge of the nail to the other from left to right. Typically, the varnish is applied with a flat brush, and the transition is formed using a sponge or shadow applicator. Coating of one color is applied to one half, the other to the other, and then the border is blurred.

Horizontal ombre implies smooth and calm transverse transitions from the cuticle to the nail edge. They can be created using two or more colors.

In the case of a diagonal ombre, the flow of colors, as the name suggests, occurs diagonally.

In addition to the above, there are three ways to design an ombre with a brush.

• In the first case, a flat instrument with an elastic bristle and a lint-free napkin are taken. Stripes of coating are applied to the nail plate, practically in contact with each other. The brush is then dipped into the nail polish remover and gently blurs the border. Typically, the procedure is repeated several times to create at least three layers of bright colors.

• In the second case, you will need a fan brush. First, the entire nail is painted over with the first varnish, and this color should remain on the cuticle. Then the middle of the plate is painted over with an intermediate shade, and the tip with a second varnish. The fan brush is moistened a little and then blurred the transitions with it.

• Finally, highlight the ombre with acrylic powder. In this case, powder is immediately applied to the painted nail, with its help the boundaries between shades are shaded.

At home, it is quite possible to make the ombre correctly if you follow the instructions step by step. First of all, the nails are processed, as with any other type of manicure. The nail plate is given the required shape, the cuticle is removed near the hole with an orange stick, the surface is sanded and, if necessary, the skin of the hands is nourished with cream. In addition, the nail will have to be degreased with a nail polish remover and covered with a base, which will not only perform a protective function, but also provide a high-quality adhesion with a colored coating. A thick white sheet or foil will be used as a palette.

Parallel stripes are drawn on it with selected varnishes, which only barely touch each other. It is important to arrange so that the ombre is then formed, which means that you have to think over a harmonious looking sequence.The sponge is lowered onto the palette so as to capture all the colors, and then transferred to the nail, being pressed against it several times with light pats. By the way, you will have to create a separate blank for each nail plate. When all the nails are dry, you will need to remove all excess with a cotton swab, and then fix the finished manicure with a transparent fixative.

There is another common variation of ombre, which is performed with contrasting shades. For such a manicure, you will have to choose two opposite, but nevertheless matching colors. It can be blue and orange, yellow and purple, or bright red and light green. First, the marigolds are prepared according to the usual scheme, including the base is applied. Then a color is applied to the nail, which is to "complete" the plate, that is, to be at its tip. When it dries, a second color is applied with a sponge or sponge, covering the plate from the base to the middle. On top, everything is fixed with colorless varnish.

In general, there are the following ways to apply a gradient:

• first, one tip of the varnish is painted, and then the second is applied with a sponge;
• a palette with two stripes of the selected colors is used, the borders of which are mixed with a toothpick; There can be as many colors as you like, ombre is created with a sponge dipping at one time into all available colors;
• the strips are applied immediately to the sponge and immediately transferred to the nail plate; this method works well for quick-drying varnishes.

Important! Many experts recommend creating an additional base of the white shade. It will brighten the other paints used, but it will take a lot of effort to hide the backing. The lateral zones and the cuticle area will need to be additionally treated with a brush or tweezers with a miniature fragment of a sponge.

To make a quality ombre, you need to try to avoid common mistakes. First of all, we are talking about accuracy - only in this case, this type of manicure looks beautiful. Then, it is not always possible to choose a harmonious combination of colors on your own, it is better to consult with a specialist or find a ready-made scheme on the Internet. In the event that you still want to choose the colors yourself, you should choose several shades of the same color, for example, from beige to coffee, or look at the color wheel and give preference to neighboring tones. Contrasting shades can only be combined if there is an intermediate tone that creates a transition zone. Ombre is not combined with sparkles and rhinestones, in this case, the effect of bad taste and redundancy most often occurs.

Ombre is suitable for nails of any size and shape. By the way, after the gradient staining, the plate visually becomes narrower, and the fingers become more graceful. However, it is worth remembering that for such a manicure, you should not choose coatings of different textures. This means that mother-of-pearl is combined only with mother-of-pearl, and cream varnishes - with cream. To avoid the appearance of bubbles, you need to either press gently on the sponge, or slightly moisten it with water, or make the first prints on paper to get rid of excess varnish. It will be possible to protect the skin around the nail plate with PVA glue. Before dyeing, you will need to distribute it over your finger, and then wait until it dries. Upon completion, the film will leave right along with the varnish. Used for this purpose are film face masks, scotch tape, as well as special products designed to protect the cuticle.

An ombre called "Five Fingers" is considered very beautiful and quite simple to perform. First, the nail plate of the thumb is covered with the first color. Next on the palette, a drop of the first and second varnish is gently mixed, and the resulting color is applied to the index finger. Next, on the palette, one drop of the first, but already two drops of the second varnish is mixed. This shade will be used for the middle finger. A drop of the first nail polish and three drops of the second nail polish are useful for the ring finger. Finally, the little finger is to be dyed in the second chosen color.

In the next video, see 6 ways to make a gradient on your nails.