Category: Gradient

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Gradient Psychedelic Pattern Nails

Am I the only one who does their nails & immediately dubs them “my new favourite nails”? I do it a lot, but in my defence most manicures I do are my favourite. Maybe it’s in part to the fact my nail art skills used to consist of occasionally being able to create semi-straight dots. Either way, these sideways gradient nails featuring the psychedelic pattern vinyls from Xroma Polish & Nails are definitely my new favourite! I don’t think I’ve ever created a gradient so flawless. 

For this manicure, I used: 

  • Base Coat: L’Oréal All In One
  • Top Coat: Essie Gel Setter
  • Hard Candy Sky
  • Nicole by OPI Love Son
  • Deborah Lippmann Groove Is In the Heat
  • Essie Under the Twilight
  • Latex Free Make Up Sponge 
  • Xroma Polish & Vinyls Psychedelic Stencils

This gradient just makes me so happy… the colours & the blending just turned out so perfect! & the use of the pattern over top just brings the whole design together (I think at least). Trying to wear as many Summer-y designs as I can before I start feeling the call of Fall, which thanks to my years in retail usually starts around early-mid August. Haha. But in the mean time, I’ll try to stick to a purely Summer pallet. 

What do you think of this gradient/nail vinyls combo? Let me know in the comments below! I have to say, these psychedelic vinyls are definitely my new favourite pattern. 

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Tribal Print Gradient Nails

I know I say this every time I do my nails, but these have to be one of my favourite gradients I’ve ever done. Seriously–just look! It turned out so pretty. I’d never claim to be a gradient expert, but damn if I don’t feel proud of how these turned out! & what does better with a gradient than a little stamping? I don’t think I’ve done any stamping since before the Lil Bubs was born, & I didn’t realize how much I missed it. 

For this manicure, I used:

  • Base Coat: Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat
  • Top Coat: Cutex Quick Dry Top Coat
  • Essie Lounge Lover
  • China Glaze Glow With The Flow
  • China Glaze Plur-ple
  • Essie Butler Please
  • Yves Saint Laurent Noir Brilliant
  • Born Pretty Store Peel Off Liquid Tape
  • Born Pretty Store Stamping Plate (QA66)
  • Latex Free Make Up Sponge

Why don’t I stamp more often, seriously? Well mostly because I only have the same few stamping plates. But hopefully I can change that soon because it just makes for sure an intricate manicure. I would never freehand this design (at least not without a lot of crankiness & frustration!) 

For my gradient, I started off with a basic sponged gradient & then went back over the gradient dry brushing my colours for a bit of a rustic look. It lead to an interesting blend that I really, really like. 

What do you think of this mani? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 💜

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April Mani Favourites! 


It’s that time again! 

Rounding up the end of the month (& the beginning of a new month) with my favourite manicures for April! This was a super busy month for me, nail wise, so there were too many options to choose from! Haha it was a struggle.  But I did manage to narrow it down to only 6. 

Which design is your favourite for April? Did it make the list? Let me know in the comments below. ♥️

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Desert Sunset inspired nails

Coachella is finishing up this weekend, which means lots of festival inspired nails have been popping up in my feed! I’ve never been to Coachella, but I DO know it takes place in the desert so I thought these desert sunset gradient nails would be perfect to channel my inner festival goer (instead of what I’m actually spending today doing which is cleaning my bedroom & putting away way too much clothing while simultaneously trying to convince the baby to nap.)


For this design, I used:

  • Base Coat: Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat
  • Top Coat: Cutex Quick Dry Top Coat 
  • Color Club Almost Famous 
  • OPI Where Did Suzy’s Man-go?
  • Essie Play Date
  • Color Club Pucci-licious
  • Sally Hansen I ♥️ Nail Art pen in Black. 
  • Latex Free cosmetic sponge 
  • Born Pretty Store Liquid Latex Peel Off Tape

My bottle of top coat is reaching the bottom which lead to some weirdness & shrinking. Never the less, I really love the colour combination of this gradient with the desert landscape. I could totally see these fitting in at Coachella, or another similar music festival! 🌄 all I need is a flower crown & some cut off denim shorts & I’d fit right in! 

I think I’ve rediscovered my obsession with gradients, clean up be damned. (Thank goodness for Liquid latex.) & I think I’m slowly getting better at them! They make me happy. This colour combo worked out so well, I just can’t stop staring! Even my husband commented how wicked these were (& without asking even!)

What do you think of this design? Let me know in the comments below!

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Unicorn Inspired Gradient 🦄

So by now you’ve probably been introduced to the Unicorn Frappuccino that Starbucks released yesterday. I know it completely blew up my Instagram & Facebook feeds… everyone & their grandma was showing off the drink on social media. Personally I have no interest in trying it–not a fan of frapuccinos (too much sugar), I can’t have any dairy so no whip cream, & there isn’t even any coffee in it! But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to join in the unicorn fun, so I took inspiration from the colours of the drink to create a Unicorn inspired gradient! 

For this manicure, I used:

  • Base Coat: Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat 
  • Top Coat: Cutex Quick Dry Top Coat
  • Sally Hansen X-treme Wear Orchid Around
  • Sally Hansen X-treme Wear Royal Hue
  • China Glaze Fairy Dust
  • Latex Free cosmetic sponge (purchased at Dollarama)
  • Born Pretty Store Peel off Liquid Tape

It’s been so long–too long–since I played around with a gradient, so I’m a little rusty. But I’m pretty happy with how these turned out. The colours might not exactly match its inspiration, but I thought it was a good attempt. It would have been more fun if I had one of those cute unicorn stencils (I think they’re by Twinkled-T) to add a holo glitter unicorn on my ring finger, but with a little Fairy Dust added it still has that magical feel. 

Have you tried Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino yet? Does it taste as magical as it looks? Part of me wants to order one just to take a picture of it with my nails (because I’m silly like that) but that would be a serious waste of money that could be better spent (on coffee, for example). Oh well, when you can’t drink it, why not wear it in your nails!

What do you think of this gradient? Do you see the inspiration? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 🦄