Hi everyone. I’ve got some news today: I’m a challenge loser. I was supposed to join a Valentine’s Day Challenge, and I was all pumped and even completed 3 of my 5 manis this weekend…and then I ruined my SD card and lost them all. I am so sad about this and feel kind of defeated, but I hope that tomorrow I will have some time to recreate the manis I lost. Sadly I will be missing the first day but hope that I can get back on track because it’s only a 5 day challenge! Since I didn’t want to NOT post today, I decided to share with you a gradient I did. If you follow me on facebook, you may recall my posts (here and here) asking for advice on how to do a gradient because I’m such a gradient loser. A couple of weeks ago I was lamenting to a few friends how ugly my gradients are and how I always hope my gradients would turn out like Sarah’s from Chalkboard Nails. Sadly, they always end up looking like I did them with my toes. One of my friends told me to stop comparing my gradients to hers because she’s not human. lol Seriously, though–how amazing are her gradients? I was drooling over her black and white Leather Gradient and thought that maybe I would be able to do something similar. Let’s take a look at what I feel is my first semi-successful gradient:
I started off with 2 coats of OPI This Gown Needs A Crown. I love this polish!
I then used OPI 4 In The Morning which is a black satin polish from the Gwen Stefani collection to sponge on the gradient. I used a rough and porous latex sponge and applied the two polishes directly on it and sponged the polishes on twice to get them to blend well.
I think that you can see the gradient effect a lot more clearly in this picture. I’m kind of proud of myself right now because I have struggled with so many of these techniques forever so it feel like I just conquered my second Everest (water marbling being my first).
Is it pathetic to be all excited about a manicure? Hey, it’s the little things that make me happy, ok? So what do you think of my gradient? Win or fail? Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.
You nailed it! It looks fantastic to me.
Thank you so much!
Totally win!!! I love this gradient! I get super excited over my manicures as well
iriel recently posted..Austen-esque
Yaaaay!
I feel so accomplished. lol
That is a total win! I need to work on mine as they’ve been coming out crappy as of late. Shame about the sd card though, hopefully you can get caught up.
Ashlee(PaintedNubbs) recently posted..Valentine’s Nail Art #2
I hope that I’m not a one hit wonder. I’m going to have to try this again with regular creme polishes.
I think you did a great job with this. I had a hard time with gradients too. The line between the polishes always seemed too harsh. I finally figured them out around Christmas time and was way more excited than my kids thought I should be. =) Next thing you know you’ll master watermarbeling! Love the color combination by the way.
Lustrous Lacquer recently posted..What’s in a finish? – Holographic
Thank you so much. I do need more practice and I’m happy that I’m not the only one who gets crazy excited when I do a nice mani.
Beautiful job! I keep on seeing gorgeous ones and looking at mine and wincing, so you are an inspiration!
Awww! You’re so sweet. I’m proof that practice helps.
Epic win, that is one solid gradient!! The real question here is why doesn’t everyone get excited over great manicures? I saw the Cdn, Dufour-Lapointe, sisters who won gold and silver in moguls interviewed at Sochi and they were sporting some very cool mani’s!
LOL! I totally agree. We all need to rejoice awesome manis.
Looks awesome!! Good job!
Nicole recently posted..Stamping Saturday
Thanks, Nicole.
Looks like a perfect gradient to me!
Lisa N. recently posted..Orly Emberstone
Thank you, Lisa.
Yes, gradient success! Very nice!
Yay!
Gorgeous! i love textured gradients <3
Squeaky Q recently posted..Pastel Floral (inspired by MrCandiipants)
Thank you so much!
That’s gorgeous – I’ve never done a gradient with textured polishes before but it works so well! I’m definitely going to try it.
Rachel T recently posted..Nail-Art-A-Go-Go Challenge Day 7: Primary
I wouldn’t have thought of it either if I hadn’t seen Sarah do it.
I love this gradient, it’s flawless!
Thank you, Erin!
UM this is an absolutely flawless gradient!! I plan on doing a gradient look later this week and now I am self conscious that it will suck haha!
Bailey recently posted..New Beauty Products from LUSH
Awww–yours will be great…and thank you!
It looks great!
Love both of the polishes!
Thank you so much!
Love it! I have never heard of this, I wish I was so talented! I love your blog, you really show you are a normal person and not some mani snob lol
Awww…thank you, Kim. If I ever become a mani snob, you can all just shoot me.
This is the first textured mani that I have liked (and between us, I like yours better.) I have some issues with texture on my nails, it makes me cringe just thinking about it rubbing against material. I even have issues with glitters. So, kudos for not creeping me out too much!
LOL When textures first came out, all I could think of was the rough polish rubbing on flannel and that was enough to make me not wear them. I totally feel you. But thank you for the compliment!
This is gorgeous! I love silver and black together
thebubblybrunette recently posted..Candy Hearts
Thank you so much!
Holy crap dude, when I saw this on FB I thought you used textures. This is awesome, you are such an overachiever…I hate you. Pretty soon you will be achieving non human status as well
Frosso recently posted..China Glaze Tail Me Something
lol…I love how much we tell each other that we hate one another.
Definitely a win! It looks great
I think I may have to give gradients another try myself!
Rebecca recently posted..Bloglovin’
Thank you! Yes, try and try again. I had to try it so many times before I got anywhere near this. Let’s just hope it’s not a fluke.
Um, DEFINITELY a win! These two polishes look melded together…it’s fantastic.
Sorry about the SD card frustration and being a challenge loser. If it makes you feel any better, I am a challenge loser, too. I only had five weeks to commit to, and I failed on the fourth due to being sort of on work travel (although I intended to make it up and didn’t), and I hate my Valentine’s Day manicure, so I think I’m just going to cut my losses and give up rather than force a new one. Womp womp! I will just stare at this pretty gradient as consolation.
We are both major challenge losers. With all my health and meds drama, I just thought I would stop stressing over the challenge. I really wanted to do it, but look how worked up I am about all the other stuff…not the right time, I guess.
I have never thought your gradients are shit but this is the best one in terms of blending those colours. It is absolutely perfect