Gradient Success?

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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:

Gradient OPI This Gown Needs A CrownI started off with 2 coats of OPI This Gown Needs A Crown. I love this polish!

Gradient OPI This Gown Needs A Crown & OPI 4 In The Morning 1Gradient OPI This Gown Needs A Crown & OPI 4 In The Morning 2I 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.

Gradient OPI This Gown Needs A Crown & OPI 4 In The Morning 3I 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.

 

41 thoughts on “Gradient Success?

  1. 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? – HolographicMy Profile

  2. 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!

  3. 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

  4. 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! 😉

    1. 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! 🙂

  5. 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.

    1. 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.

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