Absolutely not. Even though ombre nails started becoming trendy in 2018, it’s still going strong in 2021 as of the time writing this. Although the ombre effect has since then evolved quite a bit, mixing the use of more than two colors, neon designs, glitter, and even pigment. Some designs also ombre the colors vertically instead of horizontally(which was the original ombre design). I do believe ombre nails will still have a hand in the trend cookie jar for some years to come. Even the classic “Baby Boomer” design is still quite popular, as its elegant and soft design makes your nails look girly and classy.
As mentioned before ombre nails can be achieved on most nail systems. I will be covering how to create the perfect ombre on acrylic and gel nails.
How to do ombre nails with acrylic liquid
To create the perfect ombre design with acrylic, you will have to follow the right technique. Whether you use two, three or more colors the concept stays the same. You will have to work fast as acrylic air dries and if it dries before you blend the colors correctly it can be tricky to rectify.
One thing to remember is that you want the darker color to be underneath this will give the best-looking gradient.
- Place the darker color first using quite a wet bead. Remember to use a small amount of product as you still have to encapsulate the design. Working too thickly will leave you with a bulky looking nail.
- Fade the darker color back so that it starts to thin out and become translucent. You want a light color that will be able to cover the dark color.
- Place the lighter color back, away from the darker one. Fade it down into a darker color. Don’t fade it completely over the dark color as you still want to be able to see the dark at the tip of the nail.
- You have to focus on blending the lighter color in such a manner so that the faded part of the dark color is covered but you will still be able to see some of the dark color through the lighter one.
- Depending on how much of the darker color you want visible, you can play around with how far you blend the light color.
- Wait for the design to dry a bit and then encapsulate the parth where the two colors touch with clear acrylic. This is important as you want to protect the design underneath. If you file the nails without encapsulating them you’ll simply file off the gradient
Ombre nails can look good with a matte or glossy top coat. It will however pop a lot more with gloss. Just note that you will be able to spot imperfections and incorrect blending a lot easier with a glossy top cat than with matte.
How to do ombre nails with gel
You can achieve ombre nails with gel in two ways. You can either use the sponge or the brush method. I will tell you how to use both.
Gel ombre using a gradient brush
To create an ombre using a brush you will need a specific gradient brush to do the job. These types of brushes have hair at the bottom and a thin amount of longer hairs standing up. Using this will give you an easy beautiful ombre effect.
- To start you will need to place down the two (or more) colors you want to use. You have to apply the colors close together so be careful when using your gel polish brushes so that you don’t accidentally touch another color with one colors brush. Rather use a separate gel brush to get the colors as close together as possible.
- Now, you want to use your gradient brush to start mixing the colors together where they touch. Use a soft swiping motion to carefully blend the colors only where they touch. Do this until you can see a third color forming where the two colors mixed together.
Remember when using gel polish to work in thin layers, as working too thickly will cause the gel to not cure properly and you’ll have to redo everything. If the gel isn’t as opaque as you’d like after one layer, repeat this process until you’ve reached the desired opacity.
Gel ombre using a sponge
This method is completely different than using a gradient brush and many people prefer it.
- To create an ombre ths way you’ll first apply your lighter color and cure it.
- Then you will use an ombre sponge or even a regular makeup sponge to apply the darker color on top.
- Start by first applying the darker color with a brush at the tip of the nail, then use the sponge to gently blend the color backwards.
- Add color if you feel it is too light. When you are happy with the result cure it in a UV/LED lamp for 60 seconds.