When I ventured back in to making videos recently, it seemed inevitable that I’d be making a gradient nail art video since my picture version was quite a success and many people have asked to see me do it in a video. This mani does take a while but most of that time is spent waiting for polish to dry. Once you get the hang of it, sponging on the gradient is easy!
While we’re here, I also thought it would be a great opportunity to answer some of the questions I get asked most frequently about this technique. Over time I’ve learnt a lot more about the process and how to overcome a few of the difficulties that you might come across on your first couple of tries.
What polishes work best for gradients?
You can’t go wrong with creme polishes that are quite runny. They don’t have to be very opaque either, streaky polishes often work best for gradients.
How do you avoid bits coming off the sponge and sticking to your nail?
I don’t think there’s any way to avoid this. If you see little flecks of sponge breaking off and sticking to your nail, just pick up a new sponge and continue where you left off.
You can use tweezers to pick these flecks out of your mani but if they’re only small, usually your top coat will hide them!
Should you wet the sponge first?
Personally I never use water but I know others that use a damp sponge with amazing results. Try both ways and see what works for you!
How do you clean the sponge after?
I don’t bother trying to clean the sponges. I just throw them away and use a fresh one the next time.
Any other tips?
It’s super important to wait for your polish to dry in between layers. If you try to sponge over wet polish, you’ll just start picking up the polish that’s already there and it’ll be a gloopy mess. Watch a movie while you’re doing it to avoid boredom!
If you try this mani yourself, don’t forget to use #looknailasaurus on Instagram so I can see your results!
