Ocean Ombre Tutorial

Hey guys, as promised I have some nail art to share with you today! Given the rubbish weather we've been having lately here in Auckland, I thought I'd lighten the mood with these ocean-inspired ombre nails as a little taste of summer! I bought these cute little seashell charms from bornprettystore and I reckon they are the perfect addition to this mani :) 

What I Used:

- OPI Nail Envy Base Coat
- OPI No Room For The Blues
- OPI Keeping Suzi At Bay 
- OPI Pirouette My Whistle
- Essie Blanc
- Seche Vite Top Coat
- 5mm Silver Shell Charms (available here)
- Makeup Sponge
- Dotting Tool
- Acetone and clean-up brush

1. Apply a base coat to protect your nails from stains and provide a smooth base for polish.

2. Apply two coats of a white polish as a base for your ombre to adhere to.

3. Once dry, apply two shades of blue to a makeup sponge side by side, and overlap them slightly to blend the colours. The painted strip on the sponge should be long enough to cover your entire nail.

4. Press the sponge flat onto your nail, with the darkest colour facing the tips and lightest at the cuticles, and gently roll it across your nail to get right to the edges. If the sponge starts to pull at the polish underneath, leave it to dry for a couple of minutes then reapply polish to the sponge and repeat (usually two or three layers gives you a nice opacity.)

5. Once you're satisfied with your gradient and allowed it to dry, apply a fine glitter polish over the top. This will help to blend the colours and provide a pretty shimmery finish.

6. Apply a blob of top coat roughly the size of your shell charm near the base of the nail, and using a dotting tool or toothpick dipped in a small amount of top coat to pick up your shell, gently press it into place.    

7. Finish with a thick layer of top coat to seal in the shell and protect your polish. Sponging can be messy, so be sure to clean up around your nails with a cottonbud or brush dipped in acetone/polish remover.

Ta da! A super simple but totally gorgeous mani to get you through those rainy days :) Please feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments below, or on my instagram page, and I'll see ya next time!

Lisa xx