Striped Gradient Tutorial

Hey guys! Gosh, I didn't realise I hadn't posted anything in a while, so here's another tutorial at long last! This bright blue mani is a perfect mid-winter pick-me-up, and would look great in a number of colours - I'm thinking purple, green, grey; I don't really think you could go too wrong with this one. So without further ado, here's my tutorial :)

What I Used:

- OPI Ridge Filler Base Coat
- OPI Alpine Snow 
- OPI Incognito in Sausalito
- OPI Keeping Suzi at Bay
- OPI Can't Find My Czechbook
- Revlon Dreamer
- Glisten and Glow HK Girl Topcoat
- Striping tape from bornprettystore
- Nailart brushes from winstonia
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Nail polish remover and cleanup brush 

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

2. Paint your nails two coats of a white polish and allow to dry completely - a fast-drying top coat will help.

3. Cut up your striping tape into short strips, 3 for each nail. These should be just long enough to cover the width of your nail and a little bit extra so you can remove them easily.

4. Position your three strips horizontally on your nail, evenly spaced out so you're left with four rectangular segments. Smooth them down firmly so the polish won't seep underneath.

5. Starting with your lightest colour, fill in the space closest to the tip with polish using a small nail art brush. You can paint on top of the tape, but don't go over it into the next rectangle.

6. Do the same with the section below with a colour one shade darker than the first, then the next darkest, and the next darkest until all your sections are filled in.

7. Carefully remove the tape while the polish on top is still wet to reveal the crisp white lines between the sections. If some polish managed to seep under the tape, just gently go over the white line with a thin brush dipped in polish remover to tidy it up. Work one nail at a time so the polish doesn't dry too much before you can remove the tape.

8. Finish your design with a top coat for protection and shine, and don't forget to clean up around your cuticles with polish remover and a brush or cottonbud.

And that's that, super simple! Please ignore my sorry sight of a pinky nail, it had to be decapitated after a rip and looks very silly next to my other very long nails! Let me know what you think of this design in the comments below, and I'll see you next time!

Lisa xx