When I saw the promo photos for American Apparel's new line of sheer nail polish (here, in case you've been living under a rock) I immediately knew two things. One: I had to have them all. Two: I needed to recreate the look.
It was supposed to be a gradient but it ended up looking more like tie-dye than anything else. I don't have a lot of experience doing gradients, and I think it shows.
Up close it kind of looks like a hot mess. I thought because of the sheerness I'd be able to layer very thin coats of alternating colors, but some were a lot more sheer than others, so it didn't blend very well and came out splotchy.
But I like it anyway. At a normal viewing distance the transitions look smoother and it doesn't look as messy. I'll probably try this again at some point using the sponge gradient method, which I'm sure would yield better results. I got compliments on these all day yesterday, regardless. Rainbow nails!
American Apparel Sheers: Summerland Beach, Manhattan Beach, Zuma Beach, Moonlight Beach, Redondo Beach, Pacific Beach. (Yeah, I have no idea which is which.) Available at American Apparel
You know what... I think I prefer this look to the 'perfect' gradient look. It's much more '2 liquids flowing into each other' and thats cool as sh*t!!
ReplyDeleteLove these nails ! The colour combinations are GENIUS !
ReplyDeleteThose marketing people at American Apparel sure knew what they were doing with those promo pics. That's the exact reason I bought all the colours too! I couldn't get a completely smooth gradient either, but I ended quite liking the "splotchy" look. It reminds me of watercolour.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? They've definitely got our number. Your version looks great!
DeleteIt looks cool splotchy, I like how it transitions into another color
ReplyDelete