31 Day Challenge - gradient stamped with MoYou Illusion

I made a gradient using Ulta3's fairy floss, OPI's Houston We Have A Purple and Ulta3's mulberry. At first I tried to do a scaled gradient buuut it really didn't work. So I did a straight-up gradient and then stamped over it with MoYou's Illusion 01. I'm a big fan of illusion stamping over gradients.

I used a different pattern on my right hand.

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Gradient stars

I really wanted to try my hand (so to speak) at another gradient - really pleased with how it turned out! I did multiple coats of the gradient, sponging it three times, and got a much better result.

For this look, I made a gradient using OPI's I Just Can't Copa-cobana, Face of Australia's Some Like It Hot, and Butter London's Pillar Box Red.

I then did some stamping using Lily Allen plate 07, which I'd used in the 31 Day Challenge and loved.

Here's a shot of the gradient - a bit rough without any topcoat:


 And finally, a bonus shot of where I went on holiday this weekend! :) Such lovely weather.

31 Day Challenge - Day 10, Gradient nails

I set forth on today's challenge full of optimism, but in the end I made the subtlest gradient imaginable. Bah! Still, it's a nice subtle look. I used a foundation make-up sponge to make the gradient and it soaked up the polish like crazy, so perhaps a different sponge would work better. A little post-manicure googling suggests that wetting your sponge first can help as well, so I'll have to try that next time.

To do this, I first painted my nails with Essie's Bikini So Teeny, then made a subtle gradient with Bikini So Teeny, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri's Brisk Blue, and Essie's Butler Please. It looked a little rough so I stamped over it with Bundle Monster plate BM-305 with konad silver stamping polish.

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