My sponging technique is pretty standard.
Basic Tutorial:
1) First I paint two coats of my base colour (or one if it goes on opaque enough) and let it dry to the touch.
2) Then I paint my sponge with a line of each of the colours I’m using.
3) Then I gently tap the coloured part of the sponge on my nail moving a little up and down as I go.
4) Let it dry to the touch and repeat a second layer of sponging to solidify the look.
5) Cover with a topcoat to smooth the gradient out a bit more. And that’s it! 🙂
SPONGING TIPS:
– It’s important to let your base colour dry to the touch (at the minimum) so the sponging goes on clearly rather than
just mushing in with the base coat. I didn’t let my index finger dry
enough between sponging coats, so you can see the difference there
versus the smooth gradient on my ring finger. Unless of course you like the less smooth look.
– I usually use a standard kitchen sponge, I buy them at the dollar store in a 5 pack and cut a small square off whenever I need it. You can use the same cut multiple times, just use different sides/areas. I wouldn’t recommend using makeup sponges.
– I only used one thin line of each colour because I just wanted the tip sponged, but if you want the gradient even across your full nail use thicker lines so your gradient mixes in the centre of your nail. If you want to use more than two colours you can make your lines as thin or thick as you want, just make sure your block of colour isn’t taller than your nail.
Tools:
