WNAC2015 - Neon Tribal

Hello Ladies! Long time, no blog! The semester is finally winding down and I only have 1 more final to go. Now I'll have more time to post -- yay!

I'd originally had a different blog post prepared for today until I realized it was Friday and that it was the next installment of the WNAC (weekly nail art challenge) I've been participating in on Instagram during the month of May. I thought for sure I had written a post last week introducing it, but I guess I ran out of time or just plain forgot. This month's theme is neon and today's prompt is tribal. I woke up this morning and realized today was Friday and was scrambling to figure out what to do. I decided to scroll through my Instagram and recreate a mani I did 32 weeks (8 months) ago! Way back when I was fresh to the nail art community on Instagram.

This design is a neon ombre with a tribal print on top. I remember this was one of the first designs that I thought was really good. Looking at it now, I see there was much room for improvement and hopefully I accomplished that today! :) So without further ado, let's get into the tutorial.


Step 1:

Start with a white base. I just used 1 coat of Sinful Colors "Snow Me White" because it didn't need to be 100% opaque since it's just the base for our ombre.

Step 2:

I decided to apply a coat of fast-drying topcoat to help prevent lifting up any of the base while doing my sponge gradient.

Step 3:

Apply a latex barrier (or any like product) around the edges for easier clean-up. I'm using EllaGee "Lickety Split Latex Mani Mask" which is super affordable and effective!

Step 4:

Use a makeup sponge to create a pink-to-white gradient. I used China Glaze "Float On" and Sinful Colors "Snow Me White". I needed to sponge only twice to get the desired opacity, but it really depends on the opacity of the colors you use.

Step 5:

Peel off the latex barrier. In retrospect, I could have applied a wee bit more, but oh well.

Step 6:

Use a cleanup brush or q-tip dipped in acetone to clean up any remaining mess. Make sure to apply cuticle oil after this step because the acetone is very dehydrating.

Step 7:

Apply another coat of fast-drying topcoat to further blend the ombre and smooth out the surface for the next step.

Step 8:

Use black acrylic paint (or black polish) to paint a tribal print on top of the ombre. I started with the horizontal lines and then filled in the spaces with random designs. Just take it slow and stay concentrated! :)

Step 9:

After waiting for the design to dry, apply topcoat!

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And here's a little side-by-side of my improvement from 32 weeks ago! :)

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you try it out for yourself! If you do, use the hashtag #PolishAndBeyond on Instagram so I can see. :) I can't wait to get back into blogging more regularly for you all! Have a fabulous weekend. <3