Island Girl

Here are swatches of the two Island Girl polishes I used for my gradient manicure.

Aloha Luau
Beautiful purple creme with hidden shimmers. Application was a bit weird. You can't really do thin coats with this polish, it applies better using a thicker coat. It dries matte and once you put a top coat on it, all the hidden shimmers come out. Gorgeous. I really love it!

Big Island Volcano

My camera had a hard time capturing this one. It looks more green in real life. A very bright aqua creme with shimmers in it. As with Aloha Luau, this polish applies better with a slightly thicker coat. 

For Reference:

Aloha Luau

1 coat Nail Magic

2 coats Aloha Luau

1 coat NYC Grand Central Station

Big Island Volcano

1 coat Nail Magic

2 coats Big Island Volcano

1 coat NYC Grand Central Station

Gradient Nails + Tutorial

Here's my take on a gradient mani:

I used two Island Girl polishes for my gradient, Aloha Luau and Big Island Volcano. 

Here is a quick tutorial showing how I achieved these results!

1. Apply your favorite base coat and then 2 coats of your base color.

2. Pick out a second color that you will use for your gradient.

3. Using a sponge, apply both colors to the sponge and lightly overlap the two colors. 

4. Sponge the colors onto your nails until you're happy with the results. You may have to do this step twice.

5. Clean up with acetone and a small brush (or q-tips). 

6. Apply a quick dry top coat and you're done!

For Reference:

1 coat Nail Magic

2 coats Island Girl Big Island Volcano

Sponged on Island Girl Aloha Luau

2 coats NYC Grand Central Station