Cut Out + Keep

How I Do Color Block Nails!

Do the color block rock!

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/how-i-do-colour-block-nails • Posted by Carissa R.

Hey guys! Here is a post on color blocking nails. I did an extra step to add nail tape. If you do not have that, that's fine, it is completely optional. I hope you will like this video. Thank you! (:

You will need

Project Budget
Cheap

Time

3 h 00

Difficulty

So-so
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Description

Hey guys! Here is a post on color blocking nails. I did an extra step to add nail tape. If you do not have that, that's fine, it is completely optional. I hope you will like this video. Thank you! (:

Instructions

  1. Hello guys! I have posted both a picture and a video tutorial. I hope you like this color blocking design! (:

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    The items I used are the base coat, pink and blue nail polish and the top coat. Optional items are I used are nail tape, normal scotch tape and a pair of scissors.

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    As always, apply a base coat to protect your natural nails.

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    Then, I apply the blue nail polish. Depending on the design you do, you can choose as many colors as you wish. For this design, I kept it simple, I just use 2 colors. I feel that when using 2 or more colors, it is better to see which shade is darker. Put the lighter color as a base color so it can be more obvious and be seen. If the dark color is applied first, that may camouflage the lighter color causing it not be seen as clearly. Of course, this depends on the colors you use. I tried overlapping both ways and it didn’t make a huge difference.

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    I cut the tape into smaller pieces. I also sticked it to my hand a few times to make the tape less sticky to prevent smudging or the nail polish from sticking to the tape when applied .

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    Using scotch tape, I cover the area where I want to keep the original base color. The more parts you cover, the more of your base color will be retained. The less you cover, you will have more of your second color. If you have a steady hand, you do not need to use tape. You can also use a striper to draw and paint it. To use a striper, outline the area and paint it inside. It might be a little tricky but practice makes perfect.

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    I decided to make the design different by changing the pattern. For example, some could be horizontal and others vertical against your nail. It is personal preferences and you can do which design you fancy.

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    After that, I paint over for the second color.

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    Once your nails are semi dry, remove the tape for your nails. You do not need it to be too dry or wet. This will help to get clean and sharp lines without smudging.

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    And finally, this is the color blocking design! If you wish to stop here, that's fine, this can be a design itself. For something extra, I added nail tape to the design. Another benefit this nail tape does is to help cover up any messy lines if it wasn't as straight.

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    I cut the nail tape into pieces and paste onto my nail against the line at the border. I feel that it is better to make the tape slightly longer than the size of your nail so you can cut it afterwards to fit the length. If it is too short, it cant be reversed unless you cut another piece of tape.

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    It is important to press the nail tape sticker so it will stick well.

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    If the tape is too long, you can cut it. Please be careful when doing so.

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    It is possible that the striping tape may peel off over time. This really depends on how you take care of it and what kind of work/chore you do. If you are doing tons of laundry/dishes or basically chores, the tape may drop off. To prevent this, put a top coat to seal in the design and give your nails a shine. This also helps to cover up blemishes and may prevent the nail tape from peeling off.

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    Take a cotton pad or a qtip to remove any excess mess.

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    And you get your end result! One thing I have to admit is I didn’t really appreciate the color block trend when it first came out. I thought it look different and funny when the colors clash together. Soon, I grew used to it and started to appreciate the trend more. It really depends on what colors you use whether the colors clash or are too bright and so on. For color blocking, I feel that there is no harm trying something new and going bold. It probably depends on your style or character for what colors you choose. But for color blocking, you can make the colors clash. If you want to stay on the safe side, just use the same color family. By that I mean, different shades of blue say a royal blue vs a light baby blue. Of course, not everyone can appreciate this trend but to make it more pleasant and try to find the best color combinations with colors you like. I also feel its not the best thing to try not to wear more than 4 colors if not it becomes too eye catching and it will difficult to focus on thing. This is just a nail design but it does add color to your hands. If you do want to play it down, add in neutral colors. That's it for this design, I hope you will like it. Again, if you are unsure of how to do this design or have any questions, feel free to ask! (: Thank you (: