How to Do Ombre Nails

Ombre hair has been on trend for years, but what about ombre nails? Just like the hair colouring technique, ombre nails create a colour gradient through a light shade at the nail base blends into a darker shade at the tips.

It’s a winner for gorgeous nails, but the technique can be a little bit tricky. Here’s our guide on how to do ombre nails.

Before you start

Choose your perfect ombre nails colour pairing

Choosing complementary colours is a must when it comes to creating a striking ombre look. Choose colours that blend well like nude shades and grey, pink and orange, or even French ombre nails, where white tips fade into a nude or pink base. Once you get more confident, try bolder colours like reds and blacks.

Think about your nail shape

When it comes to ombre nails, some colours look better on shorter nails while some shades suit longer nails. In general, lighter shades look amazing on long nails and darker shades are perfect for shorter nails.

Our two must-try methods for creating ombre nails

The sponge method

What you’ll need:

• A wedge-shaped makeup sponge
• Two nail polishes
• A base coat
• A shiny topcoat
• Nail polish remover
• Cotton bud

How to create ombre nails with a sponge

Apply your base coat and wait for it to dry. Then apply one thin coat of the lighter shade of nail polish.

Paint horizontal stripes of both of your nail polish colours onto the makeup sponge.

Tap the sponge on your nail. Move it up and down the nail to blur the join between the two colours. There should be no distinct lines-ombre nails need a seamless blend.

After you’ve done a few nails, you’ll need to apply more polish to the sponge.

Use a cotton bud and some nail polish remover to tidy up your ombre look and clean up any polish on your skin.

Finish your ombre nails off with a top coat for that extra bit of pretty.

The brushed blend method (with gel polish)

What you’ll need:

• Two gel polish colours
• A nail wipe (lint-free)
• A base coat
• A top coat
• Nail polish remover
• A cotton bud

How to create ombre nails with gel polish

Apply your base coat and cure it in your LED/UV lamp.

Take one of your gel colours and paint the left side of your nail, overlapping the centre.

Apply your other gel polish on the right side of the nail, then use the polish brush to blend the colours. Do this by moving the brush in downward strokes until the colours start to blend.

Wipe the brush on your nail wipe before putting it back into the bottle. You don’t want blue nail polish mixing with your favourite pink shade!

Use nail polish remover and a cotton bud to remove any gel polish that’s got onto your skin. Cure it as with the base coat.

Apply a second coat of both polishes and repeat the brush blending technique.  

Finish off with your top coat and give your nails and cuticles a few drops of cuticle oil for a nourishing treat.

And there you have it, two techniques to create gorgeous ombre nails that you’ll want to show off. We hope we’ve inspired you to get creative with your nails. For more tips and articles on all things nails, check out the rest of our blog.