Today, I actually self-inspired (ugh, aren’t writers the worst?) after working on a piece for ATC. It’s about spring nail trends and should be up in a few days. In any case, I was feeling out the whole ombre concept and I came across some really cool images around the Web. I’ve long adored the individual ombre in which each nail fades from dark to light within one color spectrum, but I had yet to experience the nail-to-nail ombre in which each nail is different color but from afar they appear to fade from one end of the hand to the other.

This was my inspiration, but I didn't quite have my color act together.

I tried the look with a variety of shelved iridescent pinks from Chanel, Dior, and Essie that have accumulated over the past several beauty seasons. But I just didn’t have the perfect five to create the effect I wanted, so I ended up doing a less-than-perfect, still quite pretty fade that goes from deep purplish rose to creamy pearlescent citrus. As pretty as the nail colors looked together, something was missing and they seemed sort of disjointed. Another problem? My top coat was nowhere to be found. Solution?

I applied Essie’s “Petal Pink,” a very sheer light pink polish in lieu of top coat. When added on top of the nails, it served as a great unifier that sort of brought everything into the same palette while toning down the excess iridescence in some colors and warming up the flatness of others. I think I might be onto something here. The next time you paint your nails, why not warm them up or cool them off with the addition of a great tinted sheer instead of your standard top coat? You might just find this creative color mixing to be your best new plan!

What do you think?
(And, yes, that is the second Starbys of the day in the background!)