Leadlighting with neon holo jellies

Last week I reviewed six awesome new neon holo jelly polishes by Beyond the Nail. Today I've got some nail art using a technique that is completely new to me, but I got to use all six polishes from the BTN collection - score! 'Leadlighting' is a relatively new nail art technique first popularized by Messy Mansion where you dab sheer jelly polishes over a white space with a stamped black pattern to fill in the pattern. Karen of @sharingvu on Instagram began using jelly polishes to fill in spaces she freehanded with Chinese calligraphy brushes (also known as 'sumi' brushes) and white/black acrylic paint over a black/white base. I was directly inspired by Karen's take on the leadlighting technique but put my own spin on it by painting a swirly and dotted pattern I have done elsewhere, and evidently, I'm not using just any sheer jelly polishes, I'm using NEON HOLO JELLIES!

 

VIDEO TUTORIAL AT THE END OF THE POST!

Work appropropriate mani Monday: Neutral-hued chevron scaled gradient

I'm on a scaled gradient kick right now (see this post for my first real dive into the concept and for 8 helpful tips to achieve the effect). Today's mani is a work appropriate version by using neutral-hued polishes, but with a little bit of holo action. If you've been following my blog then you already know that my definition of a 'work appropriate mani' is likely more adventurous or colourful than most others definitions. I don't know about you, but scaling my usual colourful and contrasted designs way down to blah just to suit the office hurts my soul. Instead I look for a compromise. Something that isn't crazy and in-your-face, but still has enough nail art and splash of colour (or holo or glitter!) in it to satisfy me and my nail art addiction.

 

VIDEO TUTORIAL AT THE END OF THE POST!

Neon pink and blue triple chevron scaled gradient

A couple of weeks ago I introduced a new take on the gradient with my alligator green single chevron scaled gradient post. Today I have the same 'scaled gradient' technique but with different nail vinyls and a different colour scheme. What else? A tutorial! Yay! My first ever video tutorial is below. Warning: Pic heavy post cause this mani is awesome.

 

VIDEO TUTORIAL AT THE END OF THE POST!

Greyscale chevron returning reciprocal gradient

You're probably seeing the title of this post and thinking um what are you trying to say, girl? You have inhaled too much nail polish. So yesterday I posted a grey to white twist on the traditional gradient mani. My (rather convoluted) explanation included how a 5-point gradient whose colour point on one end of the nail returns by the other end (this is different than a traditional gradient, where the mani has a different colour at each end of the gradient).  I explain how I did this to the best of my ability below!

UPDATE (June 12, 2014): Video tutorial below!