Tutorial: Rainbow Sponge Manicure

♫ Infinite - Last Romeo

Rainbow hair, rainbow cake, rainbow clothes... everything's getting so colourful these days, so why not let your nails join the rainbow party too, right?


Today I'll be doing a tutorial on how to achieve this super cute rainbow manicure using the sponging method. You'll need to prepare several things before starting:



  • Base coat
  • White nail polish
  • 3-4 coloured nail polishes (colours are up to your preference)
  • Makeup sponge
  • Top coat
  • Nail polish remover and Q-tip 
The end result should look something like this. :)


Step 1: apply a layer of base coat to protect your nails from staining by the nail polish.
Step 2: Once the base coat dries, apply a layer (or two) of white nail polish. The white nail polish acts as a base for your rainbow colours, which makes the colours adhere and show up more vibrantly. Make sure your base colour is fully dry before going on to the next step.


Step 3: Pick your desired combination of nail polish colours, and apply them in strips on the makeup sponge. I chose the Color Club neon collection for a more vibrant look, and the makeup sponges were bought from Daiso. Alternatively, you can use pastel colours for a sweet, girly rainbow manicure.(✿◠‿◠)


Step 4: Gently dab the sponge onto your nail. You'll have to act fairly quickly after painting the strips of polish on the sponge before they start to dry up. (Check out the GIF below!)


Step 5: Once you're happy with how it looks, seal the design with a layer of top coat. This will help smoothen out the nail art and give it a glossy shine.


Step 6: Finally, remove any excess nail polish from your skin and cuticles using a Q-tip or small brush dipped in nail polish remover.


Repeat the steps for all nails (or maybe you can try it as an accent nail), and *poof!* rainbow manicure complete! (。✪‿✪。)ノ
Psst... You can also view/download the full pictorial from my Pinterest! :)

#AchievementUnlocked
I've been struggling with rainbow manicures and the sponging method for quite a while now, and although this isn't exactly up to the standard of what I've seen from other awesome nail bloggers and artists online, I'd say this is a good start. :)


That said, I'm pretty pleased with this particular manicure, and one benefit I did not foresee from using these scented Color Club polishes is that my nails smell sweet as candy now! (≧∇≦) I can't wait to try a pastel rainbow sponge manicure next time. :3

Rainbows are awesome.
Now, where's my unicorn? (¬‿¬)

If you love this manicure/tutorial, do head on over to my Facebook page for more nail art inspirations! ;)

11 comments

Christine said...

Nice attempt!

One way I found to achieve the seamless gradient is to dab the sponge gently across the nails several times to effectively blend the polish together. Do try it out and let me know if that helps. =)

LauraLeia said...

Christine: Thank you for the tip! :) Yes, I did dab it several times to make the gradient softer and to cover up any white spots, but I guess the polish started to dry up if I don't act quickly. I'm thinking maybe pastel colours will blend together better? :D Thanks for dropping by and commenting!

Unknown said...

Such an amazing manicure! Love it so much! <3

❤ ✿ MY BLOG ✿ ❤
Rinako

Phoebe Limanta said...

Very pretty! I've always been pretty terrible with my nails, it's hard enough for me to do my nails just one block colour, let along rainbow :P You did a great job though :)

Eat. Live. Love. Repeat.

Sakuranko said...

Oh very beautiful and very easy to make1
thank you for this cute tutorial!
xx

www.sakuranko.com

Anonymous said...

I had no idea the rainbow gradient mani was done this way! Thank you so much for doing this fantastic tutorial. It really opened up my eyes.
You've done a great job...even on the OTHER hand lol

Ahleessa said...

This is so gorgeous and fits you perfectly! :)

TheLovelyIfy said...

That pattern came out looking so sick I am in love! :D

thelovelyify.blogspot.com

Ainal said...

ehh comelnyaaaa
i have always wanted to try this! and you might wanna follow @melformakeup/@modnails on instagram for more nail tutorials! :)

Shiv B said...

Got to love ombre babe! Absolutely adored how you illustrated the tutorial, rainbows are definitely here to stay! <3

LauraLeia said...

Rinako: Thank you dear! :)

Phoebe: Thank you so much! I'm still learning, so it's all trial and error with all these. ^^

Sakuranko: Thank you, and you're welcome! :)

ShopGirl: Hahaha I usually always have something simple but in the same theme/colours as the left hand, but this time I managed both! Yay!

Ahleessa: Thank you! It makes me happy just looking at the bright colours, lol~

TheLovelylfy: Thank you! ^_^

Chqz: Haha thank you! Will definitely check them out. Already following a bunch of nail art instas and OMG they are all so talented T__T

Shivani: I am addicted to gradients now, and rainbows are just so cheerful so they are awesome. XD Thank you!