Patchwork Colour Block Tutorial


A little while ago, Sally Hansen got in touch to see if I'd like to be a Nail Art Ambassador for their I ♥ Nail Art campaign. As you'll know if you've been reading for a while, my undying love for Sally Hansen is no big secret around here so of course I was more than happy to get involved!

Each month there's a new theme and you can submit your nail creations for the chance to win amazing prizes. I'll be bringing you two tutorials every month and for the month of April, the theme is Colour Blocking!

Before you start, make sure you have everything you need:
Three (or more!) colours. I'm using Back to the Fuschia (what an amazing name!), Lively Lilac and Mint Sprint.
A quick drying top coat. I've picked Dries Instantly for this one.
Some Scotch tape, or anything similar. I decided to invest in one of those nifty gadgets which slides over your knuckles and dispenses it in little strips. If you're cutting from the roll it's a good idea to snip off some little strips before getting stuck in to the painting.

Start by painting on your base colour, this is the colour that will show at the sides. At this point I apply a top coat to make it dry nice and quickly. 
Sticking scotch tape to wet nails is a big no no so wait until it's completely dry before moving on. I normally give it about 15-30 minutes just to be sure.

Apply one piece of scotch tape diagonally across your nail...


... and then another at a right angle to that piece. You want to be able to see an exposed patch in an off centre triangle shape at the bas of your nail.
Make sure your tape is pressed down firmly so that absolutely no polish seeps underneath. You can use a pair of tweezers to make things a bit easier.

Paint your second colour on to the exposed triangle and immediately peel off the tape... very slowly and carefully!

Once that patch is mostly dry, I apply another top coat to speed up the drying but still wait about 15-20 minutes before applying any more tape.

Apply the second batch of tape in the same way. First with a strip diagonally across your nail (this time you can use the patch that's already there as a guide), then another headed towards the tip of your nail.

Paint on colour number 3 and peel off the tape.

Finally, add one last top coat and use a small paintbrush dipped in acetone to clean up any mess around your cuticles!

You can enter your own colour blocking manis in to Sally Hansen's I ♥ Nail Art competition and check out the gallery for plenty more inspiration here.


Although I kept the base coat the same on every nail, I alternated the colours I used to paint on my patches. There are so many ways to make this mani your own. Your can mix up your base colours, try out some different patches and even experiment with the angles!


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Write by: Unknown - Friday, April 26, 2013

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