The Digital Dozen does Gradient+ and 40 Great Nail Art Ideas: Pink & Lilac

Hey there!  Today I have a combination of three themes (yes, three) and two full manis (yes, two) that, to be honest, both kinda suck.  If you've been following along this week, you'll know that The Digit-al Dozen is doing Gradient+, ie. gradients with a bit extra.  This week 40 Great Nail Art Ideas has the color prompt of pink and lilac and I had the personal prompt of saran wrap and I thought it'd be easy to combine saran wrap and gradient nails.  I was wrong.  These two techniques don't mix particularly well or, at very least, I didn't manage to do anything I liked.  First I tried saran wrap over a centered gradient...didn't like it.  So then I tried gradient stamping over a saran wrap mani but my stamping colors are so faint that it's barely a gradient.  I refused to try for a third time so I'm stuck with these two looks.

My first mani started with a white base of Rica Whiteout that I did a middle gradient over with Picture Polish Fairy Floss and Wisteria.  I really liked it at this stage.  

Then I added the saran wrap portion with Whiteout and Essie No Place Like Chrome.  That's where it went downhill.  My saran wrap splotches are too big so it just looks messy and stark.  

After mulling it over and deciding I didn't like that mani enough to post it for my two favourite groups, I decided to do some gradient stamping over a saran wrap.  I started with a base of Misa Cosmetics Loveliest of Lilacs (after my violet debacle a couple weeks ago, I thought this has to be lilac-colored if it's in the name, right?) and saran wrapped with Cherry Blossom Awesome.  Then I did the gradient stamping with Mundo de Unas Pink and Lilac (again, fitting with the theme colors) and MoYou London Mother Nature -14.  

Unfortunately since Pink and Lilac are both SO pastel, you can barely see the gradient stamping.  At very least, it definitely isn't prominent.  

Thanks for sticking around and reading about my nail fails.  I can pretty much guarantee that all my friends in the Digit-al Dozen and Crumpet's Nail Tarts will have some lovely wins for you to drool over.  You can find them all in the links below. 

'Til next time...

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up