How to Do Rainbow Nails

Sit upright with your head directly above your finger nails for optimal accuracy.

Keeping your nails fresh and fashionable is challenging. Take a colorful cue from Fiona Hay, manicurist at Vogue Australia, who says, "Rainbow nails are a fun way to bring fashion to your fingers, experimenting with a different vibrant color on each nail." Whether it's your first time outside the neutral color palette or you love all things brightly colored, rainbow nails let you capture an entire color spectrum at your fingertips.

Things You'll Need

• Clear base coat
• Paper towels
• 6 bottles nail polish -- red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple
• 4 white bottle caps
• 4 clean nail polish brushes
• Cotton swabs
• Nail polish remover
• Clear top coat polish

Instructions

1. Paint each fingernail with one coat of clear base polish over a paper towel; the base coat bonds the colored polish to your fingernail. Let the base coat dry for 5 minutes.

2. Arrange your nail polish in order of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Set the four empty bottle caps to the side next to the four clean nail polish brushes to serve as tiny mixing dishes for the four transition shades of orange-yellow, yellow-green, green-blue, blue-purple. Creating transition shades stretches the rainbow so each fingernail is a different color.

3. Hold the orange nail brush 1 inch above the bottle cap. Let five drops of orange polish fall into the bottom of the cap. Hold the yellow polish brush 1 inch above the bottle cap and let five drops of yellow polish fall over the orange.

4. Mix the orange and yellow polishes inside the cap using a clean nail polish brush. Lay the brush over the cap immediately afterward to keep the colors and nail polish brushes together. Slide the cap of orange-yellow polish between the bottle of orange polish and the bottle of yellow polish.

5. Mix five drops of yellow polish with five drops of green polish inside a fresh cap. Stir the colors with a clean nail brush. Set the brush across the cap after mixing and place the cap of yellow-green polish between the bottles of green and yellow polish.

6. Mix five drops of green polish with five drops of blue polish inside a clean bottle cap. Stir the colors with a clean nail brush. Set the brush across the bottle cap after mixing and position the bottle cap of green-blue polish between the bottles of green and blue polish.

7. Combine five drops of blue polish with five drops of purple polish inside an unused bottle cap. Stir the colors with a clean nail brush. Set the brush across the top of the cap after mixing. Place the cap of blue-purple polish between the bottles of blue and purple polish.

8. Spread your hands flat on a fresh paper towel. Start at your left pinky by painting one coat of red polish on the nail. Paint one coat of the corresponding color on each subsequent fingernail to create a continuous rainbow that starts with your left pinky in red and ends with your right pinky in purple.

9. Remove any stray flecks of polish on your skin with a cotton swab soaked in nail polish remover. Let the polish dry for 5 minutes before applying a second coat.

10. Apply a second coat of polish to each fingernail. Let your nails dry for 5 minutes before applying the final top coat.

11. Apply a single coat of clear top coat on each nail to prevent the polish from chipping or flaking. Let your nails dry for 5 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Adjust the intensity of the rainbow based on your color preference. For example, use matted, pastel polish colors for a subtle rainbow or neon polish for a bold style.

References

• In Style U.K.: Helena Christensen Rocks Rainbow Nails
• Sydney Morning Herald: Finger Tips - The Perfect Home Manicure