Hi Goddesses
Finally, a tutorial !! I promise you that they will be a regular feature on The Crumpet in 2013, but it may take me a little while to find the perfect format / structure, so if you've got any feedback on what you've seen today, please let me know in the comments.
Firstly - do you prefer them to be called tutorials, or do we go with Baby Steps ? We'll be taking the steps together, and here is the first rule of doing this together -
Yes, I'll show you what to do and in what order, but I'm not perfect! Some styles / manis will take you longer to perfect than others - and each of us will have that one thing we cannot master lol. We're starting with what I call the Splodgerama - seriously, there is no going wrong with this one, and that's why I like it :)
What is a Splodgerama ?
A splodgerama is various polishes sponged on to the nail in a totally random fashion. It's easier to master than a gradient, and also starts to give you the skills you need for a gradient.
Step 1 - choose your colours
There are no rules here, as long as the colours are going to match. You can do varying shades of the same colour, or you can do different colours. My advice though is to not try and do too much. For example, using 1 holo or 1 glitter polish is ok, using a holo, a shimmer, a glitter and another glitter - nah, you're just going to lose the overall effect. Here's examples of 2 other splodgeramas -
Step 2 - apply your base colour
You have 3 options here. A base colour grounds the polish - as we're sponging, a base is essential. I either use white, or a neutral, or the palest colour I'm going to use.
For the fruit salad, the base was actually orange, as I wanted that to be the dominant colour, and for the flowers, the base was white. For this one, the base was OPI Don't Pretzel My Buttons, which is almost mannequin coloured on me.
(PS - the light in the nail room has a nasty pink tinge, so apologies in advance!)
Step 3 - grab your sponge!
Mostly, I use a make-up sponge. You can buy loads of them in a bag quite cheaply - they tend to be wedge shaped. For a splodgerama, I will cut a bit off the sponge, because unlike a gradient, we don't want to apply a lot of colour. It's easier to dab 3 times with a small piece than dab once with a big piece and then go "oh crap." The piece I used is probably an inch long and then quite tiny at the ends - maybe a half of a little finger nail ?
Step 4 - apply your first colour
I always apply the darkest colour first, for several reasons. If you apply it last, you're probably going to obliterate some really nice sponging in the lighter colours. Also, sponging OVER the darker colour can provide further variations. You want your darkest polish to provide depth rather than be the star of the show.
The first polish here was CG Glittering Garland. As you can see, I applied it quite randomly, and tried to do it in a different "zone" on each nail.
Step 5 - apply your other colours
I don't have a particular order that I apply them in, other than that I apply the colours I'm least interested in, first! The colours that I want to stand out, I tend to apply towards the end. Ditto for texture - so I'll usually apply the glitter or the holo towards the end.
Also, just because you've picked out 6 colours to use, don't feel you have to use all 6. You might find using 4 looks awesome, and to use all 6 would just ruin things.
This is how the splodgerama built up through Bettina Green, Revlon Toad and then CG Mommy Kissing Santa and Ruby Pumps.
Step 6 - review and retouch
Just because you've used all your colours doesn't mean you've finished. Does it look how you wanted it to look? Does it need more of 1 colour and less of another ? Use your sponge to add more polish or cover areas that are too dominant.
Step 7 - apply top coat
I used normal Poshe, but you can also add other top coats, especially the Out The Door ones which contain little ounces of fairy dust.
Step 8 - clean up !
Sponging is MESSY! Clean up will take you a little while. I always start with a cotton bud to wipe away the biggest mess, and THEN go to my brush for finer clean up.
Step 9 - optional - stamp on it!
If you want to, you can stamp on it. Beautiful though it is on its own, I think the Splodgerama makes an awesome base for a stamping mani, which is why I use it quite often. For this particular splodgerama, it became my abstract Christmas wreath.
Step 10 - sit back, relax and go "oooooh"
Lol - sorry, I thought there would be 10 perfect steps, but there aren't. Oooh oooh you could top coat again ?
So there you have it - now it's over to you! If you give this a try, I would love you to post it on my Facebook page.
Just as importantly, I need your feedback! You asked for tutorials - did you like the format ? Was it easy to follow ? What do you want to do next ?
Happy New Year's Eve xxx