Dreaming Nails

Bubblegum Rainbow Arches nails

Coffin · Rainbow Arches

Salon or steady hand

Nested rainbow arches in Milk Bath and Deep Fuchsia stepped inward from the free edge over Bubblegum.

3 bottles: Bubblegum, Milk Bath and Deep Fuchsia. Bubblegum and Milk Bath are close in tone, so the design is tonal rather than graphic. It shows up in daylight and softens indoors. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.

It sits on a coffin, sometimes called ballerina, tapered at the sides and cut off square at the tip. It needs real length and repays it with the largest flat area of any shape.

Make it yours

Pick a part of the nail, then a shade
Base: Bubblegum · Crème Open the bottle

Bottles for this nail

Tap a bottle to open it on the shelf
Bubblegum Base · Crème
Milk Bath Motif · Sheer
Deep Fuchsia Accent · Crème

What you need

Base colour one coat
Two gel paints contrast pair
Liner + dotting tool shapes and curves

How to paint Bubblegum Rainbow Arches nails

  1. 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two thin coats of Bubblegum, curing each one.
  2. 2 Paint the outer Milk Bath arc following the free edge, then step inward with Deep Fuchsia, curing between colours.
  3. 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.

Questions about Bubblegum Rainbow Arches

  • Is Bubblegum Rainbow Arches hard to do at home?

    It is the hardest tier on the site. It is doable at home, but the technique is the point rather than the colour. Budget an hour or more for a full set, and three colours means three chances for something to bleed, so cure between each one rather than working wet on wet.

  • What polish do I need for Bubblegum Rainbow Arches?

    3 bottles: Bubblegum (crème), Milk Bath (sheer) and Deep Fuchsia (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.

  • Does Bubblegum Rainbow Arches work on short nails?

    Coffin is the one shape here that genuinely needs length. On a short nail there is not enough free edge to cut square, and it will read as a squoval instead.

  • How many coats does Bubblegum Rainbow Arches need?

    More than you would expect. Milk Bath is translucent, so the colour builds over three thin coats rather than covering in two. Stop wherever you like the depth — that is the point of a sheer.

You might also like

Try it on a hand Try it in your hand