Cobalt Diagonal French nails
Cobalt with the smile line tilted, so the Milky Cobalt sits deeper on one sidewall than the other.
3 bottles: Cobalt, Milky Cobalt and Deep Cobalt. Cobalt and Milky Cobalt sit a comfortable distance apart: the motif is clearly legible without shouting, which is the easiest range to freehand in. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
On a coffin shape there is more flat nail than almost anywhere else on the site, so a dense or textured finish has room to be seen.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Cobalt Diagonal French nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two coats of Cobalt. A dark base shows every ridge, so the ridge-filling base coat matters more than usual here.
- 2 Set the Milky Cobalt line at an angle across the tip and keep the same angle on every nail.
- 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.
Questions about Cobalt Diagonal French
Is Cobalt Diagonal French hard to do at home?
Yes, with a steady hand. The motif is freehand, so the first nail is usually the worst one. Budget around 45 minutes 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 Cobalt Diagonal French?
3 bottles: Cobalt (crème), Milky Cobalt (sheer) and Deep Cobalt (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Cobalt Diagonal French 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 Cobalt Diagonal French need?
More than you would expect. Milky Cobalt 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.