Dreaming Nails

Cobalt Rainbow Arches nails

Oval · Rainbow Arches

Salon or steady hand

Nested rainbow arches in Milky Cobalt and Deep Cobalt stepped inward from the free edge over Cobalt.

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.

It sits on an oval, with walls that follow the finger and a tip rounded off, which flatters a short nail bed without needing much length and keeps the motif undistorted.

Make it yours

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

Bottles for this nail

Tap a bottle to open it on the shelf
Cobalt Base · Crème
Milky Cobalt Motif · Sheer
Deep Cobalt Accent · Crème

What you need

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

How to paint Cobalt Rainbow Arches nails

  1. 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. 2 Paint the outer Milky Cobalt arc following the free edge, then step inward with Deep Cobalt, curing between colours.
  3. 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.

Questions about Cobalt Rainbow Arches

  • Is Cobalt 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 Cobalt Rainbow Arches?

    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 Rainbow Arches work on short nails?

    Oval is one of the better shapes for a short nail: it lengthens the look of the bed without needing free edge to do it, so the design carries over unchanged.

  • How many coats does Cobalt Rainbow Arches 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.

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