Smileys in Milky Cobalt over Cobalt, drawn small and slightly wonky.
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 almond, tapered at the sides and rounded at the tip, which narrows the nail and lengthens the finger, and stretches the motif slightly as it approaches the point.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Cobalt Smiley 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 Two Milky Cobalt dots and one curved stroke per face; do not tidy them up.
- 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.
Questions about Cobalt Smiley
Is Cobalt Smiley hard to do at home?
Yes. There is no freehand work that has to be accurate. Budget about 30 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 Smiley?
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 Smiley work on short nails?
Almond needs a little length to hold its taper. On a short nail the shape reads closer to round, and the design still works, it just stops elongating the finger.
How many coats does Cobalt Smiley 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.