Cobalt Striped French nails
Cobalt with a Milky Cobalt tip ruled into stripes rather than filled solid.
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 stiletto the nail narrows the whole way, so the pattern reads as tapering with it, which is worth allowing for before the first stroke.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Cobalt Striped 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 Mark the smile line, then rule Milky Cobalt stripes inside it with a striping brush.
- 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.
Questions about Cobalt Striped French
Is Cobalt Striped French 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 Striped 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 Striped French work on short nails?
Stiletto needs length, because the point is most of the shape. On a short nail it files down to something closer to almond, and the design still reads, just less sharply.
How many coats does Cobalt Striped 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.