Espresso Hot Rod Flames nails

Almond · Hot Rod Flames

Salon or steady hand

Hot-rod flames in Bare Rosé and Bitter Chocolate licking up from the cuticle over Espresso.

3 bottles: Espresso, Bare Rosé and Bitter Chocolate. Espresso against Bare Rosé is a hard contrast, so the motif reads from across a room, and any wobble in the line reads with it. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.

The almond taper pulls anything vertical along with it, so swirls and sprigs suit it and evenly spaced dots need allowing for.

Make it yours

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

Bottles for this nail

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What you need

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

How to paint Espresso Hot Rod Flames nails

  1. 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two coats of Espresso. A dark base shows every ridge, so the ridge-filling base coat matters more than usual here.
  2. 2 Draw the Bare Rosé flame tongues first with a liner, then layer Bitter Chocolate behind them for depth.
  3. 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.

Questions about Espresso Hot Rod Flames

  • Is Espresso Hot Rod Flames 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 Espresso Hot Rod Flames?

    3 bottles: Espresso (crème), Bare Rosé (sheer) and Bitter Chocolate (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.

  • Does Espresso Hot Rod Flames 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 Espresso Hot Rod Flames need?

    More than you would expect. Bare Rosé 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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