Inky Navy Diagonal Block nails

Round · Diagonal Block

Easy at home

Inky Navy and Powder Sky divided on the diagonal, which lengthens the nail more than a straight split does.

3 bottles: Inky Navy, Powder Sky and Midnight Navy. Inky Navy against Powder Sky 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.

Round nails are the setting: minimal length, a curve that matches the finger, and the least fragile free edge in the catalogue.

Make it yours

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

Bottles for this nail

Tap a bottle to open it on the shelf

What you need

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

How to paint Inky Navy Diagonal Block nails

  1. 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two coats of Inky Navy. A dark base shows every ridge, so the ridge-filling base coat matters more than usual here.
  2. 2 Tape corner to corner over cured Inky Navy, fill with Powder Sky, and lift the tape while it is still wet.
  3. 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.

Questions about Inky Navy Diagonal Block

  • Is Inky Navy Diagonal Block 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 Inky Navy Diagonal Block?

    3 bottles: Inky Navy (crème), Powder Sky (sheer) and Midnight Navy (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.

  • Does Inky Navy Diagonal Block work on short nails?

    Round is already the shortest shape here, so yes, this is one of the designs that works at almost any length.

  • How many coats does Inky Navy Diagonal Block need?

    More than you would expect. Powder Sky 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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