Inky Navy Diagonal French nails

Round · Diagonal French

Doable at home

A diagonal french: the Powder Sky tip set at an angle across Inky Navy rather than square to it.

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.

On a round shape the pattern has a shallow, even canvas and nothing to snag, which is why the small repeating motifs tend to end up here.

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

Sheer base milky wash
Tip colour liner brush
Gloss top seal the smile

How to paint Inky Navy Diagonal French 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 Set the Powder Sky line at an angle across the tip and keep the same angle on every nail.
  3. 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.

Questions about Inky Navy Diagonal French

  • Is Inky Navy Diagonal French hard to do at home?

    Yes, with a steady hand. The motif is freehand, so the first nail is usually the worst one. Budget around 45 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 French?

    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 French 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 French 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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