Dreaming Nails

Powder Blue Rainbow Arches nails

Stiletto · Rainbow Arches

Salon or steady hand

Powder Sky with concentric arcs in Milky Cobalt and Denim, each following the curve of the tip.

3 bottles: Powder Sky, Milky Cobalt and Denim. Powder Sky and Milky Cobalt are close in tone, so the design is tonal rather than graphic. It shows up in daylight and softens indoors. The bottles are not all the same finish (sheer and crème), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.

The stiletto taper means the design has width at the cuticle and almost none at the point, so anything spaced evenly needs to be spaced by eye instead.

Make it yours

Pick a part of the nail, then a shade
Base: Powder Sky · Sheer Open the bottle

Bottles for this nail

Tap a bottle to open it on the shelf
Powder Sky Base · Sheer
Milky Cobalt Motif · Sheer
Denim Accent · Crème

What you need

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

How to paint Powder Blue Rainbow Arches nails

  1. 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Three sheer coats of Powder Sky — it is translucent, so it builds rather than covers.
  2. 2 Paint the outer Milky Cobalt arc following the free edge, then step inward with Denim, curing between colours.
  3. 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.

Questions about Powder Blue Rainbow Arches

  • Is Powder Blue Rainbow Arches 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 Powder Blue Rainbow Arches?

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

  • Does Powder Blue Rainbow Arches 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 Powder Blue Rainbow Arches need?

    More than you would expect. Powder Sky and Milky Cobalt are 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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