Tangerine over the whole nail in a flat crème — the simplest thing in the library and the least forgiving of bad prep.
3 bottles: Tangerine, Milky Ochre and Rust Ember. Tangerine and Milky Ochre 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 (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.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Tangerine Crème nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two thin coats of Tangerine, curing each one.
- 2 Two thin coats of Tangerine, curing each one; thin twice always beats thick once.
- 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.
Questions about Tangerine Crème
Is Tangerine Crème 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 Tangerine Crème?
3 bottles: Tangerine (crème), Milky Ochre (sheer) and Rust Ember (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Tangerine Crème 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 Tangerine Crème need?
More than you would expect. Milky Ochre 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.