Nail Art: FingerFood's Theme Buffet #22 - Under the Sea

Well, look at this! I'm actually posting again! Things have been crazy. I was a bridesmaid in a wedding last weekend, so was running around all week and didn't have time to do a manicure for the Theme Buffet -- and to think I missed my own theme! (You can see the manicure I did for the wedding on Instagram, though!)

This week, though, I managed to grab a few minutes to throw together this manicure. The theme this time was "Under the Sea," and I wasn't quite sure what I should do. See, I did an under-water manicure for my Monochrome manicure back in April, as well as a mermaid-themed manicure last month in May. Well, this is what I came up with..... somewhat simliar, but simple and easy to fit into a suddenly busy schedule




Yeah, when I put this together, I had hoped to do something a bit more elaborate... but just didn't have the time. I was thinking of doing some sort of layered jelly sandwich effect.... but didn't have the chance. As a result, what I have looks a lot like my previous ocean-inspired manicure.

I started off with Deborah Lippmann's Va Va Voom on my ring and thumb finger. I LOVE this nail polish.  It's a bit of a pain to apply, but it's just so pretty.  It makes the perfect sunlight-reflecting-on-water sort of effect with its holographic glitter suspended in a blue jelly base.  These fingers show three coats of it to get full coverage.

Next, I took Zoya Dream and dabbed a messy gradient onto the tips of my other nails, leaving my bare nail showing towards the cuticle line. I was going for the effect you get as water appears darker the deeper it gets, but it just wasn't quite coming across right.

On a whim, I took out China Glaze Isle See You Later and realized it would be perfect for a water-like look! See, this polish is such a difficult one to use simply because it's EXTREMELY translucent, even for a jelly polish. It DID, however, work perfect over this other gradient to give you the illusion of deepening tropical waters.

Three coats of Isle See you Later (yeah, that tells you how extremely sheer this polish is) layered over the darker blue gradient and I have myself a lovely tropical sea!

Polishes / Items used in this manicure were: 

• Blue holographic glitter (ring, thumb): Deborah Lippmann - Va Va Voom
• Blue gradient polish : Zoya - Dream
• Sheer blue jelly polish:  China Glaze - Isle See You Later

So, what do you think? Is it too simple?  I didn't put any sort of aquatic art on it, so I wonder if this actually comes across as an ocean. *shrugs* Oh well! It IS nice actually having a chance to do some nail art again!