Blonde Tortoise | Nail Art Tutorial
All it took was a global pandemic to get me focused on blogging, creating tutorials, and editing videos.
The important thing is, I finally got here.
It's still a learning curve, but it's starting to get a little easier. Just a little.
As an artist, I can be pretty hard on myself. Especially in the ultra-glossy, warm-filtered world of social media. For better or worse, that gloss is part of the game, and it's easy to get caught in the cogs of the machine.
While I definitely did not view months of mandatory unemployment during the COVID-19 shutdowns as an artistic retreat, it did give me the opportunity to explore my art in a way I hadn't had time to for a while. More importantly, it gave me permission to try new things, fail, and learn.
I've been trying to master the blonde tortoise shell technique for about a year.
Not a full year locked away in a tower like Howard Hughes.
More like here and there. On and off. For a solid year.
It took several attempts to get this combination just right.
Turns out the secret sauce was a swish of pale yellow at the base. It added just enough warmth to keep the design blended and nuanced.
It's also important to find the right sheer brown. I used Vetro No.19 #261 Jewel Umber, which became one of my go-to sheer brown shades. It has the perfect balance of warm and cool tones, giving it a chameleon quality that seems to work with everything.
Products Used
RiccaGel 186M
Vetro No.19 #261 Jewel Umber
Kokoist E-2 Maxi Black
Kokoist E-206S Black Martini
Presto Gel #3
Presto Non-Wipe Top Gel
Young Nails Master Gel Brush
Mana Nails x Nail Partner Liner Brush
PREGEL OB-5 Brush
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
Disclosure: This post was originally published before I became a Kokoist USA educator and affiliate partner. Affiliate links or discount codes may be included. For additional information, please visit my Disclosure Policy at rachelmessick.com/disclosure.
