all of the parts behind the scenes, the nail art, the planning, the buying (and opening!), the photography, the writing, even the cuticle oiling (except filing my nails - that isn't my cup of tea, LOL)...I am not sure that I would still be at it today if it weren't for YOU! You don't have to visit every post, you don't even have to comment (although I get very excited when you do) - I just know that you're there and it makes it a connecting activity. So....
THANK YOU very much!!It is very exciting to be sharing my 100th published post on Kimett Kolor today!!
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| Pink Lemonade Smoosh (along with a lemon from the fridge) |
As a result of the recent blog poll, you all chose the smoosh technique from the choices presented. And, since I'm the one who chose the choices -- I fully stand behind your choice!! LOL
Smooshing is so much fun. Hopefully you share that opinion too. And, if you're looking for smoosh tips and close up photos - this post is for you!
This was the first time I smooshed three polishes from different color ranges together. It was a blast seeing the result. Each nail came out a little different. I love this type of abstract color magic!!
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| Thumb - "Up Close and Personail" |
I was thrilled with how the smoosh patterns came out on my thumb. The result was a swirling in the middle like a water marble or drag marble can produce. These colors are so lively together too!!
Design Details
In previous posts here, here, and here, I've only discussed the smoosh method briefly. So today, being a little more special, I decided to write out more detail. Maybe you're looking to try it out for the first time - or maybe you pick up a trick or two from reading about my preferred method - either way, bonus!Smooshing can be done without any specific nail art tools. While I used the method that involves a stamper for the smooshing, you can use any slippery surface. This technique is really the same as the saran wrap method (using cling wrap or any kind of kitchen plastic wrap or even a piece of an old page protector). One day a fellow nail artist who stamps came up with the idea to expand on the stamper tool's usefulness. Today with the prevalence of silicone mat surfaces, folks are getting really creative!
Regardless of what you use to smoosh the polishes, one way to start would be to apply the polish directly to your nail in large-ish drops/blobs randomly placed. Then you would press and smear the polish around the nail until it is covered with the pattern in a way you are satisfied.
After trying it that way, I found that I prefer to place the polish onto the stamper surface first. Then I use that to smoosh the colors onto the nail. The first, and subsequently only, time I made a smoosh I used a mat to smoosh the polish and then "stamped" that smoosh pattern onto my nail. It worked out OK, but I like to skip that step now.
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| Making a mess on purpose is so much fun!! |
Having said that...you may be wondering why there are smoosh patterns on my mat. That is because I find it best to test out the polishes to see if they produce the look you're after before applying them to your nail. Sometimes polishes don't play well with the others. For example, one polish could overpower another or the polishes go right past gentle blending and turn to mud.
While you're at it, another good thing to test is the order in which you apply the colors. I learned from a friend that typically the last color you apply to the stamper will be the most prominent in your smoosh. If you don't like what you see the first time, try varying the ratios of the colors (use some more than others) and switch up the order you drop onto the surface (nail, mat, or stamper).
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| I ultimately went with semi-sheer white and yellow shimmer polishes, matching them with an opaque pink creme'. |
It took a few tries until I had the combination I was looking for here. I was joining in on #smooshynailsunday on Instagram and the theme that week was Pink Lemonade. Specifically, the colors we were asked to use were white, rose pink, and neon yellow.
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| Loving this smoosh!! |
Here are a few more things I find work well for me with smooshes:
- I prefer to be heavy handed with the amount of polish I put onto the stamper. I find having a thicker coat allows me to smoosh with a smearing or swiping motion, rather than a pressing or dabbing application.
- Depending on the polishes, sometimes (as in this one) I like to tilt the stamper head with the wet beads of polish to start a little mixture of the colors. If you have enough polish on the stamper it will pool & mix with gravity as you angle the stamper a bit in one or two directions. This is done before applying to the nail.
- But - in both points above - be careful, don't over-do it! Most folks will tell you that there is a point at which over-working the smoosh doesn't give a favorable outcome. Most of the time, I only apply the smoosh once per nail. Occasionally if I find a spot left bare I will have to re-smoosh. But if I follow point #1 above, I tend to be successful covering the whole nail (except my giant thumb) with just one smooshing.
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| Bottle shown is White Linen |
Polish Palette (What I Used)
- White polish (for both base and in smoosh): Polish My Life ~ White Linen
- Rosy pink polish: Polish My Life ~ Watermelon Waves
- Neon yellow polish: Native War Paints ~ Fallout
- Latex skin barrier: Bliss Kiss ~ Simply Peel
- Clean-up brush: Fab Ur Nails ~ Angular Kolisky Clean Up Brush
- Silicone mat: Bundle Monster ~ Lotus Mat
- Stamper: Creative Shop Original Stamper (many stockists including What's Up Nails)
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| Bottle shown is Fallout |
Depending on my light source & angles, this smoosh had a lot of personality. The colors really gave different appearances -- I found I really liked each one! Really, really. (I'm a bit tired as I write this. Really.)
OK - since I've already admitted to being a tad silly, I'll bring this up: You can also look at a smoosh and try to find shapes, like in the clouds in the sky. Do you see anything in particular? I see a tulip, an iris, and a lily flower. Oh - and an alien. Wouldn't it have been perfect if I got a lemon shape?!
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| Bottle shown is Watermelon Waves |
So....I know I ask all the time...but, what's the verdict?? Did you enjoy this smoosh??
I did! So much so, I didn't want to take it off!! It is possible, that just maybe I did something else to it too. Stay tuned for the next post to find out. ;)
Here's one last picture - appropriate as many are going back to school now:
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| Neon yellow always means one thing to me - highlighters! |
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Till Next Time,
Kimett