How to paint purple ombré nails

Purple has long been recognized as the color worn by royalty. Today, shades of lavender and violet and everything in between are thought to be "inventive and imaginative," according to Pantone, the company responsible for designating yearly colors that show up in clothing, home furnishings and accessories and, of course, nail patterns.

Trying out the purple nail look doesn't mean sticking to a single shade, though. Ombré nails gradually deepen in color, so part of the nail is lavender, and the hue gets incrementally darker from one side to the other. The end result is a gradient wash of color with dimension and flair.

This design looks like three different shades of purple, but two colors are all it really takes. Watch the following tutorial to learn how to blend the two shades to create a unique gradient look.

Materials
- Lavender gel paint
- Flat nail brush
- UV or LED lamp (not shown)
- Violet gel paint
- Clear gel top coat

Instructions
1. Apply two coats of lavender gel paint with a flat nail brush and cure with a UV or LED lamp.

2. Paint a wide vertical stripe with violet gel paint along one side of the nail.

3. Apply a small amount of lavender gel paint along the inner edge of the violet to soften the color and cure once more. (The darker color should still show through, so be careful not to apply too much lavender.)

4. Protect the color by applying a thin layer of clear gel top coat and cure one more time.