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Gray nail polish doesn’t have to be boring and drab. You can design a manicure that is fun and edgy by combining different shades, finishes, glitters, and nail art, or you can keep it really simple and pretty.
Keep it Simple
Minimalism is in. We don’t always need all the fancy nail art and designs for it to look super trendy and cute.
Choose a shade of gray that looks amazing with your skin tone.
· Fair skin tones look best in darker shades of gray and you will avoid looking washed out
· Medium skin tones look good in all shades of gray, but the lighter shades will particularly stand out
· Dark skin tones look beautiful with the palest shades of gray
Add a Little Blue and Bling to Your Gray
If you’re bored with just a plain old gray, go for one with blue undertones. It still gives a neutral appearance but with a calming and subtle hint of blue.
To get this look, use a pale blue-based, almost white gray on the ring and pinky fingers. Add a medium bluish gray to the rest of the nails and complete with a little bling by the cuticles on the ring and middle fingers.
You can use rhinestones for the cuticle area design or decorative metal pieces, or you can combine them for a simple but elegant look.
This design is versatile and can be worn for any occasion. It is beautiful enough to wear to a wedding but simple enough to wear with a t-shirt and jeans.
Add Glitter and Pearl to a Skittles Mani
If you’re more into maximalism, this is an easy look to achieve.
You will need:
· creme gray nail polish
· shimmery black nail polish
· pearly white nail polish
· fine silver glitter polish
· black or dark silver glitter polish
Steps:
1. Use base coat as always
2. Paint your pinky nail with 2 coats of the creme gray polish
3. Paint ring finger 2 coats of shimmery black
4. Paint the middle finger 1 coat of pearly white
5. Paint the pointer and thumb nails with 2 coats of pearly white
6. Add silver glitter to the ring finger
7. Add black glitter to the middle finger
8. Top coat
Of course, you can create a variation of this design by switching up the polish colors, the glitter, and the fingers you choose for each color.
Add some Holo to your Gray
Holo nail polish is all the rage right now with its beautiful linear rainbows and the way it reflects the sunlight.
You can find a sheer holographic top coat that you can wear over the gray for a silvery rainbow effect.
To make it even more fancy, use a makeup sponge to do a gray and neutral gradient. Then swipe the holographic top coat over the gray once and then again over the whole nail.
This is another versatile look that can be worn for both special occasions as well as everyday life.
Make it Chrome and Mix with Black
When you add different colors to a manicure it gives the look some complexity without having to do any nail art at all.
Especially when you add chrome into the mix. This usually works best with gel polish because there is a chrome powder that can be added on top of any polish to create the chrome effect, which creates an endless amount of looks.
You could pick any of your favorite gray and black shades and rub this powder into the top coat with an eyeshadow applicator.
If you don’t want to use gel polish, you can find regular nail polish that has a chrome finish, but the colors may be limited and it may not have as dramatic of a chrome effect as the chrome powder for gel does.
Matte it Out
Use a matte top coat over your gray nail polish combined with some of the ideas above for an extra sleek and trendy look.
Shimmer pearls and sparkly glitters contrast nicely next to matte colors because they are so different, which will give your manicure a very interesting look. You can even paint a matte top coat over those as well for the ultra-modern look.
Black, white, and gray always look great together, but don’t be afraid to add a little color pop to your looks if you want to. Gray is such a neutral color that it really looks nice with any other color. Have fun experimenting with what you love best.
Stamp It
This one is a design of my own that I stamped over one of the colors I made for my nail polish line called “Koala Bear” which you can find here.
Normally this would be a design done around Halloween time but I personally feel that it’s always the perfect time for Edgar Allan Poe.
I still had to use a matte top coat because the black stamping polish had a gloss to it.
Nail stamping allows you to really express your individuality because there are so many different themed stamping plates, and with gray you can combine it with any color since it’s so neutral.
This plate is from Maniology and I love it so much I became an ambassador for them. If you want to get stamping plates from them, you can save 10% when you use my code ZOETIC and create endless nail designs.
Put it All Together
Go crazy and have fun. Mix everything into a manicure that fits your personality and makes you happy.
This is another of my looks where I did a skittles gradient mani thrown in with some matte, some fine holo glitter, and some chunky random chrome glitter.
To get this look, find the shades of gray you like best with your skin tone from very light to very dark.
Paint them in order from dark to light or light to dark, whichever you choose. Then pick your desired nail polish toppers to add some flair to the look.
The fun thing about toppers is that you can literally change up any look. You can wear glitter toppers of all different sizes and levels of shine, and you can even wear iridescent sheer toppers to transform your colors completely.
This gives you the freedom to create the manicures from your wildest dreams.
Like I always say, nails are an amazing form of self-expression. Have fun creating!
