Hello everyone!

I just got back from a fabulous trip to Fort McMurray!  While I was there I had a ton of fun teaching a great group of ladies a few tricks about pigments, so I figured I would share some of what we talked about with all of you!

Now I know when we talk about pigments, some of you cringe and some will  jump for joy. From Chrome to Luminaura to Celestial, we all love that high shine and amazing effect, but sometimes it can be a pain to work with. The pigments in today’s blog post are not hard to use at all, and can be used in so many different ways. Some of them create some really cool effects when used in conjunction with your current coloured gels and others create really cool colours when mixed with gel.

Those of you who know me know that I like to use pigments quite a bit, and I figured out an easy way to use pigments to create that perfect fade every time.  These fades can be used to create many different looks, from a classic “Baby Boomer” to wherever your imagination takes you!

1. Cure your gel paint for about 20 seconds.  You want it mostly cured, but still have a little grab for your pigment.
2. Using a soft brush (I like the scruffy angle brush) gently pick up a small amount of pigment and apply where you would like your fade to start.  Gently tap and sweep to start the fade.
3. Using gentle pressure sweep the pigments to continue with the fade.  If needed you can add some pigments to the starting point to make it more opaque.
4. Continue sweeping pigments away from starting point to create the perfect fade.

Try Riptide over Cup o’ Joe or Water You Doing.  Burnish 24 Karat Gold over Cup o’ Joe or It’s Snow Big Deal. I love using the Sun/Moon/Stars Raw over colours and in top gels for fabulous effects.

Before we leave off, here are a few things to remember when using pigments:

1. Gel to pigment ratio should be 60% gel and 40% pigment
2. Mica (the floaty, flaky pretty stuff) is technically a rock, and is great for effects and to use in top gels (I would recommend the Glitzy Collection, Sun/Moon/Stars raw pigments, or Shift Collection above)
3. Pigments will stick to the tacky layer of most gels, and if the micron is small enough, they will also stick to partially cured gel paints and tack free top gel.  
4. Some gels have a thicker dispersion layer than others. The thicker layer works well for applying pigments to create solid coloured nails, but may give you some grief when trying to create a soft fade.
   

Have those clients that always wear a French, and you want to add some pizzazz?  Add some mica or ultra fine glitter to your favourite top gel to give them a little flash.  

Hopefully this article has sparked some inspiration to create with pigments! Pigments let you create new colours from scratch or add new life to existing colours you don’t reach for any more.  Be sure to share your creations on our Facebook page and on Instagram (#thepinkchairnailstudio) so we can check them out!

Talk to you soon!

Kellie, Hazel & Oscar