31dc2012 - day 10

Day ten! We have made it through 1/3 of the challenge!

Today's theme is Gradient Nails. You all know I love me some gradients so of course I've been looking forward to this theme!
I decided that today was the day to finally recreate a manicure I have been wanting to do forever!
And it turned out even better than I could have hoped so I am totally stoked!

This is the gradient manicure of my dreams. Purple and teal.
I am drooling over my own photo. I could just end the post right here because I love it so much. Haha!
I'll try to keep going...

You may recognize this manicure from All Lacquered Up.
It's been over 2 years since she did the manicure and I'm pretty sure I've been wanting to do it ever since then.
But first I had to get my hands on the polishes... Which was no easy task.

Unfortunately this manicure is done with three polishes that are not easy to come by.

The base color is the CND Night Factory Duo, which I somehow found at a low-traffic beauty supply store last year. (CND - Urban Oasis & CND - Teal Sparkle.)
Let me just say again that these polishes have freakin' amazing formulas and I totally want more CND cremes if they are all as fantastic as Urban Oasis.

The polish you use for the gradient is Butter London - Stroppy, a very sheer purple jelly. I haven't swatched it on its own but you can see it in ALU's post.
This polish originally belonged to someone in the states, and then my friend Marilia in Brazil bought it, and then Marilia sold it to me. And now it is mine and it is never leaving!!!

It wouldn't be too hard to franken a sheer purple to create this look with, though. Just find a similar hue of purple (with shimmer, preferably) and dilute it with clear polish until you have a very sheer jelly.

I didn't even use a sponge for this gradient. I just built up layers of Stroppy, on top of one coat of each of the CND polishes. It blends so well and so easily, I was kinda shocked. And I just adore all the shimmer.

Why did it take me so long to do the manicure of my dreams?! I'll never know!
But I'm so happy I was able to pull it off. Loooooove.

Gah. I'll stop spamming you with pictures now.
What do you guys think? Did I do justice to this look? Is this a manicure of your dreams too?

Aaaaaand, here's the challenge photo prompt once again, just to see what you can look forward to in the remaining sections!