NAIL ART: Bi Pride 2021 Gradient Nails

by - June 28, 2021


I have to be honest, I've had did this mani over two weeks ago now, loading up and getting ready for this month's Allyship #CBBxManiMonday theme and since then everything has sort of changed. Between the discoveries at Canadian Residential Schools and the loss of my brother, this doesn't seem like enough... but honestly, my brain is in a place where I don't have the bandwidth to create a design with more weight. So... It feels sort of frivolous to me, but I still love this mani and I love what it represents and supports. When you search Pride Flags, there are so many beautiful and very specifically designed flags to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and all of the different subgroups that it encompasses and I actually did consider doing one flag per nail, but for this mani I decided to keep it simple and just focus on the Bi Pride flag - give a little bit of love specifically to the B, if you will. 

Keep reading for more!


I was very specific in choosing the shades for this mani because I really wanted to stay true to the tones in the official flag that I'm referencing for this mani. The pink I chose is a rich, bright pink with cool undertones and a slight berry lean. The blue is a really bold neon cobalt that is just... chef's kiss - I've had it in my collection for ages but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've used it. For the purple, I tried a couple of different shades - in the flag, the purple is more muted than the pink and the blue - so I went with this sort of heather shade that I think really worked well as both a transition and a reference to the original flag.

To do the gradient, I started with one coat of a pastel purple shade on all of my nails as a base and let that dry completely. On the flat of a makeup sponge, I then applied my gradient polishes. For this one, since the purple strip in the flag is so much thinner than the pink and blue, I applied a thin line of the purple through the middle of the sponge and then filled in to the edges with the pink and blue. To get this opacity and blend, I did four passes of my sponging and then cleaned up with a clean up brush dipped in acetone.


Once I was finished my gradient, I decided I needed a little bit of sparkle before stamping, so I added a topper shimmery flakie topper to all of my nails as well for a little extra oomph. For the stamping, I wanted to use this sort of graffiti-esque heart image and I really wanted it to pop on the nails so I went with a white stamping polish and applied the image to all of my nails - easy peasy!

Once I was happy with my stamping, I sealed it in with a layer of water based top coat and then followed with a quick dry glossy top coat for some volume and shine. And voila!


All Products Used
Color Club - Diggin' The Dancing Queen
Color Club - Peace Out Purple 
Color Club - Bright Night
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - R.I.Purple
Glam Polish - Anuenue
Clear Jelly Stamper - 002 Jenny's Gonna Love This
Piggy Paint Shine Top Coat
Glisten & Glow Top Coat
Whats Up Nails B024 Love Is Everywhere Stamping Plate
Whats Up Nails Magnified Clear Stamper


I have to be honest, friends, I don't really know how to end this. I think that this month's Allyship theme for June's #CBBxManiMondays in support and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ and Canadian Indigenous communities has been really important and if you're looking for resources for support, information and the opportunity to donate to organizations that work with those communities I would encourage you to look back through my other Mani Monday posts from this month.

It strikes me as I sit here writing this, still pretty firmly in my own mourning this month, that too many people from these communities have been needlessly and traumatizingly lost. They aren't the same, but I think we can draw some pretty sharp parallels in the way that members of both of these communities have been marginalized and discriminated against and shamed and profoundly harmed for just being who they are. Allyship is important. Recognizing our own privilege is important. And mourning those losses, truly letting yourself feel the weight of them is important. I don't know where I was going with this. Be kind and let's all work towards a world that's better and safer and kinder to everyone. 

Thank you for reading. 

Be sure to check out Cosmetic Proof and See The World In PINK for more Allyship themed nails for this week's #CBBxManiMonday!

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