Blue Essie Gradient Nails For WinkDay

Essie Blue Gradient Nails Natural Light with Private Weekend - Salt Water Happy - Pret a Surfer

Today is #WinkDay, an awareness day of the blues faced by many people battling cancer across the country.  Wink Day is a campaign by Beauty Gives Back, the charitable arm that combines the power of many of the beauty and cosmetic companies in Canada.  They run programs like Look Good Feel Better where they teach women how to apply makeup and take care of their skin during the changes their bodies face during cancer treatments.

Every time you buy makeup from a participating beauty company, you are helping.  But they also have events such as Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Galas where the proceeds directly benefit Look Good Feel Better and other campaigns.  Today, $5 is donated for every photo uploaded with #WinkDay tagged, or even retweets of Shoppers Drug Mart’s tweet – so a second of your time can make a difference.  So throw on some blue makeup and take a selfie of you winking to support women feeling the cancer blues!

Since blues do not really suit me for makeup, I am wearing a gradient of blue essie polishes today for #WinkDay instead.  Not sure why I love blue on my nails so much when it loos terrible on my eyes but anyway, on to my mani!

Essie Blues – Gradient Nails for #WinkDay

Essie Blue Gradient Nails Natural Light with Private Weekend - Salt Water Happy - Pret a Surfer

I used

  • Essie Private Weekend (white)
  • Essie Salt Water Happy (pale blue)
  • Essie Pret a Surfer (darker blue)
  • Pro-FX Sticky Base Coat
  • Pro-FX Supreme Gel top coat
  • Glisten & Glow Ctrl-Alt-Del latex barrier (because no one likes cleaning up gradient nails)
  • Latex free makeup sponge

Essie Blue Gradient Nails Natural Light with Private Weekend - Salt Water Happy - Pret a Surfer

Starting with a base of white which I allowed to dry then added Pro-FX top coat so that the colour did not lift when sponging on my gradient.  I sponged on a gradient of Private Weekend, Salt Water Happy and Pret a Surfer with two layers of each allowing some dry time between sponging.  Essie polishes are fairly thin and this collection although fairly opaque is no different so you do see some sponge marks in the polish.

Topped with another coat of Pro-FX gel top coat to seal the colour and help blend a little more.  Once dry, peel off the latex barrier and clean up around the cuticles, because gradient nails are messy.

You can join the #WinkDay twitter party at 1pm to learn more about the work they do, plus a chance to win a prize!

10 Replies to “Blue Essie Gradient Nails For WinkDay”

  1. I really need to look into a latex barrier. I started seeing them on polish tutorials and was in awe. Such a fab idea for a quick cleanup! I love a good gradient nail. I haven’t done it in ages, because I’ve been so lazy. 🙂

    1. I would do less of them if I didn’t have the easier clean up too. A bottle lasts for ages as well so well worth buying

  2. I love the look! Perfect 🙂

  3. Perfectly done gradient! Great color scheme, too!

  4. I have never heard of Wink Day. Your manicure is beautiful! A great way to raise awareness.

  5. Love my latex barrier stuff! Love your manicure

  6. This is a really lovely, delicate gradient. 🙂 Wonderful job.

  7. LOL! I love blue on my nails too, but it doesn’t go with my eyes either!
    Love this gradient a lot. Very very pretty!

  8. Soooooo pretty! Thanks for teaching me about wink day

Leave a Reply