Choosing and using color bases with examples

Selecting an appropriate color base is crucial to attaining an impeccable manicure. The color base influences not only the overall look and duration of your manicure, but also the final look’s vibrancy. It also sets the tone for your design.

There are several color bases available, and each has special finishes and advantages. The way your manicure turns out can greatly depend on your ability to choose and apply the correct base, whether you like a sheer, natural look or a bold, vibrant finish.

This post will discuss various color bases, offer advice on how to use them properly, and provide examples to help you get the look you want. If you have the correct information, you can improve your nail art and make sure your manicure looks great for longer.

Color Base	Usage Example
Clear Base	Great for natural looks or as a base for nail art designs.
Pink Base	Ideal for French manicures or a soft, feminine touch.
Nude Base	Perfect for a subtle, everyday look that matches any outfit.
White Base	Best used for bright and vibrant colors or bold nail designs.
Beige Base	Provides a neutral foundation for any nail polish color.

It’s crucial to comprehend how various shades can improve or change the overall appearance of your nails when selecting and applying color bases for manicures. This post will walk you through the process of choosing the best base for the result you want, complete with real-world examples to ensure that every finish is perfect.

What is a color base

Let’s start with some terminology.

The first layer of a gel nail coating system serves as a base for gel polish. The layer serves to guarantee that all other materials adhere to the nail so that it can be worn for an extended period of time.

At first, gel polish bases were only transparent and came in four different hardness categories: hard, elastic, medium, and soft. Then came the appearance of camouflage bases.

In contrast to regular ones, camouflage ones were lighter in color and let you paint your nails a natural shade, such as milky, peach, or pink. For people who follow the office dress code, camouflage was utilized to create a calm coating or a French manicure.

2020 marked a revolution in camouflage, as colored bases started to appear alongside shades of pink, milky, and nude. The TopShopNails brand was the first to notice the unusual coatings. Other manufacturers eventually caught up, and today there are over a dozen companies that produce colored bases ranging from translucent to dense neon.

Similar to transparent bases or standard camouflage, colored ones can be:

• Hard or hard;
• Medium hardness;
• Soft or brittle;
• Elastic.

The nail plate’s properties should be taken into consideration when choosing the appropriate hardness:

• For soft, flexible nail plates, a rubber base is suitable. Due to its density, it will help to fix the nail, and the flexible formula will not allow the coating to crack;
• For short, dense nails, use a medium-hard colored base;
• If the natural nail plate is long, an elastic base will not work – it can sag in the stress zone precisely because of its plasticity. If the free edge is long, choose a medium-hard colored base.

The consistency of colored base coats varies as well, being thick, medium, or liquid. Two coating stages—base and color—can be replaced simultaneously with a colored base for nails. Ordinary camouflage was used to achieve the same results, but colored bases gave the palette more variation, allowing for the application of either blue or green shades for an express manicure.

Bases with color are created:

• Dense – well filled with pigment. Suitable for dense color coating;
• Translucent – for the popular "jelly" effect on nails;
• With shimmer – small sparkles.

A 3-in-1 base, which replaces the base, color, and top coating steps all at once, has recently surfaced in addition to the 2-in-1 colored base, which combines the base coat and flower bed. Unlike single-phase gel polishes, 3-in-1 bases wear flawlessly for two to three weeks, just like a traditional manicure using three steps of gel polish.

Compatibility of colored bases with other coating materials

Despite being a form of camouflage, the colored base has only recently surfaced, so not everyone has had time to test the new product in conjunction with other materials. Simultaneously, trustworthy data already exists indicating that the colored base coat feels fantastic with:

• With any classic transparent bases;
• Almost all top coats, including matte ones;
• With all types of products for nail design – from stamping and sliders to gel paints;
• Primers.

If you found that certain materials did not work well with the colored bases in your work, please let other readers know in the comments so they can avoid making the same mistakes.

Pros and cons of colored bases

There are at least four reasons why a modern master absolutely needs to have a colored base:

• Speed. Since the base combines both the base coat and the color, you can save time on creating a color layer. This is an ideal option for an express manicure or late clients, when you need to quickly make beautiful nails;
• Choice of colors. Now you can choose yellow, pink and even red;
• Ease of use. Thanks to the variety of hardness and consistency, colored ones are selected according to the preferences and features of the nail. In addition, colored bases are no worse than regular ones for leveling;
• Saving money – the cost of a manicure is lower due to the reduction in the number of products used.

Not everything is that easy, though; in addition to their benefits, colored bases have a major disadvantage in that they deteriorate with wear. Although the manufacturers claim ultra-adhesion, many masters have reported a significantly shorter wearing time. We’ll explain how to prevent this in more detail later.

Furthermore, professionals note that the nail becomes extremely hot when a colored base is cut off with a cutter. If you also experienced this, one possible cause of the thermal effect is a clogged cutter. Make sure to check for this. It is preferable to soak the coating if the cutter is operating flawlessly.

How to use a colored base

Master’s level students work in both application technologies. If you haven’t tried the new product yet, coat both and determine which you prefer.

Not using a base coat for coating:

1. Prepare the nail – do a hygienic manicure with the treatment of the ridges and cuticle;
2. Degrease the nail plate and apply a thin layer of primer. Acidic or acid-free, see the situation, since different nails require different solutions;
3. Distribute a colored camouflage base for nails with a leveling layer of medium thickness. The side edges can be worked with a thin brush and do not forget to seal the end;
4. Dry the layer in the lamp. In LED – 1 minute, in UV – 2-3 minutes. If necessary, apply another layer of the base for a more saturated color and dry;
5. Without removing the stickiness, apply the top coat – glossy or matte top;
6. If the top has a sticky layer, remove it with a special product and a lint-free napkin.

Covering the foundation layer:

1. Prepare the nail by doing a hygienic manicure;
2. Degrease the nail and apply a thin layer of a regular transparent base for gel polish. This layer will enhance adhesion and prevent the nail plate from being stained with camouflage pigments;
3. Dry the base layer in the lamp, as usual, and apply a leveling layer of the colored base. Dry in a UV or LED lamp for 3 or 1 minute, respectively. If necessary, repeat the application and dry again;
4. Apply top and dry.

I have firsthand experience with masters applying color bases simply on low-fat nails without the need for a primer or other preparatory layer, and they were happy with the outcome. However, keep in mind that the problem in this instance will be more severe and that it is very hard to forecast how long socks will last because it all depends on the length, lifestyle, and state of the nails.

7 best manufacturers of color bases

Louis Philip

In response to the craze, Louis Philip promptly launched their range of nail color bases. There are three lines made up of twenty different shades:

1. Summer – with a high pigment density, without mother -of -pearl and sparkles;
2. Caramel – delicate pastel shades;
3. Neon – bright, saturated neon shades of high color density.

The brand’s offerings are all rubber-based elastic products with an average consistency. Excellent for leveling; 1-2 layers are sufficient to achieve a decent color.

TopShopNails

Base coats in three different hardnesses are available at TopShopNails: hard, medium, and soft. Even the most sophisticated girls will be able to select the perfect color for themselves because there are over 100 shades available.

Present are the bases for camouflage:

• With glitter;
• Pastel – soft, pleasant shades;
• With large glitter;
• Neon;
• Classic colors – red, blue, brown.

Offered in 15, 30, and 100 ml volumes. Don’t flow; instead, have a medium consistency. Ideal for novices as well as seasoned practitioners. assist in strengthening the natural plate and correcting pecking and nails that resemble trampolines.

The manufacturer advises against baking the nails during the polymerization process.

Monami

While Monami does not yet have as many positions as the previously mentioned brand, they do have six delicate shades that are perfect for a sophisticated yet understated manicure.

Within the palette:

• Mint;
• Two shades of pink;
• Yellow;
• Gray-blue;
• Lavender.

Grattol

Six neon colors are available from the Grattol brand: orange, red, yellow, green, and two pink shades. Because of their hypoallergenic formula, this brand’s gel polishes are appropriate for girls who are prone to allergic reactions. The bases do not flow; rather, they self-level.

Medium hardness with a rubber foundation.

Color: intense in one or two layers.

There is no thermal effect during the polymerization process. can be applied in a single color or used to produce vivid gradient patterns. There is a delicate pastel palette with four soft shades in addition to neon.

ROSI

The Rosi brand offers more saturated colors like yellow, red, black, lavender, and six other juicy shades, along with a milky base for camouflage-effect nails and several nude shades.

The only way to get a consistent color is to apply the paint in two layers. It is not for beginners because it is very liquid and flows constantly, requiring skill and a steady hand to tame. However, the colors are lovely—deep and saturated.

BSG

Hard and elastic colored bases are the two varieties available under the BSG brand. Both come in the standard camouflage hues of milky, pink, and nude as well as more saturated hues like red, blue, and orange. Other pastel tones include lavender, green-green, and blue camouflage base.

This brand’s bases are easy to level, have low acidity, and aid in the construction of architectural details. You can cover beneath the cuticle without any drips thanks to the medium-thick consistency.

Hardness: elastic and hard.

Moderate density of consistency.

One layer can be used for light shades to create a translucent coating, and two layers can be used for more pigmented and saturated shades.

KIRA

Coloured bases KIRA: eight neon shades that are so saturated they can compete with dry pigments. They provide a rich, consistent color when covered in a single leveling layer.

Moderate density of consistency.

Of course, these are just a few of the well-known brands; there are many more producers of colored bases. Please let us know in the comments if we missed your favorite in our review.

10 cool designs with a colored base

It is hard to put into words how delicate this blue manicure is; the base Grattol, Base Camouflage №9, is shown in the picture.

Delicate manicure featuring an extra design on top of a colored base. The coating used was LEAF, COLOR BASE 11.

Summertime pattern with a base of colored camouflage.

As you can see, camouflage consists of vivid patterns that speed up application without sacrificing aesthetic appeal. Have I tried using colored bases? Tell us about your experiences using them.

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Achieving the ideal manicure requires selecting the appropriate color base. Knowing your options and how to use them will help you achieve the desired results, whether your goal is a vibrant finish or a natural look.

You can express your own style and discover countless possibilities by experimenting with different shades and combinations. Try new things without fear; the right base can totally change the way you look.

You’ll get a great handle on using color bases if you pay attention to the advice and examples given. Your nails will appear polished, expertly done, and distinctively yours.

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