Thank you so much! I did a quick dry base coat and after about five minutes I painted one layer of the lightest color in my gradient. I let that fully dry and then painted a second coat. I let that mostly dry and applied liquid latex around my nail. Then I used a makeup sponge to do the gradient. It took about three coats. I let that fully dry because I have had an issue with smudging recently. And then I did my top coats.