Mixing Custom Gel Colors You Can Recreate Next Time

By the NOVE Academy Team | NOVE Wholesale

A custom color can be a lovely finishing touch. The tricky part is making that shade again: memory is not a reliable measuring tool.

Make a small Akzéntz Gel Play Paint sample, keep the process tidy, and record enough detail to repeat or refine it. Akzéntz says its Paint colors are designed to mix; keep that permission within the Paint range and follow current directions.

The quick answer: Start with a tiny sample of a light or main color, then add one small amount of a second Akzéntz Gel Play Paint shade at a time. Record the colors and approximate amounts as you go, mix thoroughly, and test the cured shade before using it. There is no universal ratio: the finished color depends on the particular shades and the amount you combine.

Set up for a repeatable mix

Decide what you want to change—a warmer or cooler impression, or a lighter or deeper version of a shade. Start with one main color and one adjustment; changing several at once makes the result hard to interpret.

For this method, use Akzéntz Gel Play Paint colors together. The Canadian maker describes the Paint range as designed to mix. This is not a general rule for mixing other Gel Play effects, gel polishes, builder gels, another brand's products, thinner, cleanser, or solvent. Keep each product inside its stated use and check its current instructions.

NOVE - Mixing Jar - 1/4oz

A small NOVE Mixing Jar gives you a separate, lidded place to hold a labeled test shade. It is a practical way to keep the sample apart from the original pots while you compare and record it.

1. Clean your work area and prepare a mixing surface or a clean, dedicated jar.
2. Write the date, product family, shade names, and the target impression before adding color.
3. Use a clean tool for each shade so you do not carry one pot's pigment into another.
4. Mix only a small sample first; you can scale up after the result is checked.

Pro Tip from NOVE Academy: Photograph the starting swatch beside your written mix note. Keep lighting and background similar for later comparisons; a phone photo is a record, not a color-standard measurement.

Choose a simple starting palette

Begin with shades that give you a clear path toward the target. A white can lighten or soften the appearance of another shade; a black can deepen it; red and yellow can help move a mix toward different warm color directions. These are practical starting observations, not a precise recipe. Highly pigmented colors can shift a small batch quickly, so make gradual additions and inspect the mix between them.

Akzentz - Gel-Play - Paint - Black - 4g

Gel-Play Paint Black is Akzéntz's high-pigment black art gel. Keep it as a deliberate adjustment shade and add very small amounts when testing a deeper custom color; its own product directions call for thin layers.

Akzentz - Gel-Play - Paint - Brown - 4g

Gel-Play Paint Brown is a rich medium brown option for testing a warmer, earthier direction within the Akzéntz Paint range. It gives you a specific second shade to record instead of an unnamed 'drop of brown.'

Check the physical sample: a thick puddle, thin stroke, and cured layer over a base can look different. Test at the design's intended thickness and follow the maker's application and cure directions.

Add one color at a time

A repeatable mix is a sequence, not a guess. Keep the main shade steady and record each addition. If the first test is too bright, too warm, too dark, or too muted, describe that observation before making the next change. You will then know what the next addition is meant to adjust.

1. Place a small amount of your main shade on the clean palette or in the mixing jar.
2. Add a tiny amount of the adjustment shade with a clean tool; do not estimate a fixed universal ratio.
3. Fold and mix until the color is even, scraping the sides and bottom so streaks do not hide unmixed pigment.
4. Paint a small sample at the intended application thickness and cure it according to the exact product instructions.
5. Compare the cured sample with the target under consistent light. Note one clear change before adding anything else.
6. Repeat the same small addition-and-record cycle until the result is close enough for the design.

Akzentz - Gel-Play - Paint - White - 4g

Gel-Play Paint White is a handy lightening shade for compatible Paint blends. Add a small, recorded amount to soften a stronger color, then judge the result on a thin cured swatch rather than a thick puddle in the jar.

Pro Tip from NOVE Academy: Use plain notes such as “start: one small bead Paint Red; add: a small brush tip of Paint White; result: softer pink, still warmer than reference.” Your own consistent scoop or tool can improve comparison, but it is not a manufacturer-validated ratio.

Do not cure a thick mass or add an unapproved liquid to correct an uneven sample. Mix until uniform and apply a suitable thin test layer. If the sample is streaky or does not cure as directed, stop and ask the maker or supplier.

Check the cured color before you commit

A palette mixture is only a promising match until you see it applied and cured in the actual design context. Use a practice tip or swatch and the same base color that you plan to use for the service. A dark base can change how a translucent or thin layer looks, and a thick sample does not represent a thin line.

Akzentz - Gel-Play - Paint - Red - 4g

Gel-Play Paint Red is a clearly identified Akzéntz Paint shade for a custom warm or red-toned test. Recording this exact shade name makes the mix easier to revisit than relying on a color nickname alone.

Keep the test small while you refine it. If it is too pale, deepen it with a recorded gradual adjustment; if the color direction is wrong, identify whether hue, lightness, or intensity needs to change. Making one adjustment at a time preserves the learning from each test. There is no need to save every abandoned sample—keep the useful result and the notes that explain it.

When the test is close, make a second small batch from the notes rather than simply adding more to the first one. This checks whether your process is reproducible before you need a larger amount. If the two samples differ, record the adjustment rather than quietly changing the first recipe.

Save a recipe you can use again

Record the product family, shade names, addition order, approximate amounts, sample thickness and base, and cured result. Note the maker's lamp and cure directions separately; date the record so you can check current product instructions later.

• Recipe name and date
• Product line and exact shade names
• Starting color and every addition in order
• Your own repeatable tool or approximate scoop measure
• Practice base and sample thickness
• What the cured sample looked like and what you would adjust
• The exact current product directions used for application and cure

Store any retained mixed sample according to the manufacturer's guidance, protect it from light as the product requires, and label it clearly. If storage life or reuse is not specified for the mixed material, do not invent one; make a fresh sample when needed and use your record to guide it. Never put a mixed product back into its original pot.

A labeled recipe helps you explain which colors created the design and repeat the method at a future appointment, after checking current product directions.

A Few Common Questions

Can Akzéntz Gel Play Paint colors be mixed together?

Akzéntz describes its Paint colors as designed to mix. Follow the current manufacturer directions and keep this permission within the Paint range.

Can I mix Paint with any gel polish or another brand?

Do not assume cross-brand or cross-product compatibility. The verified maker information supports mixing Gel Play Paint colors; it does not give a general permission to combine other products or additives.

Is there a standard mixing ratio?

No universal ratio is provided here. Start with a tiny sample, add one small amount at a time, and record your own repeatable measures.

Why should I cure a swatch before deciding?

The appearance can change with the base, layer thickness, and cured finish. A sample made in the same context as the planned design gives a more useful comparison.

Can I add thinner or solvent if the mixture is difficult to work?

Do not add an unapproved thinner, solvent, cleanser, or other liquid. Follow the exact product instructions or ask the manufacturer or authorized supplier.

How do I store a custom shade?

Use the product maker's storage guidance and label the sample. If the maker has not specified reuse or storage life for a custom mixture, do not guess; mix a fresh small sample when needed.

A small note makes a big difference

Build the color slowly, test it in the right context, and save the details while they are fresh. With exact shade names and a clear record of each change, a custom gel color becomes much easier to revisit.

Explore our NOVE Academy Guides for more practical product and technique advice, or ask the NOVE team for help choosing products for your service.

Helpful References

• Akzéntz Canada — Gel Play Paint collection
• Akzéntz Canada — Gel Play Paint Green
• NOVE Wholesale — Mixing Jar
• NOVE Wholesale — Gel-Play Paint Black
• NOVE Wholesale — Gel-Play Paint Brown
• NOVE Wholesale — Gel-Play Paint Red

Professional education from NOVE Academy. Follow your training and the current instructions for your exact products and equipment. Product availability can change.