Forest flowers and trees lay the groundwork for boho chic nail art. “I was inspired by the organic patterns found in nature, such as wood and colorful florals,” says Paola Ponce, a Los Angles-based manicurist.
Follow the tutorials below to learn how to execute three wood-inspired nail art designs perfect for fall.
wood nail art
1. Apply gel base coat and cure. Apply one coat of nude gel polish and cure. Then, apply a second coat of nude gel polish, curing for half the amount of time as the first coat. Do not remove the tacky layer.
2. Use a brush to apply red-brown glitter powder to the free edge. Then, blend it toward the cuticle to create a gradient effect.
3. Apply gel base coat to the entire nail. Do not cure. Apply gold studs to the base of the nail and cure. To finish, apply gel top coat and cure.
wood nail art
1. Apply gel base coat and cure. Apply two coats of nude gel polish, curing after each.
2. Paint a dot at the center of the nail with yellow gel polish. Next, use a striping brush to paint a sun design with turquoise gel polish. Then, paint a larger sun with purple gel polish. Add yellow dots and paint wavy teal lines at the perimeter of the nail. Do not cure.
3. Sprinkle loose glitter powder on top of the design and cure. Use a brush to dust off the excess glitter. To finish, apply gel top coat and cure.
wood nail art
1. Apply gel base coat and cure. Use a striping brush to paint imperfect vertical lines with nude and dark brown gel polish. Do not cure.
2. Use a gel brush to blend the lines together using vertical strokes. Cure.
3. Apply a thin coat of light brown gel polish to the entire nail. Do not cure. Then, use a striping brush to paint a wood pattern with dark brown gel polish and cure.
4. Apply another thin coat of light brown gel polish to the entire nail. Do not cure. Then, outline some of the wood pattern with dark brown gel polish. Cure. To finish, apply gel top coat and cure.
Which one of these wood nail art design is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
[Images: photography by Jason Bennet, headshot from Paola Ponce]
This article was first published in the October 2017 issue of NAILPRO
