12 Gel Nail Design Ideas That Look Gorgeous and Last Forever

Im still obsessing over a colored French tip or a French twist nail, says Boyce. This gold drip abstract French is slightly more out there. 2 2 Now 30% Off For those who want to DIY, you can use an at-home gel kit like this one from Le Mini Macaron. Nowadays, a lot of gel

1

Drip Effect

“I’m still obsessing over a colored French tip or a French twist nail,” says Boyce. “This gold drip abstract French is slightly more out there.”

2

Le Mini Macaron Le Mini Macaron 1-Step Gel Manicure Kit

Le Mini Macaron 1-Step Gel Manicure Kit

2

Le Mini Macaron Le Mini Macaron 1-Step Gel Manicure Kit

Now 30% Off

Credit: Courtesy

For those who want to DIY, you can use an at-home gel kit like this one from Le Mini Macaron. “Nowadays, a lot of gel polish come in bottles that look like lacquer instead of the traditional pots. It is a bit easier to learn to do gel at home, but there is still a learning curve,” explains Boyce. “A lot of people tend to glob on too much and the gel levels out and gets on their skin and cuticles, which causes the gel to lift. You have to practice a bit to get the application just right.

3

Bold Brushstrokes

“It looks great whether it's just one solid color with some gold foil on top, or a mix of three to four shades to create a different canvas,” says Boyce of this look.

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Teenitor Nail Brushes for Nail Art

Nail Brushes for Nail Art

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Teenitor Nail Brushes for Nail Art

Now 17% Off

Credit: Courtesy

“Once you learn the basics, the next step is to make sure you have the right nail art tools, like striper brushes and detailers,” says Boyce. This set contains those tools, plus fun embellishments like crystals and decals.

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Thin Half-Moons

“Short nails are great for thin French or a clean half-moon designs,” advises the nail artist, adding that they “look minimalist and cool without cluttering the nail."

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Color-blocking

The nail artist also loves the geometric look for shorter nails.

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Detailed Designs

For pros, precise detail work like these pretty butterflies can be crafted using gel too.

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Fun Terrazzo

Love the trend for home decor? Add it to your nails with dabs a few shades of polish.

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Simple Shimmer

Textured “velvet” polish makes an ultra-cool background for otherwise minimalist designs.

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10

Animal Print

Layered patterns like this fun leopard look are far easier to do when you can cure the polish.

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Colorful French Manicures

The fun French isn’t going anywhere. Using different gel polishes for each nail provides added interest without added difficulty.

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Swoops and Swirls

Gel extensions allow for even more of a blank canvas for nail art. “Abstract art can be really fun for long nails,” says Boyce.

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Added Embellishment

Anything you're adding to the nail benefits from the curing process, too. “If you're adding any hardware or textures to the nail art, like gold foil or crystals or diamanté, you'll need gel to seal them in and hold it in place,” explains the nail pro.

14

Negative-Space Designs

Being able to layer multiple colors gives negative-space nail art added dimension.

Lettermark


Lindy Segal is a beauty writer and editor. In addition to regularly contributing to BAZAAR.COM, she also writes for Glamour, People, WhoWhatWear, and Fashionista, among other publications. She lives in New York City with her Chihuahua mix, Barney.

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