Lubin

Lubin

Lubin‘s tabby cat Ralph.

Lubin‘s tabby cat Ralph. 

Known for creating wearable and colorful manicures with a hint of whimsy, Metuchen, N.J.-based nail tech Danielle Lubin offers a Halloween nail art tutorial inspired by her feline companion. “Around sunset every day, my tabby cat Ralph loves to sit in front of the large living room window. He makes a striking image silhouetted against the light,” she says. Follow these steps for a cute and festive design.

1. Prep the nail for gel-polish application. Apply a thin layer of base coat and cure. Paint the nail with two coats of white gel-polish. Cure between coats.

2. Rip a makeup sponge in half to prepare for gradation effect application. Using the ripped side of the makeup sponge, paint stripes of yellow, orange, and purple gel-polish on the sponge. Sponge the color to the nail to create a gradient in a parabola shape. Cure. Pro tip: Use a clean piece of makeup sponge for each color.

3. Repeat step 2, adding a deep burgundy gel-polish to the top edge of the design. Cure, and repeat until a smooth blend and opacity is reached. Use one coat of a matte gel top coat over the gradient and cure. Wipe away the dispersion layer so you have a smooth canvas for the next steps.

4. Use black gel-polish and a fine detail brush to paint the black cat silhouette and a little rounded perch for the cat to sit on.


5. Add a crescent moon and small dots for stars with white gel-polish and cure.


6. Finish design with another coat of matte top coat, cure, and cleanse.

See more of Lubin’s work on her Instagram, @10thstorynails.

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