Triana Ramirez, San Pedro, Calif.

Triana Ramirez, San Pedro, Calif.

Black Bloom

1. Start with two coats of hot pink polish and allow to dry. With a fine design brush and black craft paint, draw the first black petal at the base of the nail at an angle. Draw the second and third petals adjacent to the first.

3. Paint little lines inside each petal and two longer lines between the petals.

4. With a dotting tool, paint dots around the lines. Apply three Swarovski crystals to the center.

Kathleen Shahan, The Head -Quarters, Wilmington, Del.

Kathleen Shahan, The Head -Quarters, Wilmington, Del.

Tropical Ombre

1. Start with a white base to intensify the colors of the ombre you will be creating. Using a makeup sponge, create a pink to orange ombre. This may take two to three coats to achieve solid coverage.

3. With a coordinating color, paint various circular areas that will become flowers and rough leaf shapes.

4. Add detail to the flowers and leaves with lighter coordinating colors. Finish with a clear top coat.

Maddie Williams, Village Hair and Spa, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Maddie Williams, Village Hair and Spa, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Volkswagen Bus

1. Apply CND Shellac Base Coat and cure. Apply two coats of CND Cream Puff, curing between coats.

2. Apply CND Art Basil to the free edge in a “V” shape to create the front end paint of the bus. Apply a small dot of white to begin the VW emblem. Using CND Silver Chrome, apply the thin “V” on the inside of the Art Basil to mimic the front edging of the bus. Use a dotting tool to make the rectangular windows near the top. Cure.

3. Using a small dotting tool and CND Black Pool, outline the windows. Using Silver Chrome and a small dotting tool, create the letters “V” and “W” one under the other, over the top of the original Art Basil circle. Apply a small drop of Black Pool in the location of the headlight on the front “V” and top the dots with small rhinestones for headlights. Cure. Apply CND Shellac Top Coat and cure.

You Might Also Like: Handout: Basic Nail Art

For more information about your career in nails, check out NAILS Career Handbook.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.