Who says you can’t create a beautiful array of nail art with gels? Certainly not these seven techs, who show you the step-by-steps for some designs your clients will love.

Flower Power
Bonnie Rios, Fingertips by Bonnie at Julie Johnson Salon, Riverside, Calif.


1. Create a custom mauve by mixing CND Brisa Bolds Gel in purple-red with a touch of white builder gel (or create any custom Brisa Bolds color). Apply two to three layers, curing for two minutes between each layer.


2. Using a short gel striper brush, double dip it into white and purple and draw the strings into the shape of a four-petal flower. Set the flower for 10 seconds.


3. Place dots of pink gel onto the nail, then load a striper brush with gold shimmer and drag it through the pink to create a star.


4. Using 32-gage wire and small craft store pliers, shape the wire into the outline of a flower. Place the outline onto a form, then mix orange and clear builder gel together and fill in the outline. Cure. Peel off the flower, and add a thin layer of white to the back. Cure for two minutes. Attach the finished flower to the nail with a dot of gel. Cure. To create the leaves, double dip a brush in yellow and green and apply. Apply a yellow and orange mix for the flower centers. Add gold glitter gel for accents. (Set each step for 10 seconds.) Seal the whole design with UV finishing gel. Cure for two minutes. Remove the sticky layer with CND ScrubFresh and a lint-free pad. Finish with CND Solar Oil.

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Abstract Art

Jayne Berger, Cissna Park, Ill.


1. Apply Light Elegance Sparkle gel to the entire nail. Do not cure.


2. Apply three dots of Light Elegance red gel. Apply three dots of Light Elegance green gel below, and three dots of yellow gel above. Do not cure.


3. Using a striper brush, drag downward from the yellow through the green. Do this to each set of dots. Cure for two minutes. Apply Light Elegance Super Shiny to the nail. Cure for two minutes.

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On the Safari

Jennifer Mather, Polished Nail Design Group Inc., Burlington, Ontario, Canada


1. Apply a thin layer of CND Brisa Clear Sculpting Gel to a clear tip. Cure two minutes.


2. Overlay with CND Brisa White Sculpting Gel. Cure for two minutes.


3. Mix three parts of CND Brisa Bold Purple Opaque Gel with two parts Brisa Gold Green Opaque Gel to achieve a midnight purple gel. Using a curette or toothpick, paint on a zebra or tiger stripes pattern. Cure for two minutes. Coat with a thin layer of CND Brisa Glass. Cure for two minutes.

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Flutter By, Butterfly

Miju “Luna” Kang, Nana USA Nail Corp., Palisades Park, N.J.


1. Using a marblelizing tool, apply dots of LCN Colour Gel in Light Rose and Extra White.


2. Using a marblelizing tool, criss cross it through the dots to create a background ­design. Cure.


3. Add two lines of LCN Colour Gel in Violet and Rose and Glitter Gel in Poodle Pink.


4. Drag a brush through the two lines. Cure.


5. Continue creating the body and antennae. Apply dots of LCN Glitter Gel in Pink ­Hologram. Cure. Apply LCN Sealant.

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I Heart Nails
Torie B. Savickis, The Polished Pinky, Crown Point, Ind.


1. Create a custom nude gel by mixing five parts CND Brisa Opaque Warm, one part Brisa Pure White, a touch of Brisa Green, and a dusting of craft store Pearl EX Series 2 powdered pigment in Antique Copper. Apply a thin layer of this mix (or your own custom mix) to the nail. Cure for two minutes. Apply a second coat. Cure. Remove the inhibition layer. Dust the nail free of debris. To draw the heart, take your brush and lightly dip into CND’s Brisa Red gel. Pull up, letting a string of gel dangle from the brush. Use that string to outline a heart in the center of the nail and to fill it in. (It doesn’t need to be perfect because you can touch up the heart by wiping off the extra onto a CND Hands Down Ultra Pad soaked with ScrubFresh). Refine the heart with a clean brush. Cure for two minutes.


2. Sprinkle on Ultra Fine Red Glitter (found in the Wal-Mart craft department), pressing it into the heart with your finger. Dust off any extra glitter. Use an orangewood stick to refine the glitter application and push loose bits of glitter into the heart.


3. Apply CND Brisa clear gel over the nail, leaving the bulk of the gel over the heart, while thinning and tapering it around the sides (to create structural strength of the heart during the finishing process). Cure for two minutes. Use CND’s Blizzard Padded File to eliminate any low spots. Dust the nail free of debris. Apply CND’s Brisa Gloss. Cure for two minutes. Remove the inhibition layer.

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Vibrant Dragonfly


1. Apply a thin layer of Backscratchers’ Aqua Gel (clear) to the entire nail. Cure. Apply Backscratchers’ Designer Gel in blue to the entire nail. Cure.


2. Use Backscratchers’ Designer Gel in black to create four dots (the dragonfly body). Use Designer Gel in yellow to create the wings. Use Designer Gel in white to create dots in a flight pattern. Cure.


3. Apply a thin layer of Backscratchers’ ICE topcoat over the entire design. Using your fingertip, apply six Backscratchers’ Fuchsia Micro Beads to the wings. (Static will keep the bead stuck to your finger as you place it in a rolling motion onto the nail.) If needed, use tweezers to move the beads. Cure.

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Fade Into You

Leticia Kennar, Nail Skincare & Tanning, Burien, Wash.


1. Place LCN’s Pearl Shine Color Line in a small mixing dish (you will be adding color to the Pearl Shine for each step, so make sure you have enough for all the nails). Add a small amount of LCN’s Midnight Rendezvous Color Line and mix thoroughly. Apply a thin layer of this mixture in a strip on the nail. Do not cure.


2. Add a small amount more of Midnight Rendezvous to the mix from Step 1. Mix. (It will be slightly darker than the first color.) Apply a thin layer of this mixture in a strip on the nail, slightly blending it with the first strip. Do not cure.


3. Add a small amount more of Midnight Rendezvous to the mix from Step 2. Mix. (It will be slightly darker than the second color.) Apply a thin layer of this mixture in a strip on the nail, slightly blending it with the second strip. Do not cure.


4. Add a small amount more of Midnight Rendezvous to the mix from Step 3. Mix. (It will be slightly darker than the third color.) Apply a thin layer of this mixture in a strip on the nail, slightly blending it with the third strip. Cure for two minutes. Apply LCN’s One Component to the entire nail. Cure for two minutes. Wipe clean with LCN’s Cleaner. Buff the nail to ensure there’s no shine. Using nail art paint and a thin brush, add two silver strips starting from the corner. Let dry.


5. Apply LCN’s Ultra Shine. Cure for two minutes. Wipe with LCN’s Cleaner. Using a soft file, gently file the nail’s sides and free edge. Apply LCN Macadamia Nut Oil and massage.


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