Never has a fruit lent itself better to toenail interpretation than the watermelon. The natural pastel colors and polka-dotted seeds of this well-known fruit provide a simple model for techs to recreate on the limited toenail plate. And the skills used to construct a perfect watermelon nail are fairly easy, making the design a perfect introduction for nail art beginners. Using only pink, green, and black polish, a nail tech can quickly transform a normal pedicure into a signature service and keep clients guessing as to what will come next. Jeanine Brisson of Ridge, N.Y., shares how she does her watermelon toes.

1. Prep and file the toenails as you normally would.

2. Apply a base coat to the toenails.

3. Apply two coats of pink color, and let dry.

4. Apply a green smile line along the free edge using a striper brush, and allow time to dry.

5. Using a standard dotting tool, apply black dots to each nail for the seeds of the watermelon.

6. Apply your favorite top coat, remembering to float the top coat onto the nail instead of brushing. This helps to avoid smearing the nail art.

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