1. Holiday stars

1. Apply gel-polish base coat and cure for 30 seconds under an LED light. Apply two coats of black gel-polish and cure between coats for 30 seconds under an LED light. Add a layer of silver shimmer gel-polish and cure for 30 seconds under an LED light.

2. Use gold glitter gel-polish to create a dot on the center of the nail and paint five short lines equidistant from each other.

3. Paint five longer lines in between the short lines. Cure for 30 seconds under an LED light.

4. Connect the outer edge of the longer lines to the shorter lines (creating the outline of a star). Use a dotting tool to add dots around the star in random order.

5. Fill in the blank space of the star with white gel-polish and add white dots in the available space around the star. Cure under an LED light for 30 seconds. Apply a top coat and cure for 30 seconds. Finish the look by wiping off the inhibition layer with nail cleanser.

2. Easy Dotted French

1. Create a French manicure — and don’t worry if the smile line isn’t perfect.

2. Sand down a toothpick so that one side is a large dot and the other end a fine dot. (Or use a nail art dotting tool, if you have one.) Pick a palette of colors that go together, in this case light blue, dark blue, and green. Use the larger side of the toothpick to create light blue dots above and below the smile line.

3. Use the smaller side of the toothpick to create dark blue dots above and below the smile line. Use the smaller side of the toothpick to create green dots above and below the smile line. You can even add small dots inside the large dots if you want.

3. Black flowers and green glitter

1. Apply gel-polish base coat to the nail. Cure. Apply green gel-polish to the nail. Cure. Apply a second coat of green gel-polish to the nail. Cure. Leave the sticky layer on the nail. Use a natural bristle brush to press green glitter into the corner of the nail. Press the glitter flat with your finger to create a smoother surface. Apply gel-polish top coat. Cure. Remove the sticky layer. Buff lightly.

2. Use a 20/0 liner brush and black acrylic craft paint to paint three black petals in one corner. Add a dot in the center.

3. Paint a wavy line coming from the petals.

4. Add another line crossing over the first. From here you can add more dots or keep it simple like this one. Apply gel-polish top coat. Cure. Remove the sticky layer.  

4. Sparkle and shine

1. Apply gel-polish base coat. Cure as directed. Apply a thin coat of Shellac in Asphalt and cure. Apply a second thin coat of Asphalt and cure. Apply microfine glitter to the nail, concentrating it on the center of the nail and toward the free edge. Glitter travels fast, so start where you want the art to end if you find it hard to control.

2. Apply a layer of ultrafine glitter to the nail.

3. Apply fine glitter to the free edge. It shouldn’t be perfect, but it can have a vague resemblance to a French.

4. Apply hexagonal hologram discs along the dividing line between the ultrafine glitter. Apply top coat and cure. Use a plastic-backed lint-free pad soaked with 99% isopropyl alcohol to remove the inhibition layer.

5. Island Flowers

1. Polish the nail pink. Using a dotting tool or a toothpick, create five white dots in a circle. Create a second set of five white dots in a circle.

2. After about 45 seconds, place a toothpick in the center of each dot and carefully drag to the center of the flower.

3. Use a striper brush and hot pink polish to create two wisps.

4. Dip the tip of a toothpick into white polish, then add small dots on both sides of each flower and along one of the wisps.

5. Add a stripe of silver glitter underneath the top pink stripe. Dab your toothpick into silver glitter and dot the center of each flower.