Vu Nguyen is known for his insane hand-painting skills. The all-around artist (he also does tattooing and fine art) is Gelish and Nail Alliance’s dean of education. Not only does this nail tech of 17 years focus on international education, but he has a hand in developing new products for Gelish. The brand’s Art Form Gel was used to create this abstract winter cover look. “I wanted to have a geometric design and show some transparencies in the nails for a classy look,” says Nguyen.

Follow Nguyen on Instagram @vudoonails. 

Here are Nguyen’s steps for this month’s cover look:

1. Prep the nails. Mix Gelish Art Form Gel into ProHesion Monomer to get a blue tint. 

2. After filing and shaping the nails, mix multiple shades of blue using Gelish Art Form Gel. 

3. Paint the geometric shapes with an ultra-fine brush. 

4. Add embellishments and top off with Gelish Top-It Off Top Coat.