BEGINNER

1. Create an unusual smile line using red glittered acrylic.

2. Allow acrylic to dry. Then, using gold acrylic, create a thin border just inside the smile line, being careful to keep the line crisp.

3. Apply a layer of clear glitter acrylic or a traditional pink acrylic to the nail plate. Cap the entire nail in clear acrylic and buff it to a high shine.

4. Create a white poinsettia flower making sure to use a dry mix of product. Add definition to the center of the flower using tiny beads of yellow acrylic.

INTERMEDIATE

1. Using red glitter acrylic divide the nail in half with a wavy border. Keep the edge sharp.

2. Allow acrylic to dry. Trace the inner border with a dark glitter acrylic, keeping the edges crisp.

3. Allow acrylic to dry and fill in the rest of the nail with gold glitter acrylic. Cap the nails with clear acrylic and buff to a high shine.

4. Create a row of white poinsettia flowers making sure to use a dry product mix. Add tiny beads of yellow acrylic to the centers of the flowers.

ADVANCED

1. Apply a layer of red glitter acrylic to the entire nail.

2. Using green colored acrylic, create a stylized Christmas tree.

3. Create a tree base and ornaments using colored acrylics. Add a Mylar star at the top of the tree.

4. Cap the nails in clear acrylic and buff to a high shine. At each corner of the nail create half of a poinsettia flower.

Harvey-Yin is an international educator and owner of a training school and distributorship in Melbourne, Australia.