[Nails By Tom Bachik]

Tom Bachik, artistic director for Creative Nail Design, comes up with plenty of nail art designs throughout the year — presenting them at shows, classes, and often to consumer publications. Collaborating with Creative co-founder Jan Arnold, Tom often looks to runway fashions for inspiration. Translating the latest fashion trends into nail art is not always an easy task, so we asked him to take three of his latest designs and break them down into three easy steps each. You can try these designs or come up with some of your own. (All colors shown are from Creative Nail Design, but you can substitute your choice of polish for any of the designs.)

[1] Nails should first be crapped to a short, square shape, Apply one coat of Voodoo to all 10 nails,

[2] Apply a second thick coat of Voodoo to one hand only. Using an ordinary terry cloth towel, press slightly on to the surface of the wet enamel to create a textured surface. Repeat on the other hand.

[3] Edge only the very tip of each nail with Time Square. Finish by applying one thin coat of Arctic Storm to all 10 nails. Do not apply a top coat to ensure that the surface remains textured.

Twisted Tango

[I] Apply Champagne Toast to all 10 nails and let dry. Apply a second coat to all the nails except the ones featuring the “twisted tango.” Now apply a fresh coat of Champagne Toast to the “twisted tango” nail and while the nail is still wet, create the petals by applying five dabs of XXX around the center Because they are applied to a wet surface, the petals will slide into irregular forms.

[2] Immediately place a dot of Feast of Magic directly in the middle of the nail. Layer smaller dots of color on top of the initial petal base with Feast of Magic.

[3]For a dimensional look, layer even smaller dots of color on top of the other with Little Queen. Let dry. Finish with one coat of Super Shiney.

Playful Polka Dot

[I] Apply two coats of Feast of Magic to all 10 nails, letting each coat dry in between. Apply dots of Time Square using the blunt tip of the polish brush in a random pat­tern on the nail. Some dots can touch for a more interesting pattern. Let dry.

[2] Place smaller dots directly in the middle of the silver ones, using three different colors in random placement. (Here, Tom used Masquerade, New Year’s Kiss, and Feast of Magic.) Do this with the blunt tip of the brush and simply “stamp” the color to the nail. Let dry.

[3] Finish with one coat of Super Shiney.