Have you ever seen the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, in person? If not, here’s the next best thing, and it’s becoming a huge winter nail trend: aurora nails, the perfect complement to cold, wintery weather.

Aurora nails are colorful with a glass-like appearance, almost mimicking a translucent crystal. The iridescent shifting hues make the nails look as though they’re shining from within. This gorgeous, dimensional look takes it a step further than shiny chrome or shimmering cat eye alone, which have been a couple of the biggest trends in nails this year.

This trend is sure to be irresistible to your glitter and chrome-loving clients. Make sure you have some cat eye polish, also called magnet gel polish, on hand. A great example is Gelish Pure Velvet Magnet Gel. There are a few different ways to execute aurora nails depending on what you have available to you, so we’ve listed a few below. Be sure to give these talented nail artists and brands a follow as well.

Ways to Create Aurora Nails

• Cat Eye + Chrome – Layering a sheer chrome powder over cat eye polish (or vice-versa) can create a beautiful aurora effect. The metallic sheen of the chrome and the shimmers of the cat eye play together to create amazing depth. Be sure to use your shiniest top coat.

• Jelly Polish – Translucent polishes, widely known as jelly polishes, can be used to create all sorts of fun nail effects. Layering jelly polish over cat eye is another way to get the effect of depth.

• Encapsulation – Use clear gel to encapsulate some shiny and colorful decorations. Foil paper, stickers, mylar pieces, glitter, gems, and abalone shells are all good options. The possibilities are endless.

• 3D Gel Textures – Layer some clear hard gel over your chrome and/or cat eye and add some fun texture. Using gel to create 3D shapes on the nail can help give that depth of the aurora nail, making the colors and shimmers really pop.

Combining some of these techniques may help you get a wintery nail look that’s prettier than you can imagine, so go ahead and experiment. Everyone knows that there’s no such thing as too much shimmer, especially when it comes to aurora nails!