The trending nail looks you can DIY at home

The essential mani kit

Prep nails by taming cuticles, then filing and clipping nails into your desired shape. This set has everything you’ll need when you can’t get to the salon.

Carefully does it…

If you need to remove a gel manicure before creating your new nail art, here’s how to do it. First, file the edges of each nail and buff away the entire shiny top layer of polish. Then either soak ten cotton pads with SensatioNail Gel Polish Remover (or another acetone based remover), place over the nail and wrap the tip of each finger tightly in tin foil, leaving for 15-20 minutes. Or, place the SensationNail remover in a glass bowl, then put that bowl in a slightly larger bowl of warm water, before soaking the nails for 15-20 minutes. After either method, the majority of polish should be removed – if needed, gently take off any remaining polish with a cuticle pusher that can be found in most nail kits.

Yellow & Flowers by The Hanged Edit

We love following Hang Nguyen to stay up to date with her latest and greatest nail art creations. This minimal yellow flower look is putting us in the mood for Spring.

How to:

Apply one layer of Barry M’s Base & Top Coat.

Paint the little and index finger with two coats of Barry M Lemon Sorbet. The key to successful nails at home is patience, allowing time for each coat to thoroughly dry.

To create the flowers seen on the ring finger, middle finger and thumb – create a pool of your yellow polish on some scrap paper and use the handle end of a thin makeup brush (an eyeshadow brush is perfect) to make small dots. Using the nail polish brush itself makes it difficult to get a uniform dot, or stay neat. Alternatively, designated nail dotting tools are available.

The ring finger has three flowers, the middle finger and thumb four, with each flower being made up of five small dots of yellow polish. Spread these sporadically over the nail, as in the reference picture. If we make mistakes when creating our nail art looks, we use 3INA’s The Nail Polish Corrector Pen to easily fix any mess-ups.

For the middle of the flowers dot a small ‘stigma’ of black polish in the centre of each. We used Peacci Jet Black Polish.

Once nails have dried for a full five minutes, add a final coat of Barry M’s Base & Top Coat to seal.

Abstract Colour by Melanie at Overglow Edit

An emerging trend in the world of nail art is these wave-like abstracts of colour, with the majority of the nail left bare, in a new take on the recent ‘negative space’ look. We adore Melanie’s version, using a beautifully muted but varied colour palette. This look is so chic, even if you are only going from your bedroom to your living room RN.

How to: 

Begin with a coat of Barry M’s Base & Top Coat.

Melaine says she created the look freehand, experimenting with organic squiggled shapes. Start each colour at the top middle third of the nail, curving the shape down and onto the bottom third.

On the right-hand colour on the little finger, middle finger and thumb starts at the top left of the nail and ends at the bottom right.

On the index and ring finger, colour comes from the right to left. Of course, you can always freestyle your own wave-inspired version in the selected colours.

Create an abstract shape on each finger, using the polish’s brush to make curved shapes. You may find it easier to rotate the arm and work looking straight on at the nail as if sitting across from a manicurist. Give each finger two coats of colour and remember – it doesn’t have to be perfect.

For the little finger, create your shape using Barry M Nail Paint in Butterscotch.

For the ring finger, Nails Inc’s Nailpure Fashion Fix in Model Behaviour is a similar ginger-esque hue to Melaine’s.

For the middle finger, we love J Hannah’s chic polish in Green.

For the index finger, we used Peacci in Palace.

For the thumb, paint with 3INA’s The Nail Polish in 152 before finishing with the same top & base coat from Barry M.

Spring Pastels by Bethan at Dorta

Bethan is one to follow for the most innovative and often intricate mani’s – her stellar creations give use serious nail-envy. However, for an easy nod to spring, you can’t beat her Mini Egg-esque pastel look.

How to:

Start with, you guessed it – Barry M’s Base & Top Coat. The best in the biz and wonderfully affordable.

For each nail colour, paint two coats of polish allowing the first to dry completely before starting the second. On the little finger, we used 3INA The Nail Polish in 129.

On the ring finger, Peacci in Palace is the perfect blue hue.

For the middle finger, we love the ice-cream shade of Barry M’s Lemon Sorbet Polish.

On the index finger, we used Essie Nail Colour 99 Mint Candy Apple Nail Polish.

On the thumb opt for Nailberry’s L’Oxygéné Oxygenated Nail Lacquer in A Touch Of Powder.

To ensure your look lasts, coat with Barry M’s Base & Top Coat, £3.99.