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How hard can nail art be, reallyyy? The simple, slick minimalistic designs that we all know and love – dots, dashes, stars – don’t look all that tricky to recreate. And we can draw a triangle or squiggle on a piece of paper, so recreating it on our nail beds should be no problemo. (Scratches head, smudges nail). FFS. No, turns out it’s pretty tough.
Nail art tends to work best on gel or shellac nails once the paint has been cured to make it solid and smudge-proof. The difficulty with using the regular polish we have at home, is that it requires endurance. We have to wait for each coat to dry (fully) before attempting anything on top. Even then, you run the risking of denting your base layer if you’re not ultra gentle. The other problem – you have to get it right first time since there’s no option to wipe clean. Bodge it, and all that work you’ve done beneath is a write-off.
Don’t fret. I’ve discovered an ingenious way to make your nails look approximately 1000% more fantastic – and it requires no artistic talent – or patience – whatsoever. Nail stickers. Two words, one exceptional solution to help you up your nail game.
The beauty, is not only do they do all the hard work for you design-wise, they also work a treat in covering up wonky cuticles, smudges and dinks like a champ.
Across the pond, there’s plenty of options to be found. Olive & June are the OG in cool, modern designs (the bad news is, they don’t ship here). Amazon and Etsy are also a great shout, they have endless options, so if there’s something specific you’re looking for, give them a scroll. The best I’ve found? Ciaté’s new Cheat Sheets. Four fun but pared back designs for £16.
@elleturneruk / Instagram
There’s simple graphic shapes that feel quite boho, especially when applied to bare nails. Cheetah print in quirky colours. Instagram’s favourite Picasso face design (which looks incredible on a pale pink or white background) and my favourite, the evil eye – which has already generated a bunch of virtual compliments from Zoom pals. The trickiest bit? Applying them straight (you won’t be able to pull them off and start again). Other than that, they’re a dream.