Skip the Salon: How to Execute 5 Beautiful Nail-Art Ideas at Home

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(Image credit: @evemeetsnails)

Once in a while, I like to treat myself to an especially fancy manicure that I justify because it involves a complicated design that I'm convinced only someone who's a nail-art pro is able to do. Olive & June in Beverly Hills is my go-to for nail art and where I've gotten manicures involving negative space and pops of color. But like so many of my beauty routines, I've started venturing into the DIY territory to make up for all the salon visits I've skipped.

Here's the thing, though: Doing a basic manicure at home is one thing, and attempting a nail-art design is another. So in an effort to try my hand at the latter (and pick up another quarantine hobby), I tapped fellow fashion girl Evelynn Escobar-Thomas (or @evemeetswest, as she's known on the 'gram). Her nail-art looks, which she shares to @evemeetsnails, are definitely impressive but still easy enough that she's able to do them at home with just a few bottles of polish and some household items—aka easy enough that this beginner is officially inspired to re-create them.

"I always tell people to start slow," Escobar-Thomas shared. "You can always fix it as you go. In the beginning, it would take me hours to nail (pun intended) the designs I was attempting." Ahead, get inspired by five of her at-home designs like yin-yang nails and negative space, and shop the nail essentials you'll need to get started.

What you'll need:

And now for the design ideas:

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(Image credit: @evemeetsnails)

"Daisy nails are the easiest nails to begin with. For this look, I used a dotting tool to frame five dots or petals around one central dot. After completing the petals, I re-dot the center to make sure the daisies are defined."

Get the look:

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(Image credit: @evemeetsnails)

"For this look, I created it without using any special tools. I used the brush from the nail polish bottle and natural curve of my free edge as a guide."

Get the look:

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(Image credit: @evemeetsnails)

"For this look, I created tiny shard-like specks of paint using a toothpick and four different swatches (video tutorial available on @evemeetsnails) to create a terrazzo look. For the yin and yang nails, I drew an S-like shape over my base color using the nail brush and used the rounded part of a push pin to stamp the circles."

A photo posted by on

Get the look:

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(Image credit: @evemeetsnails)

"For these color-blocked nails, I used a nail-art brush to get a precise curve. They're created similarly to the yin and yang nails except the shape is a bit different. They're much thinner at the top and more robust at the base or vice versa."

Get the look:

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(Image credit: @evemeetsnails)

"Most people do their ombrés with sponges, but thanks to a tip by nail queen Steph Stone, I create my ombré looks by thinning out my polish with a base coat and layering it piece by piece on top of a base color."

Get the look:

Up next: Fall Is Coming, and These Will Be the Most Popular Hair Color Trends

Editor

Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.