Nail art for beginners: five designs that survive a shaky hand

Before you draw anything

Wash and dry hands, then smooth the nails with the file and buffer. Rest the hand flat on the table, fingers spread. Shake the pen, press the tip on a scrap of paper until the colour flows, and you are ready.

1. Dots

Touch the tip down and lift. That is the whole technique. Three dots in a row along the base of the nail already looks intentional. Five dots in a circle with one in the middle is a flower.

2. Hearts

Make two dots side by side, then drag each one down to meet in a point. Small hearts are easier than big ones.

3. Smiley faces

A yellow nail, two dots and a curve. If the curve goes wrong, it is a different expression, and that is fine.

4. Stripes and French tips

Anchor your little finger on the table and pull the pen toward you in one move instead of sketching. A coloured tip across the top of the nail is the most forgiving stripe there is.

5. Glitter fade

With the Nail Art Studio, paint the nail, then tap glitter onto the tip while the polish is still wet and let it thin out toward the middle. Add one sticker and stop. Knowing when to stop is the advanced skill.

Our polish and pens are water-based, so mistakes wipe away while wet and the whole look washes off when you want a new one.