Love beautiful nails but think nail art is only for people with steady hands and expensive kits? This book proves otherwise. Almost every design you admire is built from four simple moves: a dot, a line, a piece of tape and a dab of sponge. Learn them here, and you can create salon-style looks at your kitchen table with a few bottles of regular polish.
You start with a base manicure that actually lasts: shaping, gentle cuticle care, the three-stroke method and the edge-capping trick that slows chips. Then you practise five core techniques, with clear advice for painting your non-dominant hand.
The heart of the book is 30 step-by-step designs, from easiest to most detailed: polka dots, dotted French, sailor stripes, colour blocks, sponge ombre, marble, glitter fade, daisies, cherries, leopard, tortoiseshell, moon and stars and more. Each lists the level, time, what you need and numbered steps. You also get household alternatives to every pro tool, a troubleshooting table, gentle removal and a four-week practice plan.
What you get:
• 30 step-by-step designs arranged from easiest to most detailed
• Five core techniques: dots, lines, tape, sponge and clean-up
• Household alternatives for every nail art tool
• A long-lasting base manicure routine with the three-stroke method
• Tricks for painting your non-dominant hand
• A troubleshooting table for bubbles, smears, chips and tape problems
• A four-week practice plan and mix-and-match combinations
Put a small puddle of polish on your palette. Dip the dotting tool, then touch it straight down onto the nail and lift straight up. Do not drag. Bigger tools make bigger dots; re-dip after every one or two dots for even sizes. For a gradient of sizes, make several dots in a row without re-dipping: each one comes out smaller.
Load a fine brush with a little polish and wipe off the excess. Rest your painting hand's little finger on the table or on the hand you are painting. Place the tip of the brush at the start of the line, then pull it towards you in one smooth movement, lifting gently at the end. Pulling is steadier than pushing.
Paint your base colour and let it dry completely, at least 15 to 20 minutes, or the tape will lift it. Press the de-stickied tape firmly along its edge. Paint the second colour over it, then remove the tape while the polish is still wet, pulling slowly and away from the design. Wait too long and the polish dries into a film that tears.
Dip your small flat brush in remover, blot it on a tissue so it is damp rather than dripping, and trace around the edge of the nail.
LiaPink Books publishes practical, warm guides for women — clear, honest and made to be used.