nail art

Amp up your striking white nail polish look with gold studs at the base for a simple but impactful touch. Opaque white nail polish packs quite the punch, but it also tends to show mistakes a lot more than other polish hues. So to make sure it looks its best, first file your nails for a perfect shape and trim your cuticles to ensure clean lines around the edges.

To create the look, I started off with Butter London Nail Fertilizer ($18) as a nutrient-rich base coat. Then, I painted on two coats of Chanel Le Vernis in Eastern Light ($30) for pure white coverage. While the polish was still wet, I added a gold stud from The New Black Rock and Roll Royalty Set ($24), which comes with various polish hues and a bottle of edgy accents, including gold studs and black and clear rhinestones. To finish, I topped this look with Essie Good to Go ($8) to seal in the stud and give my nails a glossy finish. If you have any messy edges, go back with a brush dipped in polish remover to clean up any stray polish.

Ciaté is known for taking the nail-art trend from the streets to the comfort of your own home with its easy DIY kits, like this Very Colourfoil Manicure Set ($25). The end result is a colorful and intricate design that looks far more complicated than it really is. To see how to use this genius kit, just keep reading.

I was over the moon when Essie first released its Sleek Stick nail wraps, and now there's a new Summer 2013 collection with six fresh designs. The hot-pink Small Pleasures ($10) design caught my eye. I love the vibrant color, but it was the textured 3D design and the unique take on floral nail art that won me over. Plus, they're a breeze to apply! Be sure to start off with clean hands and nails to ensure the adhesive sticks. Then find the right size appliqué for each nail. Just peel off and apply to your nail, and use the included tool to help smooth out each wrap and get rid of air bubbles for a tight fit. Use the included file to remove the excess, and you're good to go. Which one is your favorite?

Japanese gel nails have fueled both the nail art and gel manicure trends that have hit salons across the US, and in case you're looking to get your own gel nail art treatment, we have helpful tips to make the most of your next appointment. I hit up SpaNail in New York City to experience Japanese gel nail art firsthand. The intricate designs and hand-painted details are just the tip of the iceberg. The gel formulation is long-wearing, providing a shiny finish that keeps your manicure looking fresh. Not all gel manicures are created equal, however, so to learn how get the most out of a Japanese gel nail art session, just keep reading.

Looking for a fun way to jazz up your manicure for the Summer? The experts at Makeup.com have an easy-to-follow nail art tutorial that we can't get enough of.

In honor of this season’s freshest blooms we’ve decided to put together a colorblock manicure tutorial to get you inspired to go bold and be bright this season! Follow the steps listed below and get ready to show off your killer new manicure. Get the step-by-step tutorial when you keep reading.

Nail art is no passing phase, which is why we turned to Stephanie Lavery, the editor in chief of Nail It! magazine, to tell us the dos and don'ts of artful manicures. She dishes on all sorts of nail tricks and tips, from at-home to professional polish jobs and even nail safety.

Nail art is a regular occurrence on the red carpet, but we've been seeing stars sporting a variety of geometric nails as of late. Demi Lovato showed off a black manicure accented with three metallic stripes over the weekend, while Kerry Washington paired her black polish with a white chevron tip to complement her dress at the recent Peeples premiere. January Jones also got into the graphic trend, sporting a classic red polish topped with a black triangle accent at the base of her nails for an edgier take on the moon manicure. We even saw geometric nails on the Fall 2013 runways, so clearly this trend is here to stay.

You can get similar looks, too, with these nail art tutorials:

• A Gatsby-inspired Art Deco nail design
• Neon, V-shaped nail art
• Chevron nail art with a Sharpie
• Tricolored geometric nail art design
• A simple way to dress up nude nails
• Create a striking starburst design

After spotting Bella Thorne's Summery nail art at the Iron Man 3 premiere, I was dying to re-create the simple design. What makes the look stand out is the complementary color combination of yellow and blue, but the design itself is very simple. I started off with a coat of Essie First Base ($8), and then I applied two coats of Chanel Le Vernis in Mimosa ($27), leaving my ring fingers bare. Next, I applied two coats of Essie Bikini So Teeny ($8) to my ring fingers. While the paint was still wet, I used a dotting tool to create the random white spots with Chanel Le Vernis in Eastern Light ($30). A high-shine polish, Essie Good to Go ($10) topped off this cheerful style.

Like what you see? Then be sure to check out even more manicure ideas on our Ultimate Nail Guide!