Girls who like to surprise with their manicure can apply a snakeskin pattern. After all, such a pattern can show how original you are. This manicure looks very bold and extraordinary, but completing such a pattern can take a lot of time.
Options for snake skin on nails
You shouldn’t immediately discard the idea of applying such a pattern to your nails, even if it seems that it is very difficult. Today there are many options for creating such a pattern; they may differ from the stereotypical green pattern, since different colors can be used. Making a manicure with a snakeskin pattern is quite simple, the main thing is to have time for it, since you will need to apply many lines and layers of varnish. Snake skin is made in different colors, such as green, light green, blue and gray. Of course, you can use other colors, but these four are the main ones, since they are most similar to real snake skin, that is, they are natural colors.
Snake manicure can be performed in different variations, it can be a regular polish, or it can be a gel polish. As always, you need to remember that a manicure with gel polish lasts much longer than a manicure done with regular polish. Therefore, in case of vacation or long business trip, you should give preference to gel polish. As for the pattern, it can be done with tassels, dots, and with the help of different stickers; the choice is up to the girl. If you have the opportunity to paint with a brush, then it is better not to be distracted by other methods of applying a pattern, as this one will look more natural.
Necessary materials and tools for manicure with gel polish
To apply snake skin to your nails yourself using gel polish, you need to purchase all the items for this procedure. The biggest and most expensive purchase for a manicure will be an ultraviolet lamp, which is used to dry the gel polish. You will also need gel polishes in the desired colors, base and top, dots. Performing a manicure with ordinary varnishes will also require a base and top coat, varnishes of the desired colors, a brush or dots.
To more accurately familiarize yourself with the process of applying snake skin to nails, you need to look at the photos that describe each step step by step. You don’t have to be an artist to draw such a pattern on your nails; just follow the rules for applying varnish, and the manicure will turn out very beautiful.
Nail preparation
Before you start applying polish, you need to do a regular manicure, remove old polish, remove cuticles and, if necessary, file your nails. You should also apply cream or lotion to your nails, especially the cuticles, and if you have time, you can have a nail spa treatment.
After the nails are dry, be sure to apply a primer, which will degrease the nail plate, and you can begin applying the main color. As a base for snakeskin, a series of gel polishes of precious stones is suitable. They are the ones that have a color that can ultimately become snake skin, for example, green has a natural color, and if you apply the right markings on it, it can easily turn into snake skin. This series of varnishes is called "cat's eye".
How to make snake skin on your nails
After the base is applied to the nails, you need to apply the main color for the manicure, dry it and cover the nails with another layer for brightness and durability. After the polish has dried using an ultraviolet lamp, you need to start creating lines on your nails that will resemble snake skin. For such lines, a varnish color that is darker or, conversely, lighter than the main varnish should be used.
To draw lines you need to use dots, and the lines themselves should be of different shapes and sizes, they should look different on each section of the nail. To create volume in the cells, you need to apply a transparent varnish inside the lines and dry it again in the lamp. You can add different decorations, such as rhinestones or beads, if desired.
There is another option for applying a snakeskin pattern to your nails using a needle. To do this, you need to use gel polish or regular polish, depending on how long the result the girl wants to get. First you need to do a manicure, remove the cuticles and apply oil to moisturize the cuticles, shape your nails with a nail file, trim your nails if necessary and moisturize the skin of your hands.
After this, you need to apply a degreaser (if the manicure is done using gel polish) and a base. The base color of the varnish is applied to the base and not dried. You need to drop a varnish of a different color onto the varnish and use a needle to stretch these drops until they take on the appearance of cells, like on snake skin. Only after your nails look like snakeskin can you dry them.
This method of creating a pattern is considered one of the easiest, so even a beginner can do this procedure. You can use different colors for both the main varnish and the cells. Black color for creating cells will look especially contrasting.
In order to see clearly how to properly do a manicure in different ways, you can watch video lessons or a master class from one or more manicurists.
Video on the topic of the article
To create an original and unexpected “Reptile” manicure, nail art masters have already come up with many ways. All of them are made using different materials and means; sometimes it takes a lot of time to create a design. But the result will definitely surprise all your friends! Want to know about the most popular methods? And of course, try them?
Natural reptile skin on nails
The creations of nature are so beautiful and perfect that they never cease to amaze. Snake skin is exactly that! Although this reptile terrifies the bravest people, it is difficult to argue that the color of its skin is very beautiful and unusual. It’s no wonder that shoe and accessory designers have long been successfully recreating reptile skin on shoes and handbags. Manicurists have adopted this tradition.
Displaying the skin of a reptile in the same form as it exists in nature is a very difficult task. Therefore, rich ladies in foreign countries prefer to do an exclusive manicure - to apply pieces of real snake skin, which she sheds in the spring, to her nails. In salons, such a design costs a lot of money. Only wealthy ladies can afford it. But their desire to decorate their nails with real snake skin is probably very strong! Some craftswomen are trying to make this design at home. Of course, to do this you must first purchase snake skin in stores. Or find her in the forest. Both the first and second methods are quite problematic.
Read also: Manicure with acrylic powder: exquisite design quickly and easily
The manicure technique is simple. First, pieces are cut from the reptile skin exactly to the size of the nail plate. Then they are glued to the nails and covered with a reliable fixative.
Creating snake skin on nails with gel polish
There is an easier method to create a reptile effect on your nails. To do this, you will need the entire set of tools and products for working with gel polish: buff, file, dehydrator, bond, base, black and orange varnish, LED lamp, fixer.
The sequence is:
- process the plate with a nail file and buff;
- apply dehydrator and then bond;
- cover with base and dry in a lamp;
- We paint the base with black varnish and crystallize it in a lamp. To get a dense layer, two layers are needed;
- cover the nails with a thin layer of orange (coral, pink or green) varnish, wait a few minutes, but do not dry it in a lamp;
- apply the fixative on top in small droplets, and not in longitudinal strokes;
- dry in a lamp.
The product crystallizes in a special way, creating peculiar scales. Undried orange polish can be seen at the edges of the droplets of the topcoat.
If desired, this method can be complicated by applying another dark shade in a gradient instead of black varnish.
Drawing reptile skin
You can do a “Reptile” manicure using another method, although it will require a lot of effort and time from you.
The step-by-step execution scheme consists of 4 points.
- Apply black gel polish and dry it under the rays of a lamp.
- Using a thin brush, paint oblong ovals with green, turquoise or blue gel polish. It turns out to be a kind of mesh with elongated loops.
- Dry the layer and apply the finishing coat.
- Using a modeling transparent gel, apply voluminous droplets in the middle of the colored ovals. Carefully dry the finished design.
Read also: Turquoise manicure: a fresh trend this summer
Volumetric manicure “Reptile”
For this stunning design we will need blue or green “Cat Eye” gel polish, black gel paint and a thin brush.
- Apply a thick layer of Cat's Eye gel polish to the plates. We bring a magnet to make a beautiful highlight.
- We dry our nails in a lamp.
- We cover the base with a thin layer of fixative, polymerize and remove the sticky layer.
- We take a thin brush and paint oblong diamonds with black gel paint, like on the skin of a lizard or snake.
- We polymerize the finished pattern in a lamp.
- The lines become sticky, but that's to our advantage. We press a piece of transfer foil to the nail, leaving a shine on the gel paint.
- Using a brush, drop a small amount of fixative or transparent modeling gel into each diamond. The droplets freeze without going beyond the boundaries of the gel paint. This creates a beautiful three-dimensional design.
It is recommended to dry each transparent “pebble” separately in a lamp, but for a very short time. Otherwise, the gel may spread beyond the boundaries of the cells. At the end of the procedure, it is recommended to dry the entire plate completely.
The manicure turns out voluminous and very impressive. It will be enough to decorate one or two fingers on your hand with such a pattern. Covering all the plates with a voluminous “skin” is a very bold decision!
"Reptile" using a mesh
- Paint the prepared plates with light blue, red or orange varnish.
- Let it dry for a minute (but not completely dry). Carefully cover your nails with pieces of fine mesh and press.
- Apply a layer of dark varnish on top of the mesh: black, dark blue or dark green. To achieve the best result, do this with a sponge or sponge.
- After the varnish has hardened a little, remove the mesh.
Manicure in the Gucci style is a fresh new product from nail artists and their clients. The main characteristics of Gucci nails are Gucci brand logos, snakes, red and green stripes. Would you like to see? Scroll down, it's worth it!
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Gucci manicure: 21 ideas in photos
In fact, the trend has been wandering around the Internet for more than a year, and it came from fashion to sculpt the names of any brands on nails, it could be Chanel, Supreme, the same Nike (by the way, the name of the company is always read as “Nike”, not “Nike” — did you know about this? You can read the article with Nike sports manicure and other fashion brands. But Gucci nails have recently begun to appear a little too regularly. And after the release of the video for the song “Gucci” by Yegor Creed and Timati, nails began to be done even with phrases from the song.
The clip itself:
Manicure in the style of the Gucci video:
@zubareva_nails Let's see more manicure options in Gucci style:
1. Nude manicure in the Gucci style with gold decoration.
They say that it was with him that the hype began and the fashion for Gucci nails began. Simple and tasteful, isn’t it?
@petracollins 2. Nude Gucci manicure with an accent “snake” nail.
All nails are covered with nude varnish, one nail is decorated with a snake in the Gucci style. For those who didn't know, this is a king snake. And it is not poisonous, despite its bright red color.
@selfie_beautyclub 3. Long Gucci nails in a nude shade.
Here the snake is also one on the accent nail, although in an “unfolded” position and on long nails. Beautiful!
@andys_nails_ 4. Long oval nude nails with Gucci snake.
Long nails look equally beautiful with both square and oval shapes. What will you choose? A square is more fragile, keep that in mind. So if you have a constant problem with broken corners of your nails, you might want to change the shape to an oval. Ask your master, she will tell you!
@shine_studio_ewa_hetman 5. Beige nude nails in Gucci style with a snake on two or three nails.
Many girls ask manicurists to draw a pattern that goes from one nail to another, and only when all the nails are side by side does the mosaic form into one picture. In Gucci style there will be art with a long red and white king snake. Agree, it looks stylish.
@selfie_beautyclub 6. Transparent manicure with a Gucci snake on the thumb.
And again nude. Why are there so many beige Gucci manicure options if the brand's main colors are red and green? Such photos will be below, “don’t switch,” but we’ll explain about nudes: the print with a snake in itself looks so impressive that even against a neutral background it will look advantageous. Want to try? The Gucci snake print on a large nail is perfect for experimentation!
@najlsy 7. White Gucci manicure with one accent nail.
Remember: it is very important to choose a beautiful white polish for the base of your manicure. No, we're not kidding, they really aren't all the same. If the color is not dense enough, the manicure will not be as smooth and perfect. And we really need a smooth, perfect manicure both in winter and in summer, right?
@imperial_nails_studio 8. White Gucci manicure with a snake on two nails.
We expand the field for creativity and draw a snake on two nails. Looks sooooo good!
@beauty_courier 9. White Gucci manicure with a snake on four nails.
@nastyashavko 10. Symmetrical long Gucci manicure with blue and red stripes.
More, more color! We begin to add different shades to the minimalist Gucci manicure.
@honeydoospa 11. White Gucci manicure with red and green stripes.
Traditional colors of the Gucci house.
@jadetangtheartist 12. Red and green manicure with rhinestones.
By the way, you don’t have to draw snakes on your nails to be trendy. It is enough to choose approximately the same varnish colors as the brand.
@anoush242 13. Black and red matte Gucci manicure with a snake and a fly.
Motifs with insects are also popular with the Gucci brand. So if you find a golden decoration like the one in the photo below, don’t hesitate to attach it to your nails!
@nuvo915 14. Long stiletto nails in the Gucci style.
There are snakes, traditional Gucci colors, and their symbol - two intertwined letters G made of rhinestones. The letters actually symbolize the name Guccio Gucci, the founder of Gucci.
@lit.fashion.trends 15. Light blue Gucci snake manicure.
An unexpected color scheme, but it has the right to life, doesn’t it?
@belochka_nails 16. Dark blue Gucci manicure.
Here the blue polish is dark, which makes the manicure more “Gucci-style” compared to the design in the photo above.
@nikulinails 17. Dark green and white Gucci nails.
A classic of the genre - all conventions in this manicure are followed. @dope_nails_laura
19. Black Gucci manicure with red and green stripes and Gucci logo.
This Gucci nail design is for those who don’t want to bother too much, but don’t mind getting a manicure in this style. The main thing is to choose the appropriate colors.
@blushbabynz 20. Gucci manicure with a bright shade of green.
OK, you can “miss the mark” a little with the choice of color, but you agree with the overall style. Experiment in one word.
@toxicvanityblog 21. Gucci-style voluminous snake nails.
This is the manicure we had in mind when we hinted at Gucci's very creative nail design. How do you like it?
@selfie_beautyclub Video on how to do a Gucci manicure
Several master classes:
This is where our options ended. You can send your designs if you are inspired and decide to try - XO.
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A snakeskin manicure can easily claim the title of one of the most stylish and best nail designs of the last two years. There are a huge number of design options in this style. And the most important advantage is versatility, suitable for any wardrobe, style, age.
You can create a “Snake Skin” manicure design not only in a beauty salon, but also at home.
The most popular shades are taken as the basis: blue, gold, all shades of brown, gray, emerald, repeating the color of the skin of a reptile.
The most optimal and affordable master class on “Snake skin” manicure is to use gel polish with a scale effect: firstly, the product will have the same unusual shade as the color of the skin of a reptile, and secondly, the composition is applied quickly and without problems.
To achieve maximum results, simply apply the product to the nail plate and dry well. In order to improve visual perception, you can purchase special stickers with a pattern and carefully stick them on the pre-prepared base of the nail.
For more daring and self-confident girls, the option of creating a Snakeskin manicure yourself with gel polish is suitable.
Method No. 1 Applying a pattern with a thin brush or stick
This method is ideal for girls who know how to draw at least a little. There is absolutely nothing complicated - just use a manicure dot or a brush with fine bristles.
To apply an ornament imitating the skin of a snake with a gel composition, the cells must be of different sizes and shapes - cells that are too identical and evenly spaced at a distance will look unrealistic and implausible.
The technique is not easy, it will take a lot of time, but the result usually exceeds all expectations - the nails look beautiful and stylish.
How to draw a picture:
- Carry out all necessary nail care procedures (cut the cuticle, file the free edge of the nail, and be sure to degrease it using a primer).
- Cover your nails with the base compound, drying the layer thoroughly.
- Apply the main shade that will serve as a background and dry well.
- Apply a line of the pattern using a brush or needle. You should draw as carefully as possible, without haste. The drawing dries completely only under an ultraviolet lamp. It is best to make lines of different widths and lengths, thicken them in places of kinks, and thin them in straight sections.
To obtain additional volume, a transparent gel is applied to the cells; each of the applied layers must be kept in a UV lamp.
Method No. 2 – painting on a wet surface
This option is suitable even when using ordinary decorative varnish. One of the simplest ways that any girl can learn.
Stages of work on designing a manicure “Snake skin”
- Preparing nails for subsequent application of the composition.
- Treatment of the nail edge.
- Cuticle removal, shaping.
- Cleaning, polishing the nail plate, applying a degreaser or primer and base, thoroughly drying each layer.
- Careful application of decorative varnish.
- Using a brush or an orange stick, drop small dots of varnish of a different shade onto the surface - each droplet is distributed in different directions with the help of a game, creating curved lines.
“Snake skin” is not inferior in popularity today to the classic French manicure, with which it is not a shame to appear at work, on a visit, in a restaurant or in a bar. It looks equally good, impressive, stylish and unusual on young girls and confident women.
Snakeskin is a trend that perhaps never disappears from the fashion industry. Reptile prints, accessories and shoes made from the material's likeness are all in high demand. Of course, you can’t ignore a manicure with an interesting effect that will give your nails uniqueness and truly fatal beauty.
Features of creating a “reptile” on nails
Reptiles on nails can be represented by two types of manicure. The first option is the simplest, this is directly drawing specific reptiles on the nails, be they snakes, crocodiles or other animals. The second option, much more interesting and “serious,” is imitation reptile skin on the nails.
In terms of manicure, this drawing does not particularly symbolize anything, but, for example, a snake is presented as an insidious and cunning creature, distinguished by amazing intelligence. That is why such details of the image can add a significant zest to your appearance.
This manicure will suit absolutely everyone. The drawings will ideally fit into the image of cheerful and carefree girls, very young representatives of the fair sex. But imitation snake skin will fit perfectly into the image of a more respectable lady who pays special attention to her discreet but sophisticated style.
Such a manicure will best fit into everyday looks, which will significantly benefit from such a sophisticated detail, and will be combined with evening outfits worthy of such exclusive details.
Suitable nail shape
Absolutely any nails are easily suitable for both reptile designs and snakeskin imitation. You can create a beautiful manicure both on short nails of natural length and on longer, perhaps even extended nails.
But the longer the length, the less everyday the manicure looks. For extended nails, it is better to choose such a design only in case of preparation for a serious special event.
The shape of the nails can also be any. Round, square, oval and rectangular options are classics, but with triangular nails such a manicure will look more provocative.
Best color combinations
It is best to choose the most natural color combinations to imitate snake skin.
Reptile manicure looks perfect in natural tones
The standard colors for reptiles are green, gray and brown, especially their variations such as marsh, olive and other somewhat “dirty”, “dusty” shades.
Speaking about drawings, it is worth noting that the brighter and more contrasting the color combinations are, the more childish and frivolous the entire manicure will look.
The design is usually applied with the same varnish used for the main coating. In this case, you can choose either the regular option, gel polish or Shellac.
Snake manicure, although quite simple to perform, requires a certain style and approach to its creation:
- a manicure that imitates reptile skin looks best in a classic style, formal evening with fairly simple but sophisticated dresses, as well as in everyday looks using absolutely simple basic things;
- for a snake manicure, it is best to use dark and natural shades, as close as possible to natural ones; a bright snake manicure looks out of place, but too light is very exotic, you should approach its choice with special attention, carefully thinking through your entire image;
- You shouldn’t regularly get a “reptile” manicure, as this design looks very bold, and sometimes this mood should be “diluted” with other images.
Ways to create “reptile skin” on nails
One of the most expensive and at the same time the most natural manicure options is the use of natural reptile skin. For this purpose, the skin that the snake sheds during its molt is used, and then it is glued onto the nails. At home, this manicure can be done using special stickers or artificial nail overlays, with a prepared pattern already applied in advance.
You can make an imitation of snake skin using regular varnish and mesh, dividing nails into segments. In this way, you can choose a darker background, which can be varnished a couple of shades lighter using a mesh.
Reptile manicure using magnetic polish
You can also draw snake scales without additional equipment using ordinary gel polish. To do this, after applying a layer of dark varnish, light varnish is applied in spots, and the undried layer of varnish is covered with pigments on top, imitating a snake pattern. After which the manicure is fixed with a fixative.
The most unusual way to perform such a manicure is to use an unusual specialized varnish using magnets. In varnish" cat's eye" a certain number of metal elements are laid, which under the influence of magnetic fields during drying are folded into certain patterns and remain in this finished form.
Using magnetic varnish and a special plate, you can create a “reptile” manicure, both using a nail painting brush and without it:
How to draw a reptile on your nails
The easiest way to create a voluminous imitation of snakeskin on your nails is to use gel polish:
The process of creating a reptile manicure
- First, a base coat is applied, which will preserve the manicure for a long time, and dried in a lamp;
- then two layers of dark base varnish are applied to the nails, each of which is dried separately in a lamp;
- Subsequently, a layer of a lighter shade of varnish is applied to the nails, but not dried in a lamp, but covered with separate drops of fixative, which it is better to try to arrange in a checkerboard pattern;
- The nails are dried in a lamp, and after that an even layer of fixative is applied, which must also dry completely.
To prevent the gel polish and fixer from spreading over the nail plate, it is recommended to dry each drop separately in a UV lamp for several seconds. At the end of this stage, polymerize the nails completely for the prescribed time.
In the case of using, for example, a mesh, the third step is replaced by applying a stencil to the nail, covering the nail plate with a light shade of varnish and drying it in a lamp.
Stickers must be used according to the instructions. Those that completely cover the nail are usually glued directly to the nail plate and do not require any additional fixing, but small stickers that decorate the manicure require going through all the stages of manicure using a base, colored varnish and a fixer.
And to make a manicure with gel polish that imitates snake skin, you need to carefully draw the segments. However, this design is quite simple to implement:
Manicure ideas
Snake manicure looks quite stylish and self-sufficient, so it does not require additional decorations that will turn a beautiful design into something pretentious.
The best manicure looks in dark colors (black, gray, dark green and brown), when each of the nails looks like a separate small reptile.
Manicure "reptile" in dark colors
You can give a similar effect only to individual nails, covering the rest with only one of the two colors used - the darker or the lightest.
Manicure "reptile"
In some rare cases, you can complement a snake manicure with rhinestones, but usually they highlight the same one or two nails, while the rest look like snake skin.
Snake manicure is a truly unique design that can transform any look and add a touch of chic and elegance to it. Don’t be afraid to experiment with “snakes”; they will add zest to the look.