AW16 nail art step-by-steps

We asked three top trainers to take inspiration from the autumn/winter catwalks to create some exclusive on-trend nail art looks that you can easily replicate in your salon

TREND INSPIRATION: MILITARY
Sue Davies, Louella Belle educator for Kent, used Artistic products to recreate a traditional British military uniform on the nails. “Following the catwalks for autumn/winter, a lot of the colours that are going to be coming out are deep reds and some nice dark greens. On the ring finger we carried on the military feel with some gold and black braid, and applied two gold, square-shaped studs to mimic the epaulets found on military uniforms,” says Davies.
Recreate the look:
1. After prep and base coat, apply a thin coat of Artistic Colour Gloss in deep khaki Imperial to every nail other than the ring fingers
2. Apply a thin coat of Artistic Colour Gloss in ruby red Flashing to ring finger nails
3. Cure all nails and repeat steps one and two, then apply top coat and cure
4. Apply a lacquer top coat to index finger nails and carefully position two gold square studs vertically down the centre of the nail
5. Apply the same lacquer top coat to ring finger nails and adhere a thin strip of black braid slightly off centre, followed by a slightly thicker strip of gold braid down the middle of the nail (pre-cut to size)
6. Wipe nails without embellishments and apply cuticle oil.

TREND INSPIRATION: HERITAGE
Zarra Celik, Nail Harmony master educator, used Gelish’s Sweetheart Squadron collection for a bespoke check print in subtle shades. “The inspiration was a heritage printtheme, and I decided to do my own take on tartan using colours from the new Gelish collection. We did two nails on each hand in tartan and a matte green on the rest to tie it all together with a modern twist,” she says.
Recreate the look:
1. After nail prep and base coat, apply two coats of blush pink Up in the Air Heart to the middle and ring finger, curing between each
2. Using a nail art brush and pale coral Perfect Landing, create four vertical lines that are equally spaced apart on the same nails, then cure
3. Using grey-green Oh Parachute, create three equally spaced horizontal stripes over the lines you just created, making sure they are thicker at the edge and thinner in the middle. Cure
4. Dip your brush into berry-toned Looking for a Wingman and apply three more vertical lines between the stripes you created using Perfect Landing. Cure
5. Add three more horizontal lines between the ones you created with Oh Parachute on both nails using grey-toned lilac Rule the Runway. Cure
6. Repeat steps one to five on the other hand 7. Apply two coats of Oh Parachute to all remaining nails, curing between each layer 8. Apply matte top coat and cure, then wipe nails and apply oil.

TREND INSPIRATION: SEQUINS

Jess Marks, Orly educator and ibd international elite educator, created a bright and sparkling sequin design with shades from the upcoming Pacific Coast Highway Mulholland collection from Orly. “I chose the sequins trend and used a vibrant orange for the background. To add the sequins I went for two glitters and dotted them into wet gel polish so they spread out to give pretty circles of glitter for that real sequin look,” says Marks.
Recreate the look:
1. After nail prep, apply a tip primer to the nail tips only, capping the free edge. Let it air dry for 30 seconds
2. Dry brush on a thin layer of base coat, scrubbing it into the nail plate, then cure
3. Dry brush to remove the excess layer
4. Apply two to four thin layers of vibrant tangerine Cahuenga Pass, depending on desired intensity. Cure between layers
5. Before curing the final layer, apply dots of sparkling bronze Meet me at Mulholland using a dotting tool, followed by smaller dots of champagne-tinted, olive-green Party in the Hills using a thinner dotting tool or brush. Let sequins spread, then cure 6. Use a dotting tool to create accent sequins with metallic copper Million Dollar Views. Cure
7. Apply top coat and cure. Cleanse nails and apply cuticle oil.