Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to go a little wild with your nail art – with kitsch and OTT being the order of the day.
These bright, sparkly hearts are so easy to do, but equally as hard not to fall in love with.
East London-based freelance nail artist Maddy Ayers (Maad Nails) told HuffPost UK Style how to get the look in five simple steps:
1. First up, apply a good quality base. I love Stickey by CND.
2. Next, two coats of a vibrant lilac colour - here, I’ve gone for Grape Neon from Orly.
3. Once this is dry, you can start drawing on your hearts using bright and pale pink nail pens (for this design, I used WAH London’s range). Aim to have about three on each nail, but this will depend on the size of your nail. Don’t forget you need to outline the hearts, as well, so don’t make them too tiny!
4. Allow these to dry and then outline the shapes in gold using either a striper or the nib of a nail pen - whichever you find easiest. Framing the hearts is also a handy way to smooth out any wobbly lines and neaten them up.
5. Finally, a thick layer of glossy top coat. My favourite is China Glaze’s Fast Forward.
3 Minimal Nail Art Ideas
First Thing's First: Start With A Blank Canvas(01 of12)
Open Image ModalRemove any existing nail polish and trim and buff your nails before trying any of these looks. (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Look 1: Diagonal Tips(02 of12)
Open Image ModalA super quick, easy, and delicate yet quirky nail art design. (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Step 1: Apply Colour In A Diagonal Swipe At The Tip(03 of12)
Open Image ModalBe sure to get right to the edges and fill it all in. (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Step 2: Finish Off With A Topcoat(04 of12)
Open Image ModalLook 2: Tiny Dots(05 of12)
Open Image ModalSingle dots on each finger can be just as attention-grabbing as any other nail art design! (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Step 1: Completely Cover Your Nails With The Colour Of Choice(06 of12)
Open Image ModalNote: This step is optional! (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Look How Gorgeous They Are!(07 of12)
Open Image Modal (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Step 2: Apply Tiny Dots To The Centre Of Your Nails(08 of12)
Open Image ModalWe put them closer to our cuticles, but you can place them wherever you like! (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Step 3: Finish Off With A Top Coat(09 of12)
Open Image Modal (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Look 3: Dark French Tips(10 of12)
Open Image ModalFrench manicures aren't new and/or groundbreaking, but a dark tip (paired with nothing else) looks killer and goes with any outfit. (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
1. Apply Polish In Slightly Curved Swoops, Right At The Tips(11 of12)
Open Image Modal (credit:Kastor & Pollux)
Step 2: Finish It Off With A Top Coat(12 of12)
Open Image ModalSuper easy! (credit:Kastor & Pollux)