Try a Sand-Inspired Mani for a Pretty, Fresh Spring Look

Peachy and pink tones for Valentine’s Day nail art aren’t exactly a brand new phenomenon. But incorporating these pretty hues into earthy clay palettes for a desert sand-inspired look will add a freshness to your mani that feels both romantic and spring-ready. This dreamy look is layered with abstract, scalloped strokes and several soft colors inspired by the elements: think sand dunes, stone, marble, and geodes. It’s perfect for the bohemian babe and it’s simple to achieve. Allow me to elaborate:

The imperfect, abstract layers of the design, as well as a color palette that’s open to your interpretation, mean this sand-inspired look is ultra-versatile, not to mention easy for beginners. Feel free to sub in hues like rich, agate geode-inspired teals or play up the stone greys. Either way, the result is your own personal sandscape at your fingertips. To treat yourself to some pretty desert pinks, read on for the step-by-step instructions.

Desert Sand-Inspired Nails

• Sheer base or treatment polish (I used Nails Inc Back to Life)

Build-your-own peachy, sand-inspired palette:

• Light pink cream nail polish (I used Butter London ‘Twist and Twirl’)
• Dusty rose nail polish (I used Veque ‘Ristretto’)
• Mauve nail polish (I used  OPI ‘Tickle My France-y’)
• White speckle nail polish (I use Cirque Colors ‘Hatch’)
• Top coat, matte or glossy

Instructions:

Step 1: Using a matte sheer polish or basecoat treatment, apply your negative nail art canvas as one thin coat to clean, prepped nails. Let dry for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: For my first design layer, I used the lightest pink I have and painted a cloud-shaped (or ‘scallop’) design right at the halfway point between the base and free edge of the nail. Repeat the cloudy design for each finger and let dry for five minutes.

Step 3: Pick your sand-inspired palette and have it ready. I interchanged the color layers for each finger after painting my light pink layer so that each finger is unique. For my index finger, I painted a second cloud-like design slightly above the first layer as shown in the photo, using the dusty rose shade. Paint each finger with its own second layer with varied shades from your palette as shown in photos. Let your second layer dry for five mins.

Step 4: For my index finger, I painted the third layer in a random cloud shape right above the previous layer, using the stone-inspired speckled shade from my palette as shown in the photo. Repeat this step with other shades on each finger as shown. Let dry for another five minutes. Note that you do not need to paint all the way to the tip, as your layers may build up too much near the tip and take much longer to dry.

Step 5: Finally, cap your layers with a fourth shade. The index finger features the mauve I picked out, as shown in the photo. Once you have each finger capped off with its final layer, let your nail art dry for about eight minutes.

Step 6: To seal your newly painted nail art design you can use your favorite glossy or matte top coat. For an added textural effect, only apply a top coat over your cloudy layers, and leave the negative space of your nail unpainted.

Did you try this desert mani? Show us your sand-inspired nails on Instagram @Lulus using #lovelulus–and score pretty, fresh finds in our Spring Fashion Shop!

Cassandre Banel is a Seattle-based nail artist.