Tribal Print Nail Tutorial

By Brianna

Spring is coming! A trend that always seems to show up during the spring and summer months is tribal print. A great way to keep up with this trend without having to add new pieces to your wardrobe is to be trendy with your nails. I love this look and have received many compliments on it throughout the past few days. It's super easy to do once you get the hang of it! Just remember, practice makes perfect! If you can't paint the thin lines, don't feel discouraged. It takes a while to perfect a steady hand.

I started out with a base coat from Sinful Colors. Most people forget to apply a base coat, but it's necessary because it protects your nails from the polish. I then used Blue Lagoon by Revlon for my base color.

Next, apply a half moon shape at the top of your nail. I used the color Sand Tropez by Essie for this. Keep in mind, it doesn't need to be absolutely perfect because you're going to outline it with white. If you can't paint the rounded shape by hand, you can try using some reinforcement stickers as a guide. I bought some for fairly inexpensive at Target.

Let that dry before you begin with the white. For this step you will need a thin nail brush. You can find this at any beauty supply store. If you don't have any around where you live, a thin art brush from a craft store will work as well. I used the color White Tip by Sally Hansen for this step. If you can't keep your hand steady, try resting it on a flat surface. Outline the half moon shape you just made. Then go in with a dotting tool (a bobby pin will work just as well) and create three dots near the cuticle.

Let that dry and then go in with a black color. I used a black polish by Sinful Colors. To create the pointed pattern, I used a different stroke each time I changed directions. So, I would paint upwards, lift my brush off the nail, re-adjust my hand position, and then paint downwards. Repeat these steps until the pattern fully crosses the length of your nail. After this dries, I went in with a dotting tool and added dots in between each peek.

I then used a regular nail polish brush and painted a straight line across the tips of my nails with the same black color I used before. Once you apply your top coat your finished! I love Sally Hansen Insta-dry as a top coat. It speeds up the drying, so you are free to use your hands sooner.

If you try out this design, let me know in the comments below! It's much simpler than it seems, and people will be amazed with the pattern. Thanks for stopping by our blog! Happy painting!