The nail world is awash with multi-coloured swirly-hued designs; all you need to DIY is four colours and a sponge
Tie-dye has been everywhere this year and now it's made its way down to our fingertips; after months of no nail bar appointments, it's no surprise we're all going wild for nail art at our first chance to sit in the salon chair. Tie-dye is fun and frivolous, the opposite of what 2020 has been so far and we're fully embracing the trend for tie-dye nails, be it one statement nail or a full set of technicolour talons.
The best thing about the trend? It's surprisingly easy to recreate at home if you're not ready to visit your nail tech yet – just arm yourself with four polish colours and a nail art brush or a sponge and you're good to go.
DIY tie-dye nail tutorials
We called on nail expert Helena Marimon , who works with vegan nail brand Peacci , to talk us through a step by step on how to do tie-dye nails. Her tutorial is pleasingly simple, but we tried it on just one finger to start with to get the hang of it. Next time we'll attempt all ten digits.
Step 1: Prepare your nails with a base coat and allow to dry fully for 2-3 minutes before applying your first coat of colour. Helena used bright white Daisy from Peacci's collection. Follow this with a second coat of your chosen base shade to achieve an even, opaque base.
Step 2: Pour a couple of drops of each of your chosen colours into a random pattern (on top and around each other) on a nail art palette or plate. Helena used Peacci's mint green Sealight , baby pink Audrey , Daisy and lilac Crayon .
Step 3: Using a round nail art brush, gently move the colours together so they begin to mix slightly. The colours will start to merge to form a tie-dye effect.
Step 4: Gently dip the brush into the colours and drag the brush on top of your base colour to achieve your desired tie-dye effect. For a more abstract look, only paint the top half of your nail, or just do your ring finger for a statement nail (and to save time!) Finish with a topcoat.
Tie-dye nail art videos to copy
Neon tie-dye nails in one minute
15-minute tie-dye nails with Essie
The best tie-dye nails on Instagram
From pastel palettes to 90s style neon, here are our favourite designs to show your nail tech