Nail Designs by Technique
The finish does most of the work. Pick the technique, then the colour.
Pick the finish before choosing the decoration
Technique determines wear, removal, and the tools needed. Regular polish is easy to change at home. Gel gives a harder shine and longer wear but needs correct curing and soak-off. Acrylic adds structure and length, while chrome, cat-eye, ombre, glitter, and matte finishes change the surface or light effect.
Ask how the product will be removed before the appointment starts. Peeling cured gel or acrylic can lift layers from the natural nail. If you want frequent colour changes, keep the structure simple and vary the top layer. If durability matters more, choose a system your salon can maintain with infills.
What each one means
- French Tip
- Classic, micro, coloured and reversed. The single biggest technique in the niche.
- Acrylic
- Extensions and overlays: salon territory, three to four weeks of wear.
- Gel
- Cured colour with a hard shine. The default for anything that has to last.
- Cat Eye
- Magnetic gel that pulls a moving band of light across the nail.
- Chrome
- Powder buffed over gel: glazed, mirror and pearl finishes.
- Glitter
- From fine shimmer to full chunky coverage.
- Ombre
- Two shades faded into each other, including the baby-boomer French.
- Matte
- A flat topcoat over any colour: makes deep shades look softer.