Monochrome Nails Tutorial

It can be tough using black nail polish this time of year. After all, it's spring. Surely it should be all flowery pastels and dungarees (if anyone could point me in the direction of an awesome pair of non-denim dungarees I'd be most grateful)?

Anyway, we say lose the lace and forget florals. With this monochrome nail tutorial you're sure to stand out from the crowd. It's super simple too, giving your fingers and toes a sophisticated two-tone look.

You'll need:

Pixi White varnish

Models Own Black Magic varnish

Scotch Magic Tape

Scissors

Base Coat

Top Coat

Tweezers

Clean up brush

Apply a base coat, followed by a coat of white nail polish and leave to dry

Prepare narrow 2mm wide strips of Scotch Magic tape using a sharp pair of scissors. Rest the edge of the strips on a clean object so they can be easily picked up later.

When the white polish is dry, arrange the strips in your chosen pattern on all of the nails. For this tutorial, we've chosen to use opposing diagonal lines to create a striking monochrome look. Make sure they're smooth and in full contact with the nail but don't push too hard! Use tweezers if you find it too fiddly with your fingers.

Once the tape is applied, paint over black nail polish making sure you cover both white undercoat and the tape. 

While the black polish is still wet, slowly remove the tape on the black nail piece by piece using tweezers. Have a tissue handy to put the used pieces of tape on to. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for each nail one by one.

Leave until touch dry and then apply a top coat.

If necessary, dip a small makeup brush into acetone and use this to clean up around the nail to create clean smooth lines.

We'll be featuring a 20s Art Deco nail tutorial next week, so stop by and check out the look. Head over to Scotch UK's Facebook page for more ideas, and don't forget to show us your monochrome nails @sixoutoftenmag!