8 mins
Eggstra Special Styles
Be prepared for a hoppy Easter with LILLY DELMAGE’S roundup of nail designs to suit a variety of skillsets & timeframes
Whether you’re a nail art newbie or seasoned stylist, Easter offers a cracking opportunity to showcase your creativity. Challenge yourself with 3D and hand-painted designs, or indulge in the simplicity and elegance of speckled Mini Egg-inspired looks. It’s time to start promoting options to get your business noticed and delight your clients, so hop to it!
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1 NailKind Nail Lacquer in Sunny Sorbet £8.95 inc VAT
www.nailkind.com
Nails by Lecenté Creator, Kirsty McGeoch, using the brand’s Spec-tacular gel polish collection.
Millie of @nailsbymillie.hadds Easter bunting above her nail desk and displays a jar of crème eggs – a tempting treat for clients.
An Easter wreath adds a sweet touch to the door of Tilly’s Beauty Co., Lytham St Annes.
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2 Home Bargains Spring Time Beaded Bunny Wreath £7.99 inc VAT
www.homebargains.co.uk
Dannika Bernadette
Seasonal tip
Nail artist, Dannika Bernadette, advises: “Bundle Easter nail design services with promotions to attract clients seeking seasonal manicures. For example, offer a ‘spring refresh’ package featuring pastel nails with a cuticle treatment.”
Whether you’re a nail art newbie or seasoned stylist, Easter offers a cracking opportunity to showcase your creativity. Challenge yourself with 3D and hand-painted designs, or indulge in the simplicity and elegance of speckled Mini Egg-inspired looks. It’s time to start promoting options to get your business noticed and delight your clients, so hop to it!
Michaela Phillips
“While chicks, bunnies and Easter eggs are popular options for clients, I’ve noticed a shift to more wearable seasonal designs,” shares Kent nail artist & Halo VIP, Michaela Phillips. “You may receive requests for pastel tips, abstract patterns and minimalist florals.”
Some-bunny loves Easter at Leek’s Francesco Hair Salon, Stoke-on-Trent, as a fun display greets clients.
Eggs-tra inviting
Create an Instagrammable work environment by adding Easter wreaths, bunting or seasonal décor. You could also offer Easter eggs to encourage clients to upgrade or try a new service, such as a discounted massage if they book their next three nail appointments. Consider engaging clients on social media by sending them on a virtual Easter egg hunt. ‘Hide’ an emoji on one of your posts and invite them to find it. The first to message you could win a prize!
Florida-based pro, @tipsbyshonell,creates alternative French enhancements, featuring spring-friendly shades.
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3 Gel Junkie Soak Off Gel Polish in Mystic Lilac £7.95 inc VAT
www.geljunkie.co.uk
Dannika Bernadette suggests: “Start displaying Easter designs early to inspire clients. Use swatch sticks, mood boards or create a dedicated Easter-themed display.”
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4 B&M Bunny Jar £3 inc VAT
www.bmstores.co.uk
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5 Glitterbels Coloured Acrylic Powder in Pinky Pie £7.99 inc VAT
www.glitterbels.com
Sara Pinto
Shades & styles
“Traditional Easter nail designs present a soft pastel colour palette and hand-painted details,” comments Sara Pinto, Andreia Professional product director. Calming, chic and spring-friendly, bring soft shades to the front of your product displays, and inspire clients to choose seasonal nail art by painting designs on tips. Show these at the nail desk or in the waiting area, and post on social media so clients are aware of your seasonal offerings.
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6 Nail Art Display Disk £1.95 + VAT
www.sweetsquared.com
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7 Andreia Professional Gel Polish in Sky Blue ID6 £5.99 + VAT
www.salon-services.com /
www.andreiaprofessional.com
LEVEL 1: Beginner nail art
Are you often back-to-back with nail appointments and seek speedy styles to mark the Easter holiday? Or are you a nail art novice and not quite ready to dabble in intricate designs? Explore handy ideas and product choices to suit.
Mini Egg mains
Take inspiration from delectable Mini Eggs for a fun nail finish. Their speckled, pastel exterior is a popular design with clients, as it is versatile enough to be worn past the Easter weekend. Create the base for Mini Egg styles with a pastel hue, and use a fine nail art brush or dotting tool with black or brown gel polish or art gel to hand-paint a speckled effect.
Scan to view a gallery of Mini Egg-inspired manicures
Colchester nail artist, Loz of @loznailartistry,paints multi-coloured dots atop a neutral base, finishing the look with black speckles.
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1 Lecenté Glitter Gel Polish in Speckled Egg £11.99 + VAT
www.lecente.com
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2 HD Pro Nails FLEX IT! Hema Free Base & Build Gel in Sunshine Shimmer £13.99 + VAT
www.hazeldixonnails.com
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3 CND Shellac™ Vivid Gel Polish in White Gloves £14.95 + VAT
www.sweetsquared.com
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4 The GelBottle Inc Gel Polish in Powder £15.95 + VAT
www.thegelbottle.com
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5 Kirsty Meakin Bella Gloss Top Coat £14.99 + VAT
www.kirstymeakin.com
-inspired manicu
A matte top coat completes this Easter nail style by Long Eaton’s @catcreatesnails,who includes the look in her ‘Simple Nail Art’ pricing tier.
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6 ASP Nail Art Brushes £3.04 inc VAT
www.aspnail.co.uk
Scratch Stars Hall of Fame
pro & brand founder, Kirsty Meakin, complements a crisp French tip with a pale blue speckled design, featuring the Kirsty Meakin Bella Gloss Top Coat.
Dotty about pastels
“Easter styles centre around soft, pastel shades,” says Michaela Phillips. “Your nail kit should include baby pinks, lilacs, pastel blues, mint greens, yellows and creamy whites. Use dotting tools to create polka dots or bunny features with ease.”
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7 Halo Gel Polish Plus in Matcha £10.95 + VAT
www.purenails.co.uk
Jelly Tots-like polka dots are painted on nails by The GelBottle inc brand ambassador, Bryony Howell.
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8 INK London Dotting Tools (4pk) £5 +VAT
www.inknails.com
Recreate this design by nail artist, Tessa of @tessa.lyn.nails,using your client’s preferred colour palette.
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9 The Manicure Company Gel Polish in Peace & Love £8.36 + VAT
www.themanicurecompany.com
LEVEL 2: Intermediate nail art
Allow extra time to embrace the creativity that Easter affords and benefit from additional income by upgrading your clients to a level 2 nail art service.
Elevate the speckled egg style with inspiration from Kirsty Meakin, who combines speckles with stripes.
Is something bunny? Humoured rabbits are painted atop a silver overlay in this style by Artistic Nail Design brand ambassador, Kay Kirsop of @kaycoopernails.
GET THE LOOK!
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1 Artistic Colour Gloss in Trouble £9.95 + VAT
www.sweetsquared.com
Swindon-based nail tech, Chloe of @cmdxbeauty,created this ‘bun’-filled take on French tips. Scan for a step-by-step guide to creating the look
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2 Hara Professional Gel Polish in Bridesmaid £7.15 + VAT
www.astonandfincher.co.uk
Seasonal subtleties & floral bouquets
Sara Pinto suggests gradient techniques to achieve effective styles that suit the season: “For a seamless pastel colour transition, I recommend using a sponge.”
A multi-coloured pastel and glitter ombré by NSI ambassador, Beth Denby.
Flower-filled fields are painted in this green and purple design by Halo VIP, Shelley Lewis.
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3 Halo Gel Polish in Sage £5.95 + VAT
www.purenails.co.uk
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4 OPI GelColor in Happy Play-ce £19.90 + VAT
uk.wella.professionalstore.com
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5 Gelish Cream Gel Palette in Pretty Pastels £19.99 + VAT
www.gelishmorgantaylor.co.uk
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6 Cuccio Colour in Molti Marigold £4.49 + VAT
www.cuccio.co.uk
The team at Julie K Nail Atelier, Manhattan, shares a spring-friendly floral mani with gold detailing.
Lindsay Heigh
Nail art specialist, Lindsay Heigh of @nailsbylindsayy,shares her top tip for hand-painting intricate designs: “Invest in highly pigmented gel paints to elevate the nail finish.”
STEP-BY-STEP
Nail artist & content creator, Carla Brannan of @gelled_pretty,shares a step-by-step guide to perfecting an adorable rabbit design. She uses Gems Nail Systems products, available via
www.gemsnailsystems.com
Carla Brannan
Step 1 Apply two coats of Gems Full Control Gel in Jodie to the nail, curing between each coat. Apply a matte top coat and cure, then paint a curved triangle for the rabbit’s head and arms using Gems Gel Polish in Angel. Cure.
Step 2 Using the Angel shade, paint one long, straight ear and one flopped over. Cure, then paint the inside of the rabbit’s straight ear with Gems Gel Polish in Ellie-Jade. Cure.
Step 3 Paint a curve from underneath the rabbit’s face using Gems Gel Polish in Flora. Cure, then continue the process down the nail using shades: Ellie-Jade, Erin, Lily and Lulu. Cure after applying each colour.
Step 4 Using a black art gel, paint two eyes, a nose and a mouth, curing after each application. Outline the design in the same hue and cure. Apply Martha Matte Top Coat and cure to finish.
LEVEL 3: Advanced nail art
Create Easter-themed eggstravaganzas on nails using hand-painting techniques, or consider crafting 3D elements for a manicure guaranteed to eggs-cite. Sara Pinto suggests: “Add 3D rabbit ears or mould Easter eggs to offer clients a unique and standout look.”
Scratch Stars Polish & Paint Artist of the Year
2023 &
Social Media Star of the Year
2024, Kamila Borowiec of @glamliciousnails,used Kirsty Meakin products to create this 3D Easter bunny design. Scan for a step-by-step guide to creating the look
Indiana nail artist, Hannah of @polishedbyneena,paints an Easter scene featuring 3D rabbits, carrots and textured glitter tips.
Staffordshire nail artist & content creator, Lucia of @nailsbyluciaxo,took a trip to her local Marks & Spencer store for the inspiration behind this cracked egg design.
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1 Cuccio Veneer 3D Design Powder £12 + VAT
www.cuccio.co.uk
We’ve got a sugar rush from these Haribo Peaches-inspired enhancements by Denver nail tech, Ashleigh of @fauxjacat.“The design took around two hours to complete. A sweet and sugary nail style makes for a perfect Easter look,” shares Ashleigh, who used sugar crystals to achieve the texture.
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2 Nailchemy Ombré Pigment in Peach £2.99 + VAT
www.nailchemy.co.uk
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3 HD Pro Nails DESIGN IT! Colour Gel in Purple Gleam £12.49 + VAT
www.hazeldixonnails.com
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4 Light Elegance ButterCream in Chick Flick and Chill £17.95 + VAT
www.lightelegance.co.uk
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5 OPI GelColor in Beauty School Popout £19.90 + VAT
uk.wella.professionalstore.com
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6 Glitterbels Liner Brush with Lid – 9mm £7.99 inc VAT
www.glitterbels.com
If you’ve mastered Mini Egg nails, try your hand at stiletto talons that combine speckles and the aura effect. This egg-ceptional nail style comes courtesy of Bristol nail artist, Leona Kelly (@nailsbyleonak).
How to elevate Easter looks
“Dry brush or sponge product to create a soft, ombré background,” shares Dannika Bernadette. “You could also experiment with layered colour blocking and negative space techniques to add a modern touch. For texture, use acrylic powder or 3D gel to sculpt flowers, ribbons or lace details. Chrome powders in soft pastels or pearlescent finishes can also help enhance your nail artistry.”