Art with Jark

Scratch Stars Hall Of Fame pro & founder of Jark Nails, JIAK HING, shares a masterclass in gel polish design to elevate your artistic offerings

ABOUT JIAK HING

Jiak Hing is a bespoke nail artist from Bolton, Manchester. She specialises in unique, illustrative nail art under the business name, Jark Nails, and has scooped multiple industry awards, including the Scratch Stars Gel Polish Stylist of the Year accolade in 2022, 2023 and 2024. These three wins granted her entry into the Scratch Stars Hall Of Fame for the category. Jiak is committed to producing innovative and intricate nail art, and credits gel polish for offering creative freedom. The versatility of the medium allows her to experiment with a spectrum of colours and bring her artistic visions to life. She hopes to inspire nail professionals to step out of their comfort zones, embrace creativity and try new skills and techniques.

OUT & ABOUT

With Joely Ocean.

I attended The Nail Dates x Glossify: The Recharge Event in Manchester, which was so inspiring. The day featured a wellbeing and empowerment session with therapist & clinical superior, Kella-Marie Fitzgerald (@thecalmologist), a Pilates class led by manicurist, Jasellarose (@biabnailstudio), and a creative mood and nail art workshop with Glossify’s head of brand, Joely Ocean (@joelyoceannails).

A group photo with attendees.

The event was a fantastic opportunity to reset and connect with other passionate nail artists. Thank you to The Nail Dates founder, Samantha Haste and her team, and Glossify for hosting such a thoughtful and uplifting event.

BUTTERFLY NAIL ART WITH A CAT EYE TWIST

Butterfly nail art is popular in the summer months, as it’s bright, playful and full of personality. For this tutorial, I’ve combined butterflies with current nail trends: cat eye, jelly effects and chrome. These elements work beautifully together to create a glassy, layered design that catches light from every angle. Change up the colours as desired: use a mix or keep the look simple with one hue. Whatever you choose, the style makes a statement.

Step 1 Prep the nails and apply two coats of a milky white gel polish, curing between each coat. Alternatively, you can use nude or soft pink shades, but I prefer milky white as it helps the butterfly motif stand out.

Step 2 Paint one side of the butterfly wing using your chosen cat eye gel polish shade. Place the magnet near the product to shift the particles and create a reflective, glassy effect, gathering the shimmer to one side. Cure.

You will need:

• Milky white gel polish.

• Cat eye gel polish & magnet. and magnet.

• Jelly or glass pink gel polish.

• Silver chrome gel.

• Top coat.

Step 3 Repeat step 2 on the opposite side to form the full butterfly shape. Keep the wing sizes slightly asymmetrical, and cure when you are happy with the placement.

Step 4 Apply a coat of jelly gel polish (in a similar shade to the cat eye gel polish) over the wings to create a translucent, glass-like effect. Cure.

Step 5 Outline the butterfly wings using silver chrome gel. Vary the line thickness to add dimension, and cure.

Step 6 Seal the design with a glossy top coat and cure. Alternatively, apply a glossy top coat over the butterfly and a matte top coat over the rest of the nail, to create a textured look.

TOP TREND

Cat eye gel polish remains one of the biggest nail art trends, especially within Korean and Japanese styles. Its light reflective finish adds depth and a velvety texture to nails. I’m especially inspired by Surrey-based nail artist, Alex Philamond (@alexdidyournails), who specialises in cat eye and chrome combination designs.

Follow Jiak:

/jarknailartisan

@jark.nails

@jarknails