Styling with THE STARS
WOODLAND WONDER
Let your skills sparkle with technical & artistic step-by-steps from Scratch Stars Awards finalists & champions
Scratch Star
spotlight
Who: Monika Ferreira
What:
Scratch Stars Polish & Paint Nail Artist of the Year 2026
Why: Monika is a self-employed beauty pro with 13 years’ industry experience. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others and creating content that combines sector expertise with artistry. How: Known for her love of intricate, realistic portraits and animal-inspired nail art, Monika enjoys experimenting with gel paints and watercolour effects to bring her designs to life.
Follow Monika:
@mjallure_beauty /
MJAllure1 @monikaferreira42
This year, whimsical nail art has become increasingly popular, with clients looking to add a touch of charm to their nails. Bring whimsy woodland vibes to seasonal styling with this sweet fox cub design.
Step 1 Prep the nail and apply a coat of white gel paint or gel polish. Cure, then apply matte gel polish top coat and cure again. Using a pencil, lightly draw a cross to divide the nail into four sections. Sketch the outline of an acorn to cover most of the nail, leaving an oval-shaped space in the centre.
You will need:
• Pencil and eraser.
• Fine nail art brushes.
• Gel paints in white, light brown, medium brown, dark brown, red, beige, black and khaki.
• Matte and glossy gel polish top coats.
Step 2 Within the centre space, sketch the outline of a curled-up, sleeping fox cub. Refine the shape and add textured details to the acorn.
Step 3 Mix medium brown gel paint with a small amount of glossy gel polish top coat and carefully trace over the pencil sketch, using a fine liner brush to create outlines. Cure, then gently erase any visible pencil marks.
Step 4 Using light, medium and dark brown gel paints, add colour to the acorn cap and nut, curing between each application. Gradually build up the darker tones and shadows, concentrating the deepest colour beneath the cap.
WINNING WISDOM
Competing in the Scratch Stars Awards pushed me out of my comfort zone, challenged me creatively and gave me the confidence to believe in myself. Winning the Polish & Paint Nail Artist of the Year category was a dream come true, and has encouraged me to work even harder with the aim to enter the Hall Of Fame one day.
TOP TIP
If you decide to use gel polish instead of gel paints for this design, build up the colour gradually in thin layers, as gel paints are typically more pigmented.
Step 5 Paint the fox cub with white gel paint, but do not cure. Gradually introduce red gel paint from the top of the fox’s head, applying more where you want the shade to appear richer. Blend beige gel paint into the middle of the fox’s face, fading this into the white gel paint towards the muzzle. Repeat the same blending technique on the tail. Cure once you are happy with the result. Add dark brown gel paint to the fox’s ears and paw, then cure.
Step 6 Using red and medium brown gel paints, add more definition and colour to the fox cub’s face and tail. Cure.
Step 7 Use dark brown gel paint to deepen the colour of the fox’s paw and cure. With black gel paint, carefully define the ears, whiskers, nose, eyes, mouth and tail. Keep lines delicate to maintain the soft look of the design. Cure.
Step 8 Build up more colour where needed with gel paint, such as the red of the fox cub and dark brown of the acorn, then cure. Next, using a combination of white gel paint and glossy gel polish top coat, add depth to the acorn, fox’s ears, cheeks and tail. Cure, then fill the background with a textured, grass-like effect using khaki gel paint. Cure once complete.
Step 9 Apply glossy gel polish top coat and cure to finish.