12 Nail Art Essentials For An Easy, Effortless Manicure

DIY nail designs on Pinterest always seem so simple … that is until you realise that you don’t own any of the equipment! If you want to start doing your nails at home, but don’t know where to start, I’ve got you covered. Here are the 12 nail art essentials you need for an easy, effortless manicure.

Assorted nail polishes

Nail polish is the foundation of any manicure, so it has to come first on the list! I recommend stocking up on a few staple shade ranges, like nudes or pastels, that you can wear on a day-to-day basis. Then, buy a selection of brighter, bolder colours that can be used as an accent. Yellows, oranges and reds, for example, are extremely handy to have during the spring and summer months for fruity or floral designs.

Black and white nail polishes are a must-have too. These work with almost any colour palette so you’ll definitely want them in your kit. For a jet black varnish I love OPI’s Lady in Black. And for a brilliant white I’d go with Alpine Snow.

Striper brushes

A good set of striper brushes will allow you to become way more creative with your nail art. They’re great for creating clean, neat lines as well as more intricate patterns or designs. No manicure kit would be complete without them!

Dotting tool

For polka dot designs or flower petals, a dotting tool is a necessity. I suggest getting a pack with different sized ends so you can play around with different shapes and dimensions.

Amazon is a great place to buy these. I also recommend this dotting tool from Mylee.

Stickers or water decals

I’m OBSESSED with nail stickers! If, like me, you struggle to draw detailed designs on your nails, these are an absolute lifesaver. It will look like you’ve spent ages on your manicure, when in actuality it probably took a couple of minutes (at most!).

The main difference between stickers and water decals is the manner of application. Stickers are self-adhesive, meaning there’s a lot less fuss involved in applying them … but that they’ll stick out slightly from the nail. If you don’t mind the embossed effect then I’d recommend these metallic ones – they’re super cute! I also love the Ciaté London The Cheat Sheets nail stickers, they’re perfect for the summer.

Water decals need to be dipped in water (for about 30 seconds) in order for them to adhere to the nail. The overall process will take a bit longer, but since they lie flat, the finished result will be much smoother. These floral decals from Etsy are just so pretty, as are these abstract line designs.

Striping tape

Striping tape is the perfect way to take your manicure to the next level. These are great for creating patterns (with the tape as the main feature) or for negative space designs (achieved by painting over the tape then removing it). I probably get the most use out of the silver and gold reels, but it’s always handy to have a few extra colours.

Studs, stones and gems

Adding gems to my nails is probably my favourite part of my at-home manicure. It just ties the whole look together and makes it extra glam.

If you’re looking for the right set, these moon and star themed studs are just adorable. I think they would look SO good over galaxy nails.

Pointed tweezers

Tweezers are on of those nail art essentials that everyone forgets about. But, if you’re working with stickers and gems, you’re going to need something to place them with. Trust me, it’s far too fiddly to just use your fingers!

The pointed end will make it easier to stick the decals/stones in the exact place you want, so I definitely recommend investing in a pair (or two).

Latex peel-off cuticle guard

If you’re a messy painter, this liquid latex cuticle guard will change your life. You just paint it on the skin around your nail, apply your desired polish as normal and then peel the latex off when you’re done.

This guard is especially useful for things like water marbling or nail stamping where you’re bound to get varnish outside of the nail plate.

Leaf foil or transfer foil

Transfer foils are so easy to use and look really cool when done right. You can either use nail foil glue to apply them – this is probably the best way – or, in a pinch, you can wait for your regular polish to dry slightly before pressing the foils on. You’ll need the polish to be tacky but not wet!

Nail stamp and plates

If you haven’t used a nail stamp before, this is your sign to try it out. It’s honestly so fun and it opens up a world of possibilities when it comes to designs and patterns. You just have to paint your nail polish onto the plate, scrape it to level it out then use the rubber stamp to press the design onto your nail.

It does work best with special stamping polish, but I have had success with regular polish too so I don’t think it’s essential.

Loose glitter

Why buy glitter polish when you can make it yourself? I think loose glitter is such an easy way to spruce up any manicure. Plus, it gives you the option to mix different colours and decide just how opaque you want the glitter layer to be.

UV lamp

This list of nail art essentials wouldn’t be complete without a UV lamp. Since gel polish is much more sturdy than regular nail polish, you’ll find that your nail art designs will last a lot longer when done this way. Studs and gems, in particular, stick on way better with gel varnish so I’d definitely consider investing in one of these.

For a full review of the Mylee Gel Nail Starter Kit, check out this post.

What are your nail art essentials? Let me know down below!