Nail art is both enjoyable and costly, and there is a look for every occasion. Not all designs, from bold and bright to simple and minimalistic, require hours of skill to complete. Sometimes the best looks are the ones that are effortlessly chic.

If you’ve been thinking about doing your own nail art to save time and money while also letting your creative juices flow, now is the time to get inspired. However, before immersing yourself in our endless collection, let’s take a look at the list of things you need to do before decorating those blank canvases with colorful polish.

Tip #1 for Nail Painting: You only need three strokes.
Before you begin applying polish to your nails, keep in mind that you only need three strokes to cover your entire nail. “You want the polish to do the majority of the work and spread out as it’s placed on the nail—the brush is just there to guide the dot of polish into place,” says celebrity nail artist Simcha Whitehill, aka Miss Pop. “Starting at the base of your nail, stroke the brush to the left, to the right, and then down the center, and voilà!”

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