In case you haven’t heard, animal print is back and better than ever. The latest place spots and stripes are making an appearance? Nails! Yup, from cow nails to leopard nails to zebra, it’s safe to say the beauty world can’t get enough of incorporating fun, animal-inspired patterns into a manicure. If you’re one to stay in-the-know about the latest and greatest beauty trends, we’re sure you want to get in on all the hype. Read on to learn how to do animal print nails, including step-by-step tutorials on how to do cow, zebra, and leopard print nails that are fit for a beautiful animal like you!
Cow print nails are seriously taking over our social media feeds—and we’re over the mooo-n about it. Even better, this animal print nail look is super easy to DIY.
Apply one to two coats of white nail polish on all of your nails. Make sure you have an even, solid white base!
STEP #2. CREATE YOUR SPOTS
Making your cow print is easy! Simply dip the rounded end of your bobby pin into black nail polish, then use it to create black blobs on your nails that resemble the spots on a cow. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect or if you don’t have the same number of spots on each nail—this will only make your cow nails look more authentic!
STEP #3. SEAL THE LOOK
Finish by smoothing a top coat onto each nail to prevent chipping and add shine. How cute!
Obsessed with the idea of leopard print nails? We don’t blame you. When it comes to animal print designs, leopard nails may just be one of the most popular options. You can give yourself a full set of animalistic nails or opt for a leopard accent—it’s up to you! Here’s how to make them.
What you’ll need:
Nude nail polish
Black nail polish
Glitter nail polish
Bobby pin or toothpick
Top coat
Get the look:
STEP #1. PAINT YOUR BASE
Begin by painting your nails with a nude or tan nail polish. Apply two to three coats, as necessary.
STEP #2. CREATE YOUR LEOPARD PRINT
Using a toothpick or the rounded end of a bobby pin, create varying sized “C” shapes on your nails. The goal isn’t to make perfect C shapes, but rather aim for them to be imperfect for a more realistic leopard print. Then, add a few random black dots here and there for an even more realistic appearance.
STEP #3. ADD SOME GLAM
Why not add some glitter to your leopard print nails? While not necessary, we love this combo. Use a clean toothpick to apply glitter polish to your spots.
STEP #4. FINISH YOUR LOOK
To complete your leopard print look, smooth on a top coat. All done!
Editor’s note: Think you want cheetah print nails instead? While these same curved shapes are often associated with cheetah print, a cheetah’s coat is actually spotted! If you want a cheetah nail design, all you have to do is use your dotting tool (aka your bobby pin or toothpick) to make dots rather than C shapes. Change up the color scheme and the same design can work for Dalmatian print nails, too!
Spots not your thing? What about stripes? If you want to give yourself a zebra print nail look, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to do it.
What you’ll need:
White nail polish
Black nail polish
Toothpick
Top coat
Get the look:
STEP #1. APPLY YOUR BASE
You know what to do—apply a few coats of white nail polish, laying down a solid, white base for your manicure.
STEP #2. PAINT YOUR STRIPES
Dip the end of a toothpick into your black nail polish. Then, use it to draw a waved line from the edge of one side of your nail, stopping just past the center of the nail. Repeat on the opposite side. Continue painting alternating wavy lines (no need for these to be perfect), and you’ll have a full set of zebra stripes in no time!
STEP #3. SMOOTH ON A TOP COAT
To finish your zebra manicure, apply a top coat on each of your nails. Now, go take a picture for Instagram!
