An Easy Holiday Manicure With a Secret Ingredient

“Sometimes I want to take three hours to do a detailed design,” says the New York-based nail artist Mei Kawajiri, who has created elaborate custom looks for pop stars such as Tyla, Dua Lipa and Sabrina Carpenter. But while Kawajiri is well known for her 3-D manicures, adorned with everything from miniature teddy bears to dollops of caviar, she also understands the power of what she calls a pared-down “good idea.” Here, she demonstrates how to accomplish a festive version of “aura nails” — which feature gradient color accents against a solid base — using just a handful of products including, perhaps surprisingly, eye shadow.

Step 1

Starting with clean, dry and oil-free hands, apply two coats of a sheer base color to your nails. Kawajiri recommends Manucurist’s Green natural polish in Hortencia to create “a rosy look.”

Step 2

Let the polish dry for at least five minutes. Then, add one layer of a matte polish; Kawajiri suggests Manucurist’s Green Perfecting Matte Base Coat. The combination of sheer and matte varnishes will give your manicure an even and primed base against which your design can pop.

Step 3

Let the nails dry completely, which should take five to 10 minutes. You can speed things up with a portable electric fan or an elegant folded option, like Duvelleroy’s Signature Fashion Fan. Simply “sticking your hand out the window” will also suffice, says Kawajiri — just don’t reach for a hair dryer or anything else that uses heat, which can distort the polish.

Step 4

For an unexpected accent, repurpose your favorite eye shadow or blush. Kawajiri recommends a bright shade, and among her favorites are Haus Labs by Lady Gaga’s range of Color Fuse blushes and those in Isamaya’s Industrial Color Pigments 2.0 palette; Pat McGrath’s Luminous Legends: Mega Eye Shadow palette contains other vibrant options. Rub your pigment of choice into each nail with an applicator in a circular motion, starting in the middle of the nail. Kawajiri encourages trying multiple shimmering or bright shades for an ombré look or adding eye shadow to only the tip of the nail, for a twist on a classic French manicure. For beginners, shimmer shades may be easier to apply than mattes; the borders don’t need to be as precise. Whichever product you choose, you can edit and clean up your design with a Q-Tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Step 5

Seal your look with a layer of a topcoat such as Dior’s or the more budget-friendly version from Seche Vite, which Kawajiri recommends. Follow with a swipe of cuticle oil, such as Chanel’s L’Huile Camélia, to add extra shine to the nails.