I recently got a little bit obsessed with Konad, when I noticed animal print nails. It looks really fierce and fun at the same time.

I scoured eBay for Konad nail stamps, but I was really impatient, what with the shipping time and the added fact that post offices are closed and will be super backed up by the time they reopen.

So I searched instead for leopard prints, so I could create my own leopard print nails, without having to wait for Konad nail stamps.


So I found my leopard print, and then went about looking for tools that I could use to create the look. So here's what I came up with. What you'll need:

A sharp tipped tool - it could be an old pen (make sure it's one you don't want to use anymore!), or the sharp tip of an old earring, or a very thin paint brush. I used the back of my hook earring for this. I used a hook earring because it provides a better grip than the short, straight ones.

Nail polish - you'll need two or three different complementing shades (make sure you have one dark, and one light), and a top coat

Paper - preferably glossy, like magazine paper

And here's what you need to do: (excuse my nails in the pictures, I was rushing, so I didn't have time to properly wipe off the dark polish that was previously there)

Start with your base. It should be a light colour - I used something light, shimmery, and metallic-looking


Once this layer dries, you're ready to start your patterns. You'll be doing the patterns with your sharp-tipped tool. Take your dark colour, and dip it onto the piece of paper. Unless you're using a brush, it'll only pick up so much product at a time, so be ready to dip a lot :)


Now you're ready to start the patterns. Make imperfect circles with your dark coloured polish. To make one circle, use 3 un-connected lines. Make sure not to connect them, and make sure they are messy and imperfect. That's the beauty of this pattern - if you screw up, it's fine because it's meant to look that way anyway.

Make about 3 large, imperfect circles, and then slightly smaller circles around them. Make sure to draw some unfinished circles at the outer corners of your nails, too. (Like the one at the tip of the second nail in the picture below)


If you want, you can use a picture, like the leopard pattern I have above, as a guide.

If you want more colour, here's what you do instead. Before drawing your patterns, take a third colour nail polish, and dot about 3 imperfect circles onto your nail. Once the circles dry, draw the patterns around them to create your leopard pattern.


Finish off with a top coat. Apply it in 3 swipes, going over each portion only once. Let it dry and you're done!



I used Ulta3's Nail Colour in Lollypop Lilac as the base, OPI's Who Are You Wearing? as the dark colour, and Sally Hansen's Power Shield Ultra Protective Top Coat.

I hope everyone's having an awesome holiday season!