How to Get Aurora Nails at Home
Nail art has captivated TikTok over the past year, from simple but chic neutral chromes (also referred to as Hailey Bieber nails) to vibrant, gradient auras. Up next arrives the South Korean aurora nail trend, inspired by the glimmering northern lights, aka aurora borealis.
If you love sparkly, iridescent nails, this trend is for you! Aurora nails combine bright colors with opalescent foils to create the perfect kaleidoscope. These nails take a bit more effort than your average nail look, but don't worry! We've broken it down step-by-step to make it as simple as possible to achieve them in the comfort of your own home.
1. Gel base coat ($8.99) and cure for 30 seconds ($9.99)
As always, begin with a clean base and a base coat.
2. Rub a glossy mirror powder ($24.99) onto nail
Next use an applicator to apply the powder onto your nail. For extra security, take the pad of your fingertip or a silicone buffer to further smooth the powder.
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3. Duff off the excess with a brush ($3.49)
Brush off any remaining powder with a makeup brush.
4. Use gel overlay ($14.99) to apply foil ($9.99)
First, make sure your foil is sized to your nail—the foil should be smaller than your nail bed. Then, coat your entire nail bed in the gel overlay and place the foil on the desired area of your nail. The foil should not tailor to the curve of your nail but lightly sit straight on your nail, leaving a gap on the edges of the foil. Lastly, cure the nail again for 60 seconds.
5. Outline your foil
Take your same gel overlay and outline your foil to fill in the gap. Flash cure for 30 seconds, and then apply overlay over the entire nail. If you want to add dimension, you can create ridges across the nail bed using your gel overlay.
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6. Add top coat ($11.96) and cure for 60 seconds
Finally, apply top coat!
Obsessed with Hailey Bieber? Read HERE to see find out which of her quotes would make the best Instagram captions.