Tips for Swirl Nail Designs
Choose a base color that matches your skin tone. If you choose a light base color, it will make your nail appear longer, while dark colors will give it more depth and dimension.
Mixing two different shades of one color works well too! Just make sure they're not too similar, so they don't blend together into one big blur - keep them separate enough that they each have their own identity!
Don't use too many colors or too many shades of one color in your design. Too many hues can make your nails appear busy, which is not ideal for this type of nail art. Just stick with two or three shades at most!
Make sure that the design is symmetrical. You want it to look like two halves of the same whole, not two different swirls side by side.
Use less polish and add negative space. You don't want to cover the entire nail in polish; just enough to make it look like a full swirl.
Choose your nail shape and length carefully. Swirls can look good on all different kinds of nails, but they're not for everyone. You'll need to be careful that the swirl doesn't come out too thick and overpowering.
If you have a lot of nail experience, consider using a dotting tool to create the dots in the swirl pattern. It'll save time and help you get more detailed results. If not, don't worry—you can always use a toothpick or a similar tool!
Use two different colors for the main shape of your swirl, and then add a third color for accents. You can use any combo that you like, but we recommend sticking with three colors if you want to keep things simple.
Don't be afraid of negative space! While it might be tempting to fill in every inch of your nail with color, remember that the negative space can be just as important as the parts where there's paint—it gives the eye something to rest on between swoops and swirls!