Raise your hand if you’re lion dancing your way into the Lunar New Year! We’re close to welcoming the beginning of the Year of the Wood Snake, and we only have a few days left to decide about our nails. Perhaps, you’ve already looked for earthy snake prints or easy Lunar New Year nails to do at home and always wanted to use your Blooming Gel. Don’t worry! With this snake print nail art tutorial, you’ll be able to fully embrace this year’s Chinese zodiac tied in the red and gold colors of the festivity. To match or to mismatch? You're in for a total treat because we didn't just make a guide for you; we also came up with a mismatched nail inspiration you can recreate for Chinese New Year! Mismatched nails are a great way to create little stories and add design variety to your fingertips. But if you’re obsessed with just the blooming gel on snake print effect, then, by all means, go for it! Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, these nails are within your reach with the right gels and tools. Grab these colors for that mismatched look!Pinky: Rosé Duo - R124 Alive In The CityRing Finger: Rosé Duo - R013 Innocence, Rosé Duo - R078 Dozen Of RosesMiddle Finger: Rosé Duo - R077 Devil's Tears, Rosé Duo - R124 Alive In The CityIndex Finger: Rosé Duo - R091 Don't Be SusThumb: Rosé Duo - R013 Innocence, Rosé Duo - R124 Alive In The City List of Products • Base Coat and Top Coat: iGel Dual - Gel Base Coat + No Cleanse Top Coat• Blooming Gel: Blossom Gel - Blooming Effect• Red Nail Polish: Rosé Duo - R077 Devil's Tears (Medium Red) or Rosé Duo - R078 Dozen Of Roses (Reddish purple) or Rosé Duo - R091 Don't Be Sus (Dark Red)• Gold Nail Polish: Rosé Duo - R124 Alive In The City• Painting Tool: Rhinestone Picker Tool as a Dotting Tool or Dual Line Brush 10mm / 22mm or Dual Gel & Pure Kolinsky #2 3D Flower Brush • Nail Lamp: LED PRO Mini Lamp or any UV/LED Nail Lamp How To Use Blooming Gel For Snake Print Nails: Step 1: Prep Your Nail Before you do the nail art, you must first prep your nails properly. Start with cleaning and shaping the nail, then put on a layer of iGel Gel Base Coat 0.5 oz for adhesion and durability. Don’t forget to cure the base coat under a UV/LED Nail Lamp, such as the LED PRO Mini. Step 2: Paint Base Color There are many shades of red available in our Rose Duo collection that you can use for your LNY nails. For this tutorial, let’s use an opaque medium red color: Rosé Duo - R077 Devil's Tears. Paint 2 thin, equal layers of your red polish and cure between each layer for 30 seconds. Step 3: Apply Blooming Gel Next, grab your iGel Beauty Blossom Gel and apply it all over the nail. Do not cure the blooming gel under the nail lamp; just let it settle on the nail for 2-5 seconds before you do the following step. Learn more about our Blooming Gel through this iGel Blossom Gel 101 guide. Step 4: Create Snake Print - Center (Part 1) Time to make the snake print! Choose a gold gel polish like Rosé Duo - R124 Alive In The City to complement the red shade previously. Draw 4-5 dotted lines in the center with a dotting tool or a thin brush. You can make them all the same size or have each dot increase in size. Step 5: Create Snake Print - Both Sides (Part 2) Continue the snake nail design by placing smaller gold-colored dots on both sides. These small dots must be drawn beside the gaps and can be unique in size or form. Cure the nail for 30 seconds under the lamp to lock in the design and reveal the magic of Blossom Gel! Step 5: Finish With Top Coat For the finishing touch, apply the crowd-favorite iGel No Cleanse Top Coat 0.5 oz. This special top coat will give your snake print nails additional shine and make your nails last long. iGel Beauty Theodora reviewed this product and said that this is her “holy grail top coat”! You never know what stroke of luck lies right around the corner, and wearing red and gold during the Lunar New Year might be the ticket to your fate. ✨ Show your snake print nails on our iGel Beauty Facebook Community or tag us on Instagram, @igelbeauty! We can’t wait to see your awesome nail sets as we celebrate this time of red envelopes and dumplings galore! ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Written by Alyssa Bueno on January 22, 2025 Alyssa Bueno, a true beauty enthusiast, brings her passion for writing and beauty to life as a writer for iGel Beauty. With diverse editorial background and industry expertise, Alyssa shares the current trends and curates tutorials and tips to inspire nail lovers worldwide.
