Beauty & Style

How To Do Butterfly Nails

Butterflies, with their intricate and delicate wings, are a traditional and universal symbol of beauty. Learn how to paint butterflies onto your nails with the help of this guide from nail artist Metta Phommavongsa. Enlarge

How To Do Butterfly Nails

Butterflies, with their intricate and delicate wings, are a traditional and universal symbol of beauty. Learn how to paint butterflies onto your nails with the help of this guide from nail artist Metta Phommavongsa.

Top Tips

  • The most important parts of any manicure are the basecoat and topcoat. The basecoat works to prevent staining on your nails from the coloured varnishes, and the topcoat seals your design, keeping it perfect for longer.
  • Draw the body of the butterfly on with a black nail striper. If you don't have a nail striper, you can use a nail art pen or a cuticle stick dipped in nail varnish, as shown for the wings in this guide.
  • Leave each part to dry before starting the next. This prevents smudges and smears which on such a small scale, can be difficult to fix.
  • Be creative! Use as many colours as you think you can fit inside the wings to create beautiful patterns. Remember that a butterfly's wings are symmetrical so be sure to create a mirror image of your design on each side of the body.