Here’s how to do a Pride month-inspired rainbow manicure

2020-06-13

Now’s the perfect time to don rainbow nails, so here’s a step-by-step guide to doing yours at home.

For the first time in its 40 year history, many Pride celebrations across the world have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. That doesn’t mean it should be forgotten, though – in fact, we should be celebrating it more than ever.

Of course, there’s a multitude of incredible charities that you can donate to, and plenty of beauty products you can buy that support LGBTQ+ communities. There are also loads of ways you can show your support from home, too – whether that’s by listening to a podcast, getting involved in an online festival, or by donning a rainbow manicure.

With nail salons still closed until next month it’s one you’ll have to do at home, so we asked celebrity manicurist Lucy Tucker for a step-by-step guide to doing a simple yet effective look.

To create it you’ll need rainbow-coloured polishes (scroll down to see our picks), a top and base coat, a steady hand and, importantly, a nail polish corrector pen.

OPI / £13.90

Natural Nail Base Coat

Seche Vive / £11.95

Gel Effect Top Coat

Nails Inc / £13

SOS Corrector Pen

Step-by-step guide to a DIY rainbow manicure

Step one: prep nails, file them to your desired shape and push back cuticles to make your nails appear longer than they actually are, then apply base coat.

Step two: start by painting a thin stripe of red nail polish – a curved stripe is easier than trying to get a straight line. Play around with the thickness of it, but make sure you leave enough room to get all the other colours on, and if you make a mistake or decide it’s too wide, remove some of it with the corrector pen.

Step three: paint a thin stripe of orange right next to the edge of the red – if you wait until each stripe is touch dry you can apply the next colour slightly over the line to give it a crisp, clean edge. Make sure you’re correcting mistakes as you go if you need to.

Step four: continue until you’ve painted a stripe with each of the colours, clean up any mistakes around the nail and once the first coat is completely try, layer a second coat of colour on each stripe.

Step five: once both coats of colour are done, finish with a top coat. It’s important to make sure the polish is completely dry though, otherwise you’ll end up smearing all the shades into each other and nobody wants that.