Journal

From a single dot to leopard print and holographic accents: 30 gel nail designs for every skill level, with the steps to recreate each one at home.

Lilac or lavender, mauve or deep plum: which purple suits your skin tone, 12 designs to recreate at home, and how to stop pale purples from streaking.

Done carefully, a gel manicure at home lasts two to three weeks. This guide takes you through every step, from prep to top coat, and shows how to fix wrinkles, bubbles and streaks.

Prep, slip layer, bead, apex and finish: how to apply builder gel step by step, which shade to choose and the mistakes that cause lifting.

Tortoiseshell nails get their depth from a sheer amber layer between two rounds of spots. We show how to build it in gel, step by step, with seven designs from French tips to cat eye.

First gel kits, festive magnetic shades, the finishes experts reorder and the pro e-file: Christmas gift ideas for everyone who notices hands first.

Dots, tiny hearts, a micro French and more: 15 simple nail designs to paint in gel at home, each with its tool or a household alternative, plus how to fix mistakes before curing.

The removal is where a manicure is really judged. The professional e-file method, the right bits and the mistakes that leave nails thin and sore.

Thirteen Halloween nail designs, from an office-friendly black French tip to spider webs, ghosts and blood drips, with step-by-step advice for painting them in gel.

Wine red, black cherry, a fine burgundy French or a touch of gold: our favourite ways to wear the most elegant colour of the season, and the shades to do it.

Dark chocolate, espresso, marron glacé or golden caramel: twelve brown manicures for the season, the shade that suits your skin and the secrets of a brown that looks expensive.

Speed, motor, battery, bits and safety: what to check before you buy a nail drill (e-file) in 2026, with a pro vs beginner comparison and our cordless drill.

How cat eye gel polish works, a step-by-step tutorial, five magnet techniques and the best cat eye colours for autumn–winter 2026, from burgundy to silver.

Burgundy, chocolate brown, cat eye, leopard, deep green or classy nude: the six fall nail colour trends for October 2026, the Elegelli shades to wear them and ideas for short nails.

Carbide, diamond, ceramic or sanding band? Barrel, flame or ball? The shapes, grits and speeds of nail drill bits, job by job, plus how to change and disinfect them.