Black Lacquer Evil Eye nails

Stiletto · Evil Eye

Doable at home

Black Lacquer with a single Snow White eye, ringed in Antique Gold and pupilled in black.

3 bottles: Black Lacquer, Snow White and Antique Gold. Black Lacquer against Snow White is a hard contrast, so the motif reads from across a room, and any wobble in the line reads with it. The bottles are not all the same finish (crème and chrome), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.

On a stiletto the nail narrows the whole way, so the pattern reads as tapering with it, which is worth allowing for before the first stroke.

Make it yours

Pick a part of the nail, then a shade
Base: Black Lacquer · Crème Open the bottle

Bottles for this nail

Tap a bottle to open it on the shelf

What you need

Base colour cured
Striper brush clean lines
Gloss top level the paint

How to paint Black Lacquer Evil Eye nails

  1. 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two coats of Black Lacquer. A dark base shows every ridge, so the ridge-filling base coat matters more than usual here.
  2. 2 A Snow White oval, then an Antique Gold ring inside it, then the pupil, letting each cure first.
  3. 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.

Questions about Black Lacquer Evil Eye

  • Is Black Lacquer Evil Eye hard to do at home?

    Yes, with a steady hand. The motif is freehand, so the first nail is usually the worst one. Budget around 45 minutes for a full set, and three colours means three chances for something to bleed, so cure between each one rather than working wet on wet.

  • What polish do I need for Black Lacquer Evil Eye?

    3 bottles: Black Lacquer (crème), Snow White (crème) and Antique Gold (chrome). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.

  • Does Black Lacquer Evil Eye work on short nails?

    Stiletto needs length, because the point is most of the shape. On a short nail it files down to something closer to almond, and the design still reads, just less sharply.

  • Do I need a UV lamp for Black Lacquer Evil Eye?

    Yes. Antique Gold only works as a gel — the effect depends on rubbing or setting the finish into a cured tacky layer, which air-dry polish never gives you.

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