Gunmetal with Soft Cobalt bands that vary in width and never run parallel for long.
3 bottles: Gunmetal, Soft Cobalt and Graphite. Gunmetal and Soft Cobalt sit a comfortable distance apart: the motif is clearly legible without shouting, which is the easiest range to freehand in. The bottles are not all the same finish (chrome and crème), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
It sits on an oval, with walls that follow the finger and a tip rounded off, which flatters a short nail bed without needing much length and keeps the motif undistorted.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Gunmetal Zebra nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two coats of Gunmetal, floated on so the particles stay lying flat, and cure hard.
- 2 Draw each Soft Cobalt stripe from thick to thin in one stroke, varying the widths as you go.
- 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.
Questions about Gunmetal Zebra
Is Gunmetal Zebra 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 Gunmetal Zebra?
3 bottles: Gunmetal (chrome), Soft Cobalt (crème) and Graphite (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Gunmetal Zebra work on short nails?
Oval is one of the better shapes for a short nail: it lengthens the look of the bed without needing free edge to do it, so the design carries over unchanged.
Do I need a UV lamp for Gunmetal Zebra?
Yes. Gunmetal 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.