A cat-eye stripe in Rose Quartz lifted out of a Plum Noir base, angled slightly differently on each nail.
2 bottles: Plum Noir and Rose Quartz. Plum Noir and Rose Quartz 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 (jelly and shimmer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
It sits on a round nail, filed to follow the fingertip, which is the shortest shape here and the one that chips least, so the motif gets a soft frame rather than a pointed one.
Make it yours
Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Plum Cat Eye nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. A dark base coat, cured.
- 2 Apply the Plum Noir magnetic gel and hold the magnet at an angle for eight seconds to pull the Rose Quartz band out.
- 3 Seal with a no-wipe top coat, because wiping kills the shimmer.
Questions about Plum Cat Eye
Is Plum Cat Eye hard to do at home?
It is the hardest tier on the site. It is doable at home, but the technique is the point rather than the colour. Budget an hour or more for a full set, and two colours keeps it simple: cure the first before the second goes near it and nothing bleeds.
What polish do I need for Plum Cat Eye?
2 bottles: Plum Noir (jelly) and Rose Quartz (shimmer). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Plum Cat Eye work on short nails?
Round is already the shortest shape here, so yes, this is one of the designs that works at almost any length.
Do I need a UV lamp for Plum Cat Eye?
Yes. Rose Quartz 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.