Snakeskin: rows of Vanilla Cream scales over Terracotta Hour, each row offset from the one above.
3 bottles: Terracotta Hour, Vanilla Cream and Burnt Umber. Terracotta Hour and Vanilla Cream 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 (crème and sheer), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
It sits on an almond, tapered at the sides and rounded at the tip, which narrows the nail and lengthens the finger, and stretches the motif slightly as it approaches the point.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Terracotta Snakeskin nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Two thin coats of Terracotta Hour, curing each one.
- 2 Dot rows of Vanilla Cream scales, offsetting each row, then shade one edge of each with Burnt Umber.
- 3 Gloss top coat, cure, then cuticle oil once it is out of the lamp.
Questions about Terracotta Snakeskin
Is Terracotta Snakeskin 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 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 Terracotta Snakeskin?
3 bottles: Terracotta Hour (crème), Vanilla Cream (sheer) and Burnt Umber (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Terracotta Snakeskin work on short nails?
Almond needs a little length to hold its taper. On a short nail the shape reads closer to round, and the design still works, it just stops elongating the finger.
How many coats does Terracotta Snakeskin need?
More than you would expect. Vanilla Cream is translucent, so the colour builds over three thin coats rather than covering in two. Stop wherever you like the depth — that is the point of a sheer.