How to Do Cheetah Print Nails

Animal print nails are a great way to revamp your look and can play up even the simplest of outfits. You don't have to run to the nail salon to achieve this edgy look, though. Read this article to learn how to create authentic looking cheetah print nails at home using just a toothpick!

Edit Steps

Prep your nails. Remove any existing nail polish with a cotton ball and nail polish remover. Trim your nails to the desired length, and buff the surface of each nail using a nail buffer. This will help hold the color for longer.

Apply two coats of base color. You can use cream, beige, or gold nail polish as the base. Brush the color in a thin layer from the cuticle to the tip of each nail, working your way from the middle of your nail to the outer sides.
- Allow the first coat to dry completely before applying the second coat.

Allow your nails to dry completely before continuing.

Set up your palette. Dab a few drops of brown and black nail polish onto the index card (keeping the colors separate) so that you can easily dip the toothpick into them.
- Use medium or dark brown polish.

Dip a toothpick into the brown polish. Use the toothpick to draw small dots on each nail, creating a polka dotted effect. Make sure to leave enough empty space between each dot so that you can still see the base color.
- Wipe the brown polish off of the toothpick when you are done.

Dip the toothpick into the black polish, and use it to create a black border around each dot. The borders shouldn't be perfect circles. Make them slightly boxy and squiggly, and leave some gaps in each border to achieve the cheetah print look.

Allow your nails to dry completely. Finish with a clear top coat to preserve the color for longer.

Remove any nail polish from your skin using nail polish remover and a cotton swab.

Enjoy your new look!

Edit Tips

Using a nude color for the base will help too. But you need to add two coats for that brown effect.

The longer your nails are, the more surface space you will have to work with. If you have very short or small nails, consider applying false nails first to make things easier.

Try experimenting with different colors if you are going for a funkier look. For example, you can use bright pink as a base color rather than beige, purple dots instead of brown, and so on.