The latest nail trend is pushing cateye polish in a bold new direction — mixing a neutral base color with a pop of color to create a cozy, "sweater gingham" look. At KS, we recreated this popular design using the CROWN Cateye 9D colors, and we're breaking down exactly how we did it.
How We Created the Look
Step 1: Lay the base. We started with a slightly golden cateye as our base color. Using the magnet, we activated the shine and pulled it toward the top and bottom of the nail tip. Since the sides would later be covered by another cateye application, we focused the shine at the top and bottom for the best effect. Cure for 60 seconds.
Step 2: Add the triangle accent. Using a long liner brush, we drew a small triangle on one side of the tip and filled it in with a cateye red. We used the magnet again to activate the shine, then quick-cured for 30 seconds. We repeated this step and did a full 60-second cure.
Step 3: Build the gingham lines. With a super white color and a skinny liner brush, we drew two diagonal lines above the triangle, then two more below it. Quick-cured for 30 seconds.
Step 4: Add dimension with gold. Using a fine gold gel and the same skinny liner brush, we drew lines just above the white ones for extra shine and depth.
Step 5: Finish strong. We topped it off with Aprés Builder Gel to give the design more dimension and a long-lasting finish.
Why We Love It
This cateye gingham design is set to be the trend for fall and winter — it's cozy, dimensional, and endlessly customizable with different color combos.
Want to see it in action? Check out our Instagram for the full tutorial video!