These Trending, Minimalist Animal Print Nails Are Set to Be Everywhere This Spring

Another day, another nail trend. This time around, however, it's understated animal print designs. While leopard and cheetah patterns are very trendy, there is a whole host of other prints that look tres chic on hands. From deer to cow and zebra designs, these super unique patterns are ideal to bring to your next salon appointment, or even attempt at home. Nail artist to the stars, Edyta Betka, explains how.

Deer print nails

1. Prepare the nails by shaping, lightly buffing, and cleansing them.
2. Apply one layer of base coat and allow it to dry completely.
3. Apply two thin layers of a light tan or soft caramel-brown nail polish and let the colour dry completely.
4. Using a thin nail art brush, a toothpick, an orange wood stick, or the rounded tip of a bobby pin, dip into white or off-white nail polish.
5. Place small, irregular dots across the nail, keeping the design airy and uneven for a natural deer-fur effect, and let it fully dry.
6. Apply a top coat to seal and protect the design. Let it dry completely, then finish by applying cuticle oil and hand cream.

Cow print nails

1. Prepare the nails by shaping, buffing, and cleaning them. Apply the base coat as you normally would and allow it to dry completely
2. Apply two thin layers of white nail polish and let the colour dry fully.
3. Using a dotting tool or, if you don’t have one, the flat end of an orange wood stick or a bobby pin, dip into black or brown nail polish.
4. Optional alternative: If you only have a cotton earbud, you can also simply wet the tip and gently twist it between your fingers to smooth down any loose fibres before applying polish - this will allow you to create patches while preventing fibres from sticking
5. Create irregular, natural patches on the nail. Avoid perfect circles or symmetry—cow print looks best when the shapes are uneven.
6. If needed, go over some of the patches with a second layer to build opacity once the first layer has settled.
7. Allow the design to dry completely. Apply a top coat to seal and protect the design.
8. Let it dry fully, then finish with cuticle oil and hand cream for the best finishing touch.

Zebra print nails

1. Nail preparation: shape, buff, and clean your nails, then apply a base coat. Let it dry completely.
2. Apply two thin coats of white polish as the base colour. Let it dry fully.
3. Using a fine nail art brush, or if you don’t have one, a toothpick, the pointed end of an orange stick or a super tiny dotting tool, dip into black nail polish.
4. Draw thin, irregular stripes diagonally or slightly wavy across the nail. Vary the thickness and spacing for a natural zebra look. Make sure the lines are uneven and not perfectly parallel.
5. If a stripe is too thick or uneven, wait for it to dry and carefully touch up with the base color. Optionally, taper some ends with a fine detail brush for a more natural flow.
6. Let the design dry completely.
7. Apply a top coat to seal and protect the stripes. Once the top coat is dry, finish with cuticle oil and hand cream.

Best colour combinations for animal print nails

"When it comes to animal print nails, the colour combinations I provided in the step-by-step are the closest to the real animals, but there’s no limit to creativity," explains Betka. "You can be very playful with colours and experiment with the size, shape, and spacing of the patterns—there are no rules, so follow your imagination and have fun!"