Pay tribute to the emperor butterfly with this winged design

Of all the majestic butterflies that frequent England, the purple emperor is the most regal. Its wings range from royal blue to deep purple, and the traditional white spots cover its entire body. Since these are such a rare sight, they’re the perfect inspiration for a nature lover.

This design doesn’t quite mimic the emperor’s exact coloring, but you can’t go wrong with purple, pink and holographic laser flakes. Since painting an entire butterfly would be labor-intensive, focus on making each wing a representation of a single butterfly wing.

Materials
- White gel polish (Akzentz, "Polar")
- UV/LED lamp (Akzentz Hybrid-Pro, not shown)
- Purple gel polish (B.M.C., "Locked in Secrets")
- Pink gel polish (B.M.C., "Peony Blush")
- Comb brush
- Holographic laser flakes ("Born Pretty")
- Disposable eye shadow applicator
- Black and white gel polish (Akzentz Gel Play)
- Medium and long thin liner brushes
- Dotting tool
- No-wipe top coat (Kupa)

Instructions
1. Apply two coats of white gel polish to your nails, and cure it between coats with the UV/LED lamp.

2. Paint the rear half of your nail closest to the cuticle with purple gel, and leave the polish at a slight angle.

3. Paint the rest of your nail with pink gel polish, leaving a strip of white polish in the middle.

4. Drag the comb brush through the intersection of the two colors to blur them together, and then cure the wet polish with the lamp.

5. Repeat step 4 to intensify the colors.

6. Dab holographic laser flakes over the surface of the nail with the eye shadow applicator.

7. Paint the tip of the nail and the outer edge of one side with black gel using the medium liner brush.

8. Paint several black curved lines with the long thin liner brush from the outer edge of the nail toward the center to simulate the structure of the butterfly wing. Paint a half-moon shape near the cuticle as well. Cure the gel with the lamp.

9. Dip the dotting tool into the white nail gel, then paint a dot at the intersection of each black line on the outer edge of the nail. Cure the gel with the lamp.

10. Protect your pretty butterflies with no-wipe top coat. Cure the gel to finish the manicure.

Stay pretty!