Flipping through my magazines recently, I’ve noticed one print again and again: the banana leaf. Whether you’re team Brazilliance or team Martinique, I think the general consensus is that this pattern is wallpaper-inspired and fabulous. Today’s post is all about how to get a banana leaf-inspired manicure at home!
And let’s be real, y’all. If Shay Mitchell and BEYONCE get behind the banana leaf trend, it’s all good with me.
So, first things first, let’s paint our nails a solid white. I used two coats of Revlon’s ColorStay Gel Envy in Sure Thing.
Next, I’m using Sinful Colors in San Francisco for my dark green color. No need for fancy manicure tools in this tutorial! We’re not going for a super precise look here, so I’m just using a toothpick to make my designs. Banana leaves are generally long, so I just draw a few longish, banana leaf-shaped patches on the white nail once it has completely dried.
To create the frayed look of the edges, just take your toothpick and knick the edge of your leaf before the green dries to make the white show through. Add a few more dark green leaves.
Now on to the light green! I went for Sally Hansen’s Triple Shine in Kelp Out. Wipe off your toothpick and do the same thing with the light green that you did with the dark! Again, this can be as neat or as abstract as you like- it’s totally up to you.
To add a bit of dimension, you can put a thin line of the opposite color down the center of each leaf like a stem. Once everything is dry, finish off with a top coat. I used my trusty Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat.
If you want, you can stop here and just have a banana leaf accent nail. However, if you want to go all in, (lather, rinse, and) repeat the pattern on the rest of your nails.
And voila! You’re all finished! Now you’ve got a super summery, tropical-feeling manicure perfect for days by the pool. Let me know if you try this manicure- I would love to see your photos!
xoxo Katie
