Posh Prom
Nothing finishes off a fancy’ fit like a set of fabulous nails. Get ready for prom season with these tips for on-trend, yet age-appropriate nail looks.
BY GELISH
03.27.24

There’s nothing like beautiful fresh flowers to brighten up your salon space for spring. However, a designed arrangement can also be quite expensive — but it doesn’t have to be! Once you pick up the basics of flower arranging, you can create your own statement pieces at a fraction of the cost. Read on to find out how!

The key to prom nails is keeping tips age appropriate. Many young girls are inspired by the ultra-long nails worn by celebrities (the Kardashians, specifically, come to mind), but this can be too much for 16 and 17-year-olds and distract from the rest of their look. Instead, keep nails to wearable length. This doesn’t necessarily mean short, although a set of manicured natural nails is quite beautiful; but they can still achieve their favorite nail shapes, like almond or coffin, with only a slightly elongated length.

It’s also a good idea to remind your younger clientele to opt for more subtle nail designs. Prom dresses are notably loud and sparkly, taking all the attention, and you don’t want her nails to compete with that. Rather, use the nail design to complement the other elements, like the dress, shoes, bag and jewelry. Here, we provide three different nail looks that are event and age appropriate. Plus, they can be easily adapted to match the colors of their entire ensemble.

Freshly Cut Freshly Cut
Sweet Morning Breeze Sweet Morning Breeze
Sunny Daze Ahead Sunny Daze Ahead
Lace Be Honest Lace Be Honest
Tidy Touch Tidy Touch
Very Berry Clean Very Berry Clean

Ombré Nails

This two-tone nail design creates a beautiful soft look and pairs perfectly with a bolder dress. Opt for two similar shades of Gelish Gel Polish to make the blending easier.

1.

Apply a thin layer of Foundation Soak-Off Base Coat, and cure for 5 seconds in the 18G LED Light.

2.

Apply a thin coat of pale yellow, Sunny Daze Ahead, three-quarters of the way down the nail. Then, apply a small amount of rosy, Tidy Touch, to the free edge of the nail only. Do not cure.

3.

Using a feathered ombré brush, gently tap along the line where the two colors meet, working to combine the two shades. Then use a side-to-side sweeping motion to continue blending. Cure for 30 seconds. Note: The first coat won’t look perfect, but that’s OK.

4.

Repeat Step 3, and you’ll see better coverage and fading. Continue working with the brush in sweeping motions until you’re happy with the results, and cure for 30 seconds.

5.

Finish with a layer of No Cleanse Gel Top Coat, and cure for 60 seconds.

Sparkle French

A touch of glitter added to classic French nails is the perfect complement to any formal’ fit.

1.

Create a French nail design using either Gelish soak-off gel polish or ProHesion acrylic.

2.

Using the Gel Striper Brush, apply silver glitter Am I Making You Gelish? along the smile line, and cure for 30 seconds. Repeat if you need more sparkle.

3.

Once you’re happy with your design, finish with a layer of Top It Off, and cure for 30 seconds. Remove the tacky layer with Nail Surface Cleanse.

Nail Surface Cleanse Nail Surface Cleanse 01250
Sweet Morning Breeze Am I Making You Gelish? 1110946
Sunny Daze Ahead Top It Off 1130003

Glitter Glam

This fun and festive design brings in chrome as well as glitter sparkle, making it a real showstopper.

Key Product: Chrome Stix in Pink Opal and Gold Holographic, and Flash Glam in Dripping In Bling

1.

Apply a thin layer of Foundation Soak-Off Base Coat, and cure for 5 seconds in the 18G LED Light.

2.

Apply two thin coats of pale nude Tweed Me! (or Tan My Hide is a similar core shade) to the nail, and cure for 30 seconds after each layer.

3.

Apply No Cleanse Gel Top Coat, and cure for 30 seconds.

4.

Rub Chrome Stix in Pink Opal over the entire nail, and brush off any excess product. Then, apply Matte Top It Off, and cure for 30 seconds.

5.

Using the Gel Striper Brush, paint four curved lines down the nail using No Cleanse Gel Top Coat, and cure.

6.

Rub Chrome Stix in Gold Holographic over the lines you created, brushing off any excess.

7.

Starting in the center of the nail, apply a drop of Flash Glam in Dripping In Bling to the nail. Then, use the Gel Striper Brush to fill in the space. Repeat on the outer two sections, so the design alternates Dripping In Bling and Pink Opal. Cure.

8.

Finish with No Cleanse Gel Top Coat, and cure for 60 seconds.

Chrome Six Pink Opal Chrome Stix Pink Opal 1168200
Chrome Six Gold Holographic Chrome Stix Gold Holographic 1168196
Flash Glam Dripping In Bling Flash Glam Dripping In Bling 1110505
Micro Striper Brush Micro Striper Brush 1168018
No Cleanse Top Coat No Cleanse Top Coat 1148008