Cat eye manicure 2022: TOP 200+ best design ideas (+new items)

Magnetic gel polish Cat's eye: review of brands

In this section, we took the most popular brands of gel polishes with a cat's eye effect and, based on reviews from experts, compiled a brief summary of each of them.

Brand KODI

Offers gel polish with a thick consistency. The color palette includes more than 50 shades. The brand is distinguished by the fact that it offers high-quality materials for nail design at very attractive prices.

Gel paints TNL

They have a thick consistency, so they have good density. The color is rich and deep even when applying gel polish in one layer. This effect is especially noticeable in paints with a golden tint.

Gel polish Bluesky

They contain a small amount of metal particles, so the result is blurry, the iridescent effect is not pronounced enough, and only a slight reflection is created.

MASURA

Offers gel polish complete with a black base, allowing you to apply only one coat. Very comfortably. The high content of metal particles allows you to obtain a clear pattern. The disadvantages include the fact that you need to work quickly with such paints, because if you don’t have time to dry in time, the strip will turn out blurry.

Gel polish Ell Lourel

They have a dense consistency and give a deep and rich color. Due to the presence of a large number of metal particles, the strip assembles very quickly. It is a pleasure to work with such paints.

Gel polish Lianail

Gel paints of these brands have a fairly dense consistency, are easy to use and do not leave streaks. The collection includes 12 deep shades. The cat eye stripe comes together fairly quickly, but under the opaque top the effect is barely noticeable.

Dance legend

Dance Legend is a paint of 32 shades, some of which are similar to each other. The products are not completely liquid and not dense, with particles of gold. They are easy to apply thanks to the rectangular brush. But there are problems with magnetization; it is difficult to equalize the glow.

Nail Patrice

The Patrisa Nail brand has a huge number of “cat” colors, there are 3D, 5D products, known for their durability. Gel polishes are easy to apply thanks to the optimal consistency and a good brush. The peculiarity of use is the need to paint over the ends of the nail plates. Among the paints there are also three-phase ones, that is, they do not require the use of a base and topcoat.

Hellactic illusion

Gellaktik Illussion glossy gels do not have a variety of colors, there are only 6 of them, but these are 3D tools. Thus, with them you can create dozens of manicure options that will last a long time. I bet it would be better to make it black.

Iriskio

Toffee cats have become very popular recently due to:

Abundance of flowers. In total there are 12 light shades from cool white to milky, as well as 17 dark ones. Among the latter are red, orange, coffee, deep pink, brown, emerald, sea wave, green, blue, black.
Convenient application of texture. These are medium-density products, they do not spread over the skin and are easily distributed over the nail plate in a layer of optimal thickness.
Nice brush. It is quite long and of medium width. This allows for good control of the working field, avoiding skin smudging.
Fortress. When worn correctly, the liner will last up to 3 weeks. You will have to remove it with a cutter.
Quite low price.

Cat's eye gel polish application technology

For manicure you will need:

a base that levels the surface of the nail, protects against coloring pigments, and ensures strong adhesion of the nail plate, base, and color coating;
gel polish with magnetic particles;
top for securing the design and protecting the surface;
magnet to create the effect.

How to do a manicure with cat eye gel polish
? Each manufacturer has developed its own application technology. We offer step-by-step instructions for the Dona Jerdona brand:

Prepare your hands - remove the old coating, remove the cuticle and hangnails.
Apply base. Dry it in a UV or LED lamp.
Cover with colored cat's eye and dry. Without a magnet, it acts as a substrate.
Paint another gel layer. Without drying it, we bring the magnetic strip (without touching the nail) so that the distance does not exceed 5 mm. Otherwise the drawing will not work. Be careful not to touch the coating. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
The resulting effect is consolidated in drying. After polymerization, it is no longer possible to correct the design.
Cover with top.

The base and top increase the wear time of the manicure, so they should not be neglected. If the technique was followed step by step, the manicure does not chip, has no streaks, and can be worn for up to three weeks. For removal, traditional gel polish compositions are used.

Materials and tools for manicure

To show all the beauty of the pens, you don’t need so many special tools and devices. Nail design is attractive because it is quite possible to create it at home with a minimum set of materials and tools.

Fashionable cat eye manicure is performed using:

scissors;
nail file;
polisher;
degreaser;
base;
gel polish with metal particles;
magnet;
high quality coating.

Manicurists are armed with different types of magnets. Thanks to this, you can get intricate patterns, thin and wide stripes and curls. But creating a stunning image that will fascinate and amaze you is quite possible even with a minimum of available tools.

There is a special set of gel polish and a magnet for it on sale. The tool is brought to the coating at a distance of 3-5 mm. Then hold until you get the desired pattern.

Another option is a pen-shaped magnet. It is brought even closer to the nail, literally 0.5 mm from the surface, almost back to back. They then guide, periodically holding them in place so that the metal particles have time to be attracted to a specific area.

If you want to buy a professional tool, you need to understand the criteria for choosing it. The feature of the handle is of great importance. When done comfortably, providing an easy but reliable grip on the palm, it is easier to realize the most vivid and original ideas. In fact, for a particular model, it is necessary to obtain a certain angle of the magnet in order to direct the metal particles so that they form highlights in a certain direction.

Although the intensity of the effect in a cat's eye manicure depends on the quality and characteristics of the varnish, and the magnet plays a role in the pronunciation of colors and magnetic shine. That is, the longer you hold the tool above the surface, the greater the concentration of metal inclusions at one point.

Magnet selection

Today there are the following types of magnets:

Regular gel polishes are available in different shades, but give the effect of a starry sky with a lighter stripe. They last no more than a week and can be removed for soaking.
Tools with 3D effect. Their light points are more varied and deeper than the previous version. Therefore, the coating looks voluminous.
5D tools. They consist of a base color and shimmer in different shades such as green, white and brown. This makes the 3D effect more pronounced than 3D.
Chameleon. The multi-colored particles of this product change tone and intensity depending on viewing angle and lighting.

The magnet can be:

round,
rectangular,
with a point at the tip,
with a lot of points,
in the form of a thick pancake.

The principle of using the tool is simple - the plate (blade) rotates from side to side, forming a certain pattern.

Its main advantages:

maximum practicality and the ability to tilt to any side to change the depth of decor and intensity of magnetization;
fine tip, thanks to which even the smallest motifs can be easily applied in any direction.

Using magnets, a galaxy effect, a kaleidoscope and many other interesting options are created. If you don’t have a professional tool, you can replace it with a pen for drawing on a children’s magnetic board. The effect will be similar. You can also use any flat thin magnet as long as it is strong enough.

The magnetic pen is suitable for creating unique, intricate and miniature designs.

Varnish selection

A pink manicure with a pearlescent accent will perfectly complement a feminine look. Green gel polish looks noble and chic on nails in tandem with rhinestones.

Red manicure does not lose its popularity among women; it is considered the most popular in nail design. It is perfectly complemented by patterns in gold or silver and rhinestones. The shade of burgundy looks very modern and fashionable, suitable for a more formal look.

Particularly relevant colors this season are blue and light blue. Varnishes ranging from turquoise, blue to deep sapphire will decorate both long and short nails.

When choosing a varnish for magnetic manicure, it is important to consider the following criteria:

contains hypoallergenic components;
rich color palette;
correct consistency - moderately liquid and not thick enough;
the convenience of the brush, which should be sufficiently elastic, wide and stable.

Substrate

The same coating can be applied to a base of different shades, in each case the overall effect will be different:

White-based paint looks best if it itself is a delicate pastel color: pink, beige, light gray, peach, melted, bluish. With its help, nails acquire a bright pearlescent shine and a healthy natural shade. However, the magnetic stripes on them are quite noticeable.
The gel looks beautiful on a dark base when the base tone is purple or there are several variations of blue, black, brown, green, red, burgundy. Magnetic highlights in this case are much brighter than on white.

Glitter and lines that add volume to a manicure are always lighter than the base color of the coating. Sometimes the latter is so bright that no substrate is required, a transparent or translucent base is sufficient.

Cat eye manicure with gel polish: fashion trends 2022

This season, nail technicians are leaning toward dark colors.
They assure that by choosing a green tone with a malachite effect, wine (red) shades or dark blue, black, gold, brown, hot pink, chestnut color, you will be in trend. The cat's eye effect looks especially interesting in cherry, plum, and purple variations. Popular shades of gel polish Cat's eye

Blue, purple, gray, malachite, green, olive, gold - these are just a few of the now popular shades that are used to create fashionable manicures.

Beautiful cat eye gel polish on nails, photo

Blue gel polish cat eye on nails, photo

You can complement this fashionable manicure with casting, glitter, acrylic powder, patterns and rhinestones.

Painting on magnetic gel polish

Now experienced nail art masters can paint any masterpiece on their nails using an ordinary thin brush. Monograms, geometry, thematic designs, origami-style pictures, etc. remain popular. Often, designs are applied to a matte surface with a transparent thick topcoat. At the same time, the design is not very striking, but shimmers beautifully in the rays of light.

Painting on matte gel polish Cat's eye with a transparent top

Popular teardrop design

A beautiful spring/autumn design that is very easy to make yourself. A matte top coat is applied to the finished coating, dried, after which large drops of top coat are placed chaotically and immediately sent into the lamp so that they do not spread.

Liquid stone effect with Cat's eye gel polish

A beautiful pebble on your nails can be depicted in several ways, one of which involves the use of magnetic varnish. The sequence is as follows:

a large drop of cat eye gel polish, highlighting, drying;
on top there is another large drop of top for securing and volume;
You can refine the stone with bouillons, casting, rhinestones or in another way.

Rhinestone inlay

A charming and incredibly popular design right now. You can lay out the pattern yourself, using sets of rhinestones with different diameters and bouillons, or you can buy ready-made decorations for inlay.

Cat's eye design with mosaic

Another type of fairly simple nail design. You can buy mosaics ready-made, or you can cut them out of foil like broken glass.

Brush painting on wet cat eye gel polish

This is a new trend in nail design using magnetic gel polish. It's also not very difficult to do. When applying the last layer of gel polish, the highlight is set, then a brush is taken and a pattern is drawn. The result is fixed in the lamp and covered with finishing varnish. You can draw artistic lines, flowers or an abstract pattern.

Reptile Effect on Cat's Eye

Today, this design is often used to decorate holiday manicures. The texture of the reptile is applied with gel paint (if desired, you can make a shiny print with foil). Then large drops of thick topcoat are dripped, fixing them periodically in the lamp.

Cat's eye wet

Another new nail art. A wet manicure is usually done with classic gel polish, but in the version with a cat's eye it looks mesmerizing. Every girl who has in her arsenal the necessary set for UV manicure and a couple of magnetic gel polishes can make such a masterpiece with her own hands. Two layers of black gel polish are applied, only the last one is not dried. Drops of cat's eye varnish are carefully dripped onto it in the form of some kind of pattern, the highlight is exposed and dried in a lamp. The result is secured with a top.

Manicure with various designs

Monograms and cat's eyes are already classics that do not go out of fashion, but only become more beautiful with each season. But among the new products we can highlight geometric mosaics using magnetic gel polish. A dark regular gel polish is applied, dried, then a marking is drawn on it and one by one filled with a cat's eye coating, while the highlights are set at different angles. Each mosaic element is applied and dried separately so that the ornament does not spread.

Patterns and monograms

Manicure with gel polish Cat's eye with geometric pattern

Combined manicure

The general trend is characteristic not only of magnetic coatings. Nowadays it is in fashion to mix different manicure techniques, different decor and some design innovations in one design.

How to make a cat eye design?

Today, many people want to get a manicure with a “Cat Eye” design. Moreover, having all the necessary tools and materials, this can be done at home. This design is universal and also suitable as a manicure for short nails. To work, you will need a base, a topcoat and, of course, a base paint that creates the desired effect.

Any project begins with preparing the nail plate. Only after the nails have been processed and prepared can you proceed to the main stage of work:

The first step is to apply the base, which must be dried in a UV lamp for a few seconds.
“Cat Eye” gel polish is applied, a special magnet is placed on the coating (it is always included in the kit), after a couple of seconds a pattern is formed on the nails (it can be diagonal, oblique or straight). The coating is dried in a UV lamp. For the result to be perfect, you need to work with each finger separately. Of course, this process will take a lot of time, but it's worth it.

Advantages

Thanks to its dense consistency, the fashionable gel polish does not spread and is applied easily and quickly, which significantly reduces the procedure time. The coating is self-sufficient and does not require the use of additional decorations; the necessary light reflections can be provided by the instrument itself.

Among the most important advantages of this coating:

wide color palette of magnetized gel paints;
high resistance to atmospheric influences;
there is no need to completely cut off the native nail, which means that the risk of thinning and injury is eliminated;
ease of application with the possibility of correction due to the liquid consistency of shellac;
creating unique patterns by moving the magnet in different directions;
flawless results in just one coat of paint;
easy fixation of rhinestones and other decorative elements;
maintaining initial attractiveness and wealth for three weeks;
ease of removal using special technologies and tools.

Cat's Eye stands out due to the variety of patterns you can get. By moving the magnet in different directions, you can achieve surprising and unusual results every time. This subtle creative process will definitely appeal to lovers of creative ideas.

The instrument looks quite harmonious in combination with rhinestones, sparkles and other decorative elements. This is another way to add originality to your nails.

Flaws

Magnetic gel polishes have one drawback - they require strong and healthy nails. The condition of the thin and fragile coating may deteriorate due to use, as it must be removed with a cutter. And mechanical impact with such a slab design is undesirable. Cat's eye can also cause allergies.

Technique for creating a “cat” effect on nails

It’s not difficult to create a “cat’s eye” effect on your nails at home; it can be done on both natural and extended nails. Cat's eye looks good on short and long nails. It has proven itself quite well as a pedicure.

Manicure with cat eye effect

During the procedure, a certain sequence and accuracy should be followed . Regardless of which polish you choose: regular or gel polish, the application procedure is standard.

The preparatory stage, the main task of which is to prepare your hands for a manicure , consists of removing old varnish, creating a shape, processing cuticles, degreasing and polishing. After these procedures, you are ready to create beauty on your nails.

Basic Steps

Apply a base - a pre-selected varnish of dark shades and dry it.
Then apply a layer of magnetic varnish and immediately hold the magnet at a distance of 2-3 mm from the nail for 10-15 seconds . By changing the angle, you can influence the final drawing.

To prevent the polish from drying before the magnet is brought to the nail, you need to treat each nail separately and sequentially.

Gel polish , in this situation, has its own peculiarity - it is necessary to fix each applied layer in a lamp.

The process of creating a cat eye manicure

First, a base coat , which should be dried in a UV or LED lamp.
A base of dark varnish is placed on the base coat , which is also polymerized under a special lamp. If you want to create a delicate and transparent manicure, you should skip this step.
Then each nail is individually coated with a layer of magnetic varnish . You must first hold the magnet over the coating of magnetic varnish and only then polymerize it. For best results, treat and immediately dry each nail separately.
The finished manicure is fixed with a top coat in an ultraviolet or LED lamp, and finally the sticky layer is removed

Some tips

Special magnet

You should only use special magnets or pens.
Before use the bottle of varnish must be shaken so that the settled metal particles are evenly mixed with the varnish.
In the absence of dark varnish, you can cover the nail with two layers of magnetic varnish as a base layer, only the first layer needs to be dried without using a magnet.
You can use a glossy or matte sealer. This will give you the opportunity to create a new image and experiment.

For the secrets and detailed process of creating a cat-eye manicure, watch the video tutorial:

Current colors of fashionable manicure

The result of an elegant manicure depends on the chosen shade of cat's eye. For example, light shades allow you to create a very delicate and laconic design, while a dark palette allows you to create a rich and luxurious manicure. This year the nail art industry suggests paying attention to the following top cat eye tones:

Blue colors - you can choose any shade of blue, from soft blue to dark blue, as a result you will get an original, spectacular manicure. Thanks to bright design elements, a woman will be able to decorate her look and make it not only super stylish, but also spectacular;
Purple is one of the trendy shades this season. For taste and special charm, women choose purple or a more delicate color option - lilac. Shimmering sparkles create a rich and fresh look for a woman;
Red, burgundy, wine - for the most passionate beauties who love to stand out from the crowd. The cat's eye effect in such rich shades allows you to indicate the incomparable and unique taste of a fashionista;
Green tones are the most ideal choice when choosing a cat eye. This shade is closer to the name and type of design. This color makes for very deep and rich manicure ideas;
Black is for naughty girls. Shine and shimmer help calm down an overly bright and noticeable manicure.

For short nails

Long nails - not for you? With a short length, the “cat” pattern will also look organic. Choose bright shades: turquoise, pink or ocher and, as with long nails, add a bright accent to them: sparkles, silver, gold or other metallic shades.”

Thanks to the “cat” pattern, short nails will, firstly, look longer (magnetic varnish shines on the nails, usually in a horizontal or diagonal direction), and secondly, if you choose permanent gel polish coating, there will be one If desired, they can grow a layer in a couple of weeks.

For long nails

To make the manicure more impressive, nail technicians recommend using dark shades of varnish: “space” blue, gray, cobalt or burgundy. Choose long, round or oval nails for long toes, or almond-shaped nails for those with thin ones. The coating can be made monochromatic and, for example, glitter can be added to make the manicure more evening.

Highlight your middle finger with a shiny polish or just play with different shades (highlight two fingers with one color, the rest with another): a “cat” manicure on long nails looks impressive, but for those who find a single-color coating boring, and for whom you can add it to the option bright details.

How to use cat eye gel polish correctly

There are no special tricks. This is the same gel polish, but with metallized particles. Without a magnet, it looks like an ordinary colored coating with shiny inclusions.

Common mistakes:

non-compliance with technology. Leads to weakening of nails, which affects the quality of the manicure. If this is discovered, use special restoration systems with mineral components and oils to help. Apply before gel coating. The product penetrates deeply into the nail plate, makes it more durable and helps extend the wear time of the manicure;
failure to follow step-by-step instructions. The main steps are to remove the natural gloss from the nails, degrease, and apply a base. You need to paint on an even and smooth nail, sealing the edges. This will prevent the varnish from chipping. If you apply cat eye gel polish step by step, with a top and base coat, the design will last longer;
paint many layers. The color intensity depends on the density of the gel polish. For some coatings, one coat is enough to get a beautiful, even manicure. It is not recommended to paint more than three times. In this case, the layers must be thin so that they do not peel off or bunch up during polymerization;
uneven coverage. Gaps sometimes occur even with proper application. The reasons are the composition of poor quality, incompatibility of the base and colored gel polish. This will not happen if the materials are of the same brand. Before mixing different brands, test them on a palette or on your own nail;
no cat eye effect. The first reason is that the gel polish was not stirred. Before painting your nails, roll the bottle in your hands. Shaking may cause the polish to bubble. The metallized particles will be evenly distributed throughout the mass. The second is that the magnet’s power is not enough, hold it too far, it will become demagnetized. The effect is lost if you bring the plate at a distance of 1 cm. Correct - 2-5 mm. Try moving it closer - up to 1 mm. If the result is still zero, the instrument must be replaced. The third is a low-quality product. Buy from trusted manufacturers.

Little tricks for shimmering nails

To create a unique shimmering look on your nails, use simple but practical techniques:

To keep your manicure neat and tidy, give your nails a nice shape. The soft square shape is perfect.
Any nail art requires special pedantry. Apply the paint in an even layer, without gaps or overlaps.
For rich color, use a dark base. This will make the effect stunning and picturesque.
Shake the can well before applying magnetic paint. This will allow the metal particles to be evenly distributed.
Use the special magnetic pen to create a variety of designs. With its help you can realize your wildest fantasies - spirals, butterflies, monograms.
To achieve a voluminous and expressive effect, manipulations with the magnet must be repeated several times.
If you don't have a special magnet on hand, you can use a regular strong magnet that you find around the house.
To avoid ruining your manicure or sealing the magnet in the polish, keep the magnet at a distance of five millimeters from the nail.
The nail design will be attractive if the magnet is placed in the same place and at the same angle. The drawings on the right and left should be mirrored.

Cat eye manicure ideas

The cat-eye manicure itself is quite self-sufficient, but despite this, some decorative elements will help to reproduce it in a different way.

Rhinestones and sequins can both emphasize depth and create an overly voluminous image, so be very delicate. By giving your manicure a matte effect, you can create a completely different look and feel free to experiment.
Cat eye manicure goes well with various reptile skin prints. It is important to choose the right colors here.
It is theoretically possible to make a French manicure with magnetic varnish, but the beauty of the design will be very questionable, but as for the lunar manicure, the “cat’s eye” is ideal for it. It is better to make a hole in natural colors, and the main color can be any.
But if you want to add some mystery to your manicure, create a spatial effect on your nails.
Patterns and stickers can be used in combination with this type of manicure, just remember one rule - they should support the existing mood of the design, and not interrupt it.
This manicure goes well with liquid stones, emphasizing the depth and beauty of the design.

The most impressive and advantageous colors look in shades of green, malachite, plum and cherry, and you can also use shades of chestnut gold, burgundy and marsala.

A cat's eye manicure is mysterious; the main thing is to convey the natural shine of the stone and emphasize its beauty. This can be done easily if you know the technique of creating and decorating this type of manicure.

Monograms

Quite curled patterns are applied to the coat with a thin brush after all stages of manicure and dried with ultraviolet light. You can also use acrylic paints; in this case, the drawing is done on dried shellac without stickiness and then covered with a topcoat.

Rhinestones

You can diversify the cat's eye with various stones or rhinestones. Since the design itself is very bright and has shiny details, there should not be too many rhinestones. You can accentuate one or two fingers and add rhinestones to the top of the plate.

Matte

A shiny cat's eye looks quite bright and impressive. Women who want to achieve this design and still want an understated look can cover their nails with a cat eye effect and a matte finish. An elegant gradient and a laconic matte layer transform the design and make it divine.

Reptile

Nail art masters offer the most daring and eccentric women to create a reptile effect with a cat's eye. This model makes it possible to create the natural appearance of reptile skin. Manicure is suitable for special occasions, as it is distinguished by predatory and too noticeable shine.

Mosaic

In addition to the main color, it is necessary to use an additional color to achieve contrast. It must be applied after the base has dried, but do not remove the sticky layer. Then, using iridescent paint, paint any shapes at an acute angle so that they are located close to each other. Finally dry, remove the dispersion layer and cover.

Colors can be related or completely contrast with each other. As a result, the two shades create an unrivaled collaboration of all the colors of the rainbow, allowing the fashionista to become an even more complete beauty.

Drip

it is very simple and looks beautiful. To obtain three-dimensional hemispheres, it is necessary to create droplets using dots when applying the topcoat. This design looks best on select marigolds such as unnamed and medium marigolds.

The nature of the cat's eye manicure

Cat eye manicure

This manicure should convey the shimmer of the stone, its effect looks like a light highlight on a dark shade of varnish . The ability to add depth is very important, because then he will be able to sparkle with a whole range of colors.

Manicure technology is as follows: the varnish contains special metal elements, which, under the influence of a magnet, are arranged in a certain order . A cat-eye manicure is classically created in the form of stripes , depending on the angle at which a special magnet is placed.

In order to emphasize the depth of the created effect, it is necessary to choose the right base color.

For this type of manicure, rich dark colors are most often chosen : black, dark blue, green, burgundy. You can also experiment with combinations of different shades of these and other colors.

Cat's eye and additional decor

The monochrome version of manicure is used very rarely. In most cases, masters and women add a little decor to the manicure, which allows them to complement the elegant design with a cat eye.

Tips to help you maintain your manicure for a long time

The cat eye manicure is so magical and original that it’s simply impossible to get bored. And you will definitely want to preserve its perfect, original appearance for a long time. With proper execution and care, this manicure can remain flawless on your nails for up to three weeks.

Of course, the duration of a manicure directly depends on the quality of the materials used:

Choose materials from trusted manufacturers; in this regard, the price-quality ratio is justified.
Before performing a manicure, minimize hand skin care procedures. Creams and oils applied to your hands and nails will shorten the life of your manicure.
If you are prone to peeling nails, don't expect a long-lasting manicure. We advise you to take care of your nails first, and only then do the decorative design.
The first time after a manicure, do not wash your hands with too hot or cold water. From such runs, your nails will lose their shine and begin to bubble.
Always wear protective gloves when cleaning, cleaning and washing your home. This attitude will have a good effect not only on the appearance of your nail design, but also on the health of your feathers.
Handle sharp objects with care as they may scratch your nails.

Corrections made over time will allow your manicure to be flawless.

By adhering to these basic rules, you will maintain a beautiful shiny appearance of your nails and avoid cracks and scratches on them.