Burgundy and Gold Nails: Autumnal Airbrush, Blooming Gel and 3D Chrome Tutorial

Rich, warm and luxurious, this autumnal set is all about burgundy and gold nails. It combines an airbrushed Cabernet base, blooming gel flowers, raised 3D chrome details, burgundy French tips and gold nail art decals across the hand.

Burgundy and gold nails are a seasonal favourite, and this set shows just how many ways you can play with the pairing. Each nail features a different technique, so the hand looks cohesive thanks to the colour palette while still offering plenty of variety. It's perfect for autumn, the festive season or any time you want a sophisticated, jewel-toned manicure.

This design is a showcase of techniques. The airbrushed Cabernet gives a smooth, even colour, the blooming gel flowers add a soft, diffused detail, and the raised chrome adds texture and shine. French tips and gold decals complete the look, so every nail brings something new to the set.

It's also a great set for learning. You'll practise airbrushing, blooming gel, isolated chrome over a raised builder gel design and placing decals with builder gel as glue. Mastering each one gives you a versatile toolkit, and combining them creates burgundy and gold nails with real wow factor.

Apply a base coat to the nails and cure in the lamp for 60 seconds.

Mix Cabernet gel colour with some acetone, put it into your airbrush gun and spray it onto the nail. Wipe the cuticle area with acetone before curing to stop the gel sticking to the skin. Go in with a second coat to darken the colour, again wiping any off the skin.

Apply a really thin layer of Blooming Gel; keeping it thin gives the best results. Load a dotting tool with a generous amount of the colour you're using and place it into the Blooming Gel. Once you're happy with how much the flower has spread, pop any air bubbles and cure in the lamp. Repeat on the pointer finger.

Apply a layer of Top Coat over any nails that will have chrome, to protect the design underneath. Cure, then buff the Top Coat to remove the shine so that the chrome later sticks to the black and the black only.

Use Clear As Day Builder In A Bottle to create a 3D raised effect, then cure. Paint over the cured builder gel with Serious Black and cure under the lamp for 60 seconds.

Take a Chrome Pen and rub it generously everywhere you placed Serious Black. Buff it in, then remove any excess from the nail.

Use a liner brush and Cabernet to create a French tip, and repeat on the pinky finger. Take your time to make sure all the sides are even.

Use Clear As Day Builder In A Bottle as a rhinestone glue, then place the nail art decals with a Wax Picker Upper Pen. Flash cure to stop them moving before curing for a full 60 seconds. Repeat on the thumb.

Apply Top Coat over the whole design. Add a second coat of Top Coat over any nails with chrome to help prevent chipping.

• Wipe the cuticles when airbrushing. Removing overspray from the skin with acetone before curing stops the gel sticking to the skin.
• Keep blooming gel thin. A nice thin layer gives the best spread for the flowers.
• Buff the top coat before chrome. Removing the shine means the chrome only grips the black areas.
• Double top coat chrome nails. An extra layer over the chrome helps ensure there is no chipping.
• Flash cure your decals. A quick flash cure stops decals moving before the full 60-second cure.

Burgundy and gold nails like these are ideal for nail techs and confident enthusiasts who want to practise several techniques in one set. If you have an airbrush gun, this is a great way to put it to use, and the blooming gel and chrome steps are approachable once you know the tricks of keeping layers thin and buffing before chrome.

For salon clients, this is a luxurious autumn and winter set that works for everyday wear as well as special occasions. You can scale it up or down by choosing how many nails feature chrome, blooming flowers or decals.

Using the same products and techniques, you could:

• Swap which nails feature the blooming flowers, chrome and French tips.
• Add the raised chrome design to more nails for extra shine.
• Use a different arrangement of gold decals on each nail.
• Keep a few nails in plain airbrushed Cabernet for a more minimal look.

Chrome and decal details benefit from a little extra care. Apply cuticle oil regularly, wear gloves when cleaning or washing up, and avoid using your nails as tools. Don't pick or peel at the gel, as this can damage the natural nail underneath, and when it's time for a change, have the gel removed properly rather than peeling it off.

Mix Cabernet with some acetone, put it in your airbrush gun and spray it onto the nail. Wipe the cuticle area with acetone before curing, then add a second coat to darken the colour.

Apply a really thin layer of Blooming Gel, then place a dotting tool loaded with a generous amount of colour into it. Once the flower has spread, pop any air bubbles and cure.

Buffing removes the shine so the chrome sticks to the black and the black only.

Use Clear As Day Builder In A Bottle as glue, place the decals with a Wax Picker Upper Pen, flash cure, then cure for a full 60 seconds.

With airbrushed Cabernet, blooming flowers, raised gold chrome, burgundy French tips and gold decals, these burgundy and gold nails are the ultimate autumnal set. Watch the full video tutorial above, gather the products listed and try burgundy and gold nails this season.