Boho Jewellery Nails with Chrome, Shells and Cat Eye Gems: Nail Art Tutorial with Anna

In this Not A Nail Tech episode, Anna, who usually works behind the camera, does her own natural nails to show how user-friendly the products are. She creates boho jewellery nails: bohemian metal-effect nails with silver mirror chrome, cat eye and crushed shell gems, and rustic raised line work.

Boho jewellery nails look like a stack of statement rings and pendants, with polished silver, glowing gems and hand-drawn rivets. Because the design is meant to look handmade and rustic, it's surprisingly forgiving, which is exactly why Anna chose it to show that you don't need to be a nail tech to get a striking result.

This design layers several fun techniques. A buffed mirror chrome gives a high-shine silver base, cat eye polish creates gems that shift with the light, and crushed shells form one large bohemian-style stone. Domed with builder gel, the gems look raised and glossy, just like real jewellery.

The black line work then ties everything together. Outlining the gems and adding dots that look like rivets turns the nails into metal armour, and a final pass of chrome over the black details makes them shine. Wobbly lines still look great with this rustic style, so boho jewellery nails are a relaxed way to try more advanced techniques.

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On prepped nails, apply base coat, then Fancy Free Builder in a Bottle for a little extra strength on natural nails.

Apply two coats of Serious Black so the colour is totally opaque, then seal with top coat.

Apply Mirror Chrome Pigment for a silver metal finish. Use plenty of product and buff it in really well for a high shine, then wipe off as much excess as possible with a lint free wipe so it doesn't go gritty in the top coat.

Decant top coat onto a palette and apply it with a brush so no pigment gets into the bottle. Cure, then clean any excess chrome off the skin.

Mix Stratosphere and Poison Ivy cat eye polishes and use a dotting tool to make organic circles and ovals. Use a magnet to create the cat eye effect, then cure. Add a mix of Snow White and top coat on top for a milkier texture and cure again.

Using tweezers, pick out a few colours of crushed shells and set them in a small circle with little dabs of top coat to create one large bohemian-style gem. Add tiny pieces for texture, then cure.

Apply Clear as Day Builder in a Bottle over each gem to create a dome, using a small tool to keep it off the rest of the nail. Cure one nail at a time so it doesn't slide, then add a second coat to make the gems bigger.

Apply Ultra Matte Coat to all the nails and cure. Line work is easier over matte than gloss, and the chrome won't stick to the gems later.

Using Serious Black and a fine liner brush, outline the gems and add lines and dots that look like rivets. On nails without gems, add line and dot details to look like metal armour. Flash cure between nails so it doesn't run, then cure all the nails.

Apply Mirror Chrome Pigment again so it sticks to the black details, buff off the excess, especially from the gems, and clean the gems with gel residue wipe off solution and a small brush.

Apply top coat from a palette with a small brush, getting into all the crevices, and cure. Apply a second layer of top coat, as chrome is more delicate and needs extra protection from scratches, then do a final cure.

• Buff chrome hard. Plenty of product and lots of buffing gives the shiniest metal effect.
• Decant your top coat. Applying top coat from a palette stops chrome pigment contaminating the bottle.
• Embrace a handmade look. Rustic boho designs still look great if your lines are a little wobbly.
• Use the tub's variety. Crushed shells come in lots of sizes, so tiny pieces add extra texture.
• Cure domes one nail at a time. This stops the builder gel sliding off the gems.

Boho jewellery nails are perfect for confident DIY nail lovers who want a statement look. Anna isn't a nail tech, and her rustic line work proves that a handmade finish suits this style. If you've used gel at home before and want to try chrome, cat eye and builder gel domes, this is a fun project to work through.

For nail techs, boho jewellery nails make an eye-catching set for festival season or for clients who love silver jewellery. Mixing gem nails with armour-style line work nails gives you lots of room to tailor the set.

Using the same products and techniques, you could:

• Use cat eye gems on some nails and crushed shell gems on others.
• Leave some nails gem-free with armour-style lines and rivet dots only.
• Add a second coat of builder gel for bigger, more domed gems.
• Change the shapes of the cat eye gems between circles and ovals.

Chrome and raised gems need 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 have the gel removed properly when it's time for a change.

Use plenty of Mirror Chrome Pigment and buff it in really well, then wipe off the excess with a lint free wipe so it doesn't go gritty in the top coat.

Line work is easier over matte than gloss, and the chrome won't stick to the gems when it's applied over the black details.

Apply Clear as Day Builder in a Bottle over each gem to create a dome, curing one nail at a time, then add a second coat to make them bigger.

Chrome is more delicate and needs extra protection from scratches, so a second layer of top coat helps protect it.

With silver mirror chrome, glowing cat eye and crushed shell gems and rustic rivet line work, these boho jewellery nails are a true statement. Watch Anna's full video tutorial above, gather the products listed and give boho jewellery nails a try at home.