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You might have seen Zendaya’s velvet nails and immediately associated them with cateye nails, and that’s because they are essentially achieved with the same technique.
“For me personally, velvet nails (and) cateye design are the same thing,” Dobic tells Teen Vogue. “I prefer to call it velvet design just because it sounds better; there are different effects to it, more or less glitter, fine or more coarse glitter particles; there are so many variations of how you can apply it and form different magnetic patterns.”
However, you can also think of velvet nails as a subvariation of cateye, or even cateye’s older sister. What people often refer to as “velvet nails” is a slightly more glitter-forward approach like the ones favored in the ’90s. Think less gradient and more speckly.
“The easiest way to think about it is cateye is more concentrated and graphic, while velvet is softer, fuller, and more diffused,” Streets further explains. “Classic cat-eye gel usually uses a magnet to create a distinct, narrow band or ‘eye’ of light,” she says, adding that you can usually “really see where the magnetic pigment has been pulled.”
While also achievable with the same gel-and-magnet technique, for a velvet effect, the goal is for the glittery or magnetic pigment to be more dispersed. “You manipulate the magnetic particles so that the entire nail appears to have a plush, luminous sheen,” Streets says. “The light is more evenly dispersed, giving that almost fabric-like luxurious appearance.”
How to do velvet nails at home:
To create Zendaya’s lush green velvet manicure, Dobic, of course, used professional techniques. “To achieve this look, I used a nude base hard gel for extra strength and longevity, then applied the first layer of magnetic gel,” she told us. “I used a long cylinder-like magnet and moved it a couple of times back and forth from three sides of the nail, sides first, then at the tip a little; this helped to gather all magnet particles at the center of the nail.”
If you want to give it a try at home, her best tip is “applying the product on one nail at a time and curing; this way you can quickly preserve your results without spoiling it when you work on the next nails.” She also encourages being playful with the magnet to see how the pigment works. “See how it works first. If you ruined the surface with the wrong magnet position, just paint it over with the same brush and continue.”
Streets also agrees that “magnetizing each nail individually” is key. She also suggests starting “with a super smooth base” is key since “any unevenness underneath will be exaggerated by a reflective finish.” A pro tip she gives is that “a darker base will make the shimmer look richer.”
“It also helps to look at the nail under different lighting while you’re working,” Streets says. “The velvet effect can look subtle straight-on but become incredibly dimensional in natural light or when you move your hand.”
If you don’t want to go the gel route, fret not; you can also achieve a similar effect with traditional polish and press-ons. Look for subtle glittery or magnetic finishes that are slightly reflective. “I’d actually say the trend is more accessible at home,” Streets says, “the trade-off is that the velvet effect may be slightly softer and less dramatic than a professional salon gel manicure. I’d go for a deep emerald or forest green magnetic polish with a fine dispersed shimmer rather than a traditional silver-heavy cat-eye. That’s what will help it read as velvet rather than just magnetic.”
