The Ralph Lauren Christmas aesthetic is a HUGE trend this holiday season. So I wanted to try a holiday nail set inspired by this theme, using these super cute Tartan & Teddies nail decals I made (and just dropped on my Etsy shop, including a ready-to-go Cricut print and cut version). I got so many compliments when I wore these nails to a holiday event in Boston, and I think they came out super cute. Check out my TikTok below to see how they looked IRL, and how I made these press on nails step-by-step using my nail decals.
The Nails I Used
I used the natural (not sculpted/curved) extra thick long coffin nails by Novo Ovo to make these holiday press on nails. I always prep them with a coat of base gel, and cure it for 60 seconds under my nail lamp.
The Gel Polishes I Used
Blue Cat Eye Nails
For the blue cat eye nails, I started with one coat of black gel polish. After that cured, I did two coats of “Out of the Blue” by Gaoy, which is a GORGEOUS jewel tone blue cat eye gel polish. When I use cat eye gel polish, I like to work with the nails on these plain plastic stands (so they don’t interfere with the magnet situation) and I use the max magnet by Kokoist. It’s a super strong magnet, and it’s the best one I’ve ever used with my cat eye polishes.
Rich Plum
For the rich plum nail, I used two coats of “Gothic Plum” gel polish by Chaun Legend. I also used it in the nail set I did for Culture Con, and safe to say I’m obsessed.
Gold Holographic Chrome Nails
I wanted to add a little sparkle, so I did gold holographic chrome powder on my pinky nails. I started with black gel polish as my base, and then used a non-wipe top coat by Beetles which I cured for 10 seconds. That’s the time that works best with my cordless rechargeable DND nail lamp. Then I buffed in this gold holographic chrome powder I got on Amazon, and did a full cure for 60 seconds. I repeated the chrome application steps, so I had two coats of the chrome powder.
The Tartan & Teddies Nail Decals
I loveeee making my own custom nail decals, and I’ve got so many cute ones for my Christmas nails this year. For this holiday nail set, I made these Teddies & Tartan nail decals featuring teddy bears in the cutest tartan outfits. I also made some matching tartan bows, and Christmas trees with the tartan tree skirt. They came out so cute, and I wanted to share them with y’all for your Christmas nails this year, so I listed them on my Etsy Shop!
What You Get With My Nail Decals on Etsy
I wanted to make sure I hooked y’all up, so it’s super easy to do your nails however you want using my Teddies & Tartan nail decals. You can cut them out by hand, or use my ready-to-print-and-cut Cricut file. When you purchase my nail decals on Etsy, you get:
- A PDF file, with all the decals pre-sized for short to long nails
- A PNG file, with all the decals pre-sized for short to long nails
- A ready-to-go Cricut print-and-cut PNG file, with all the decals pre-sized for short to long nails.
- All the individual nail decals as PNG files, so you can size them however you want.
What Paper Do I Use To Print The Nail Decals?
I’ve tried a few different kinds of paper, and so far the No Need Spray Waterslide Decal Paper by Koala (on Amazon) is my favorite for printing nail decals at home. This one is my fave because you don’t have to seal it after you print on it (which most waterslide decal paper requires), to prevent the ink from running off when you place the paper in water to lift the design. Also, it works with both inkjet and laser printers.
Why I Use White Waterslide Decal Paper
I get my waterslide decal paper in white, so that the designs look vibrant when printed. I’ve seen people use transparent waterslide decal paper on TikTok, and noticed they had to use white gel polish underneath them to get the designs to pop.
How To Use My Nail Decals With Cricut Print & Cut
Got a Cricut? Me too! Specifically, I have the Cricut Maker 4, which I’ve been putting to great use. If you want to use my Tartan & Teddies nail decals as a Cricut Print and Cut project so you don’t have to cut out the nail decals by hand, here’s a couple of tips:
How To Set Up The Nail Decals in Cricut Design Space
You want to start by uploading the file that says “Cricut Print and Cut Ready” in the name to Cricut. I’ve already pre-sized the nail decals, but to make sure that it’s correct when you print it on the 8.5 X 11″ waterslide decal paper, you need to adjust the width and height of the entire image you uploaded (with ALLLL the decals on it, don’t attempt to change the individual decals).
Click on the image once you have it in Cricut Design Space, and resize it to W: 7.127 inches and H: 8.436 inches. Then you can tell it to print and cut on 8.5 X 11″ paper (on your Cricut mat). I recommend using the system dialog to print, turning off the bleed, and setting it to print on photo paper at best quality.
When you have the designs on your mat, tell Cricut to use the Photo Paper setting at default pressure to cut it. Then your Cricut will out all the nail decals for you individually! It’s just that easy.
How To Apply My Etsy Christmas Nail Decals
Once my nail decals are cut out, I apply them using Beetles Nail Art Foil Glue. I do one coat, let it cure for 60 seconds, and then apply the nail decal. I try to make sure top coat (or builder gel if I’m doing rhinestones) is my next step, so I don’t accidentally strip the design off the decal (which can happen if your hands are sticky while working).
The Nail Glue I Use For My Press On Nails
My favorite nail glue to apply press on nails is the CurvLife solid nail glue. This, along with my nail prep routine, keeps my press on nails locked in for two weeks every time.
Ralph Lauren Christmas Nails Tutorial on TikTok
Wanna see how I did these Ralph Lauren-inspired Christmas nails step-by-step? Check out my TikTok above!
Are you getting into the Ralph Lauren Christmas trend this year? What holiday nails should I do next? Let me know in the comments below!
Stylishly Yours,
Theresa Seyi
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