I’m not sure where the galaxy nails trend originated, but after seeing it blow up all over Tumblr, I couldn’t help trying it out for myself.


Inspiration: A star nursery in the Carina Nebula.

What you’ll need:
1. Black or navy blue nail polish (I used Essie’s Over the Edge, a frosty black perfect for depicting outer space).
2. Various colors of nail polish. I used a metallic blue, orange, and magenta.
3. Sparkly nail polish. The kind containing different sizes of sparkles works best.
4. A sponge with at least one side ripped off (for texture).
5. Optional: Shimmery gold nail polish for a “stardust” effect.


1. Paint your nails black and wait for them to dry completely.


2. Using the sponge, dab a little bit of polish lightly down the middle of your nails. I find that metallics show up best against black nail polish. Keep dabbing different colors randomly until you’re happy with the coverage.


3. Wait for the dabbed-on layers to dry.


With flash


4. Finally, you’re ready for stars and planetary bodies. Swipe a little bit of the sparkly nail polish on top of your design. Complete the look with a thin layer of transparent top coat.


One taken with flash, just so you can see the colors.

And you’re done! That wasn’t so hard, right? Unfortunately, my crappy camera can’t capture the full effect of these nails, but I can assure you that they’re at least twice as sparkly in real life.

Have you tried doing galaxy nails yet? How did yours turn out?