Shape: Short square
Colors: Dark pink cat-eye gel, nude-pink base
Details: Silver or gold fine line gel, optional crystals
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated time: 55–70 minutes
What you'll need
Base coat, nude or pink foundation gel, selected magnetic cat-eye gel, cat-eye magnet, detail liner and listed chrome/accent products, glossy top coat, curing lamp and nail-prep tools.
Step by step: diagonal dark pink cat-eye French tips
- Shape the short square tips. Prep each nail, file the free edges straight, and soften the sharp corners slightly so the square shape stays comfortable. Remove dust before applying product.
- Apply the nude foundation. Use a thin, even base coat and cure according to its instructions. Add a sheer nude-pink foundation and cure; this creates contrast with the darker diagonal French section.
- Map the diagonal French line. Imagine an angled line running from one sidewall toward the opposite corner of the free edge. Keep the nude section exposed and make the dark pink tip section consistent across the hand. A fine liner can help sharpen the boundary.
- Magnetize the dark pink tip. Apply dark pink cat-eye gel only inside the diagonal French section. Before curing, position the magnet to concentrate shimmer inside that angled tip without pulling pigment into the nude area. Adjust one nail at a time, then cure.
- Outline the angled edge. Use a thin metallic liner along the boundary between nude and pink to emphasize the diagonal. Keep the line delicate so it frames rather than overwhelms the magnetic effect; cure as directed.
- Finish and seal. Check that each diagonal is balanced, add embellishments only if desired, then apply a compatible glossy top coat, cap the free edge, and fully cure.
What makes this design different?
Unlike a traditional curved French tip, this look uses an angled dark pink magnetic tip against a nude short-square base. The bright cat-eye reflection stays within the diagonal section, while the fine metallic border defines the transition. It is not a full-nail pink cat-eye or a marble design.
Tips for a clean diagonal French
Keep the pink section proportional to the short nail length so the nude base remains visible. Use thin gel layers and a steady liner brush to prevent a bulky border. If the magnetic shimmer spreads too far, reposition it before curing. Follow the manufacturer's curing instructions and avoid skin contact with uncured gel.
Exact magnetic placement varies with gel pigment and magnet strength. Polish shade numbers can be matched to Kevin T Nails inventory separately.