Branching out your nail options for Lunar New Year is a fun way to celebrate the season while trying something fresh and meaningful. This year, the Lunar New Year falls on February 17, a time that symbolizes new beginnings, luck, and positive energy. With that said, cherry blossoms are especially fitting for this occasion, as they represent growth and the beauty of welcoming change. In this short tutorial, we’ll teach you how to create a cherry blossom nail art design inspired by Lunar New Year traditions and the one-stroke painting technique. Let’s get started with this beginner-friendly and festive flower nail look! 1. Apply your red nail polish and matte coat When we hear Lunar New Year, the color that automatically comes to mind is red. For the base of our stiletto nail tip, let’s apply one of the crowd-favorite TPO-free medium red shades, Rosé - R077 Devil’s Tears. Make sure to coat the nail in 2-3 thin, even layers or until you achieve your desired opacity. To prepare your canvas for the nail art, apply the iGel Beauty Matte Top Coat, and cure for 30 seconds under a flash nail lamp. 2. Combine white and pink gel colors Grab your gel art brush and palette or color-mixing tray as we learn the one-stroke painting technique. First, add drops of Line Art Gel Kit - 01 White on White and 20 Fancy Fuschia, then dip the opposite sides of the brush into the white and pink colors. Second, spread out the paint from your brush on your palette to see the color combination. Lastly, flip the brush at the opposite side to diffuse the remaining pigments of the colors. This will now create an ombré or baby boomer look, perfect for cherry blossoms. 3. Paint one-stroke cherry blossom nail art Flowers embrace uniqueness and imperfection, and that’s what makes them beautiful. To create fluid, organic shapes for the petals of our cherry blossom, start with loose and quick strokes. Make sure that the brush lies slightly flat, similar to how we diffused the white and pink colors initially. Each flower does not need to be highly identical; you can create smaller ones for variety and a more natural look. 4. Add yellow dots in the middle of the flowers Once we’re done painting the petals, we move on to painting yellow dots at the center of each flower for added realism and visual contrast. From the same TPO-free Line Art Gel Kit, pick a vibrant yellow shade (in this case, 14 Neon Lemon) and use a dotting tool for precision. All flowers must have tiny yellow circles in the middle for consistency. 5. Draw stems from top to bottom After the flowers, the cherry blossom stems are the next iconic thing. Get your hands on a brown or black liner gel, like the Line Art Gel Kit - 02 Black On Black, along with a thin brush for the nail art. The stems are a flower’s lifeline; they must appear as a support, quite flexible and not rigid or stiff. Start with light pressure, slightly increase pressure in the middle, and then return to light pressure at the end to form a tapered, natural stem. 6. Finish with a glossy top coat Lastly, finish the cherry blossom nail art with our new and improved HEMA-free PRO-X No Cleanse Top Coat, known for its glossy, glass-like shine that resists dulling and discoloration for weeks. Cure the top layer for 60 seconds, then repeat the same process on the other nails. Galloping into 2026 Year Of The Horse with these nails sounds like a good idea! 🐎💨 Did this tutorial make your heart blossom with nail inspos for Lunar New Year? Wait ‘til you see our short but sweet nail art tutorials on our iGel Beauty Instagram and iGel Beauty TikTok accounts! Now, let’s be ready for whatever life has in store, with courage in our hearts and openness in our minds. Here's to making every moment (and manicure) count! ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Written by Alyssa Bueno on February 4, 2026 Alyssa Bueno, a true beauty enthusiast, brings her passion for writing and beauty to life as a writer for iGel Beauty. With a diverse editorial background and industry expertise, Alyssa shares the latest trends and curates tutorials and tips to inspire nail lovers worldwide.
