“May the 4th be with of you!” If you haven’t heard that phrase, seen the Snapchat filter, or seen the memes, it’s Star Wars Day, the unofficial holiday of George Lucas‘s sci-fi phenomenon that’s alive and well decades after its 1977 release, thanks to The Force Awakens. With endless merchandise available (some of which I’m dying to get my hands on), I feel like it’s much more fun to craft your own tribute to the franchise, namely with nail art. I scrolled through my subscription feed to find a few fun ideas that you can replicate with your own color collection, regardless of your skill level, to show your love and choose a side. Happy Holiday!
Storm Trooper Nail Art — Nobody keeps the Empire or the First Order running like the soldiers suited in white. And who better to teach you to recreate the iconic Stormtroopers than Darth Vader (aka cutepolish) himself. Whether you feature one soldier solo or a whole squad on your fingertips, it’s sure to stand out. #SquadGoals
Chewbacca Nails — We’re not all super skilled with a striping brush, but YouTube offers an array of artsy options for every skill level. Mani maven Meliney has a slew of of easy ideas, including this adorable tribute to our favorite Wookiee. By layering rich shades of brown (and a bit of glitter), you can create a lot of dimension to ensure Chewie’s fur looks lustrous.
Lightsaber Nail Art Tutorial — This showstopping nail art speed-paint had me mesmerized from start to finish. Not only did she create a star-filled galaxy but also the famous logo and a pair of crossed lightsabers (if you’re wondering how lightsabers would work IRL, I suggest checking out this clip). Be forewarned: this takes a seriously steady hand for all of the delicate details, so this may not be the best for beginners.
R2D2-Inspired Nails — One of sassiest droids in the galaxy, R2D2’s beeps and boops belied a surly personality (opposed to C3PO’s optimism and Luke Skywalker’s naivety) that many could identify with, inserting their own snappy comebacks as subtitles. Akameru89 goes into serious detail to recreate R2D2’s signature silhouette (which I didn’t realize was perfectly shaped for a nail bed) to ensure the circuitry and such looked just right—all just using a striping brush.
BB-8 Nail Art — BB-8 has stolen the hearts of many fans, so who wouldn’t want to show their love for Poe Dameron’s little buddy? The neutral background on this look makes this look easier to rock in everyday life, but don’t be surprised by how many people ask for a second look at the little astromech.
Darth Vader Detailed Nail Art — Last but not least, the granddaddy of the baddies, Darth Vader. The iconic villain has popped up on many a mani, but not quite like this. Meant for some of the most skilled nail ninjas, this tutorial not only features the silhouette of the Dark Lord, but also one of the Death Stars and his signature phrase. Who knew going over to the dark side could look this cool?!