Nail Design Kit Essentials: 8 Nail Brushes & Their Uses

If you’re looking for some must-have items to build up the inventory in your nail design kit, check out some of these most-used nail art brushes.

Every DIY nail artist needs a reliable stash of nail art supplies. A totally trendy and on-point nail design kit must have the essentials at the very least: a nail stamper, stamping plates, a variety of artsy nail polishes, and at least one nail art brush. But is that really enough? Since there’s no limit on your creative flow, don’t place one on the inventory in your kit. For creating elaborate designs that’ll make your friends say wow, consider adding some of these brushes to your list of nail art essentials.   

1. The Liner Brush

This brush’s tip forms a short round point. It’s the perfect accessory to complement stamping nail art. Use it to outline your nail stamps or to create geometric-inspired masterpieces.

2. The Fan Brush

Resembling a fan (hence the name), this brush contains medium length bristles that lie flat in a fan-like shape. This nail art brush will give your tips a whimsical look. It’s best used for shading, creating swirls or swipes, and perfect for sweeping away extra loose glitter.

3. The Crooked Detailer Brush

With an angled shaft and angular tip, this brush allows the user to create fine details when creating custom nail art. Use this brush for intricate freehand nail designs that require complex angles to achieve.

4. The Shader Brush

The end of this brush is short and blunt and resembles a square-like shape. It’s really good for shading, just like its name implies. For creating atypical backgrounds for images created with a nail stamper, try this brush. You can even experiment by adding two different coloured polishes to each side. It’s the perfect addition to your nail design kit.    

5. The Striper Brush

Just like the shader brush, this brush lives up to its name. The striper brush is perfect for creating long horizontal or vertical stripes. The striper brush can also come with a small amount or a large amount of elongated bristles for creating thicker or thinner lines. This tool is perfect for chevron-inspired nail art of all sizes. If you only grab one nailbrush for your nail design kit, make it this one.    

6. The Stripette Brush

This scaled-down version of the striper brush is great for creating shorter vertical and horizontal lines. Use it for drawing tendrils or netting.

7. The Grass Comb Brush

With short, flat bristles of uneven lengths, this brush can create flawless airbrushed effects. Use it dry-brush style to create trendy feathers or autumn-inspired leaves and grass. 

For more autumn design inspiration, take a look at one of our previous posts: Nail Stamping Ideas: Fun & Festive Fall Nail Designs.

8. The Angular Brush

Last, but certainly not least, the angular brush is cut at a 45-degree angle. This angle allows perfect control when creating designs that have a slant to them. Use this brush for creating nail art containing things like flower petals.

Bonus: To save you even more time and effort, Clear Jelly Stampers carries a set of brushes that does everything the other brushes do and more. They’re made out of silicone, which makes clean-up super simple. It’s an eight-in-one nail art brush set that’s perfect for all things nail art.

For nail art tools worthy of a professional nail art kit, check out Clear Jelly Stampers. From industry-leading stampers to brushes, we offer everything you need to create modern and trendy nail designs.