The Evil

When someone gives you a dirty look, some cultures believe that one look is a way to curse people. To protect oneself, an evil eye amulet — also known as a Nazar amulet — is carried or worn on the person. Not all evil eyes look the same, as even the eye of Horus from Egyptian mythology is used for protection from curses and the evil eye. The Hamsa hand from Judaism and Islamic religion also often carries in its palm an evil eye amulet for protection. The symbol represents an open eye forever watching what's going on around it — we can see why this amulet is seen as a symbol of protection.

If you want this protection, day to night, you can put on some evil eye jewelry. Alternatively, you can join in on the new nail trend that has people putting evil eyes and Hamsas right on their nails to ward off any evil that may come their way. The next time someone looks at you the wrong way, you'll know you're safe from their thoughts.

We love these dainty little evil eye dots, but what really strikes our fancy is the addition of the gold lining in the shape of an eye bursting out with sun rays. This design looks simple at its core with the pale background nail color, but the smallest details on these are what really stand out. We love that the gold isn't on all of the nails, changing things up so it feels like you have even more to look at (because who isn't going to be drawn in to check out each nail's difference with a set like this?).

Don't have any gold polish lying around? Just put those tiny dots on each nail with nothing more. The nearly natural base color of these nails makes it so that the evil eyes are the main point of interest — and, as you can see, they pair well with evil eye bracelets too! You'll definitely need a steady hand and some special tools to get dots this round, but once you're done, people will surely be talking about the end results and your nail design perfection.

If the little dotted eyes alone aren't enough for you, add some more designs to your nails. We promise they'll look divine instead of crowded. The added blues and eyes, with just a hint of glittery gold on this set of nails look gorgeous. Plus, that shiny top coat gives them the wet look that is in style right now. Gold and blue always look lovely together, and an accent nail with just the gold glitter can really make this look pop.

If you want something a little more girly, add some little petals to your evil eyes to give them a fun look that can pass for a fresh spring look. They can also make for a cute Valentine's Day look or help you channel warm weather vibes year-round. The shimmery blue of these nails is to die for. For a striking look that is also pretty, this is the angle to try.

If you want more than just polish on your nails, add some bling. A little nail glue can go a long way when it comes to using rhinestones to create amazing nail art. We think this creator did a great job with those rhinestone evil eyes, and the shimmery jewels add a very nice touch to the overall look. What really stands out here, though, are the few fancy V-shaped French tips that add just a little something different to the look. This is proof that mixing nail art concepts together can pay off.

While white blue and black may be the most popular colors when it comes to the evil eye, you can switch things up and get even more colorful with your nail art. You'll feel safe and happy with these protective eyes mixed with a rich orange that makes us crave tangerines and sunshine. Orange and blue are complementary colors, so they pair well together for an artsy look that will definitely be the envy of anyone who sees these nails in person.

We love French manicures, and they're pretty easy to pull off. Why not mix a classy and fashionable French tip with your evil-eye look? Just pick the finger or fingers you want evil eyes on. Then, on the nails that you left bare, use white or matching blue to paint on your tips. You can even use black for the tips if you're going for a darker aesthetic. This bright blue looks delightful, but you can use any blue you have on hand. Also, paint as many, or as few, eyes on your nail (or nails) as you want.

A white background really makes the evil eyes pop, so if you're not afraid to use this solid hue in your mani, go for it. The one downfall we find with white nail polish is that it is less forgiving than some other colors, so you'll want to do some cleaning up afterward. This will make sure that your coats go on smoothly. The white background also takes some of the work out of the eyes, since the whites are already there.

Evil eye meets Pokemon? The little eyes in the border stripes of the French tips on these nails really make us think of Pokemon balls, and we definitely want to catch all of the nail art designs covered here. The two shades of blue on this set nicely complement one another. The natural parts of the nail showing add to the uniqueness of the look of these nails. We also like the eye added into one of the bed designs for something just a little extra.

While this set of nails uses the same color scheme as the last set, we absolutely love that the nail artist opted to put evil eyes in the French tips themselves. The little white dots at the base of the tips are pretty and makes us think of pearl necklaces. This an excellent mani idea if you're looking for something both fabulous and fun. We also think the artist did themselves justice by adding some dark blue accent nails to make the darker blue part of the eyes stand out more.

While evil eyes are most often found colored blue, that doesn't mean you can't have fun with them and switch up the colors. Pink eye may not sound like fun when it comes to your actual eyes, but we think this set of pink evil eye nails is perfectly posh. Not only does the pink color make the eye look mesmerizing, but the glittery pink accent nails make this manicure look like something Barbie would even love.

Yellow gives these evil eyes a bright and cheery look, which is perfect for sunny days, or even in the winter when they move on for a few months. We love how this nice yellow shade really makes the blue of the eyes stand out — you just won't be able to take your eyes off these, and the best part is they're not blinding like the sun. Yellow is a joyful color, so paired with evil eyes, you're ringing in some happy times.

So far, we've seen a lot of nails with multiple eyes or other designs on them. If you want something more simplistic, that still brings you the protection you seek from the evil eye we bring you this beautiful and this minimalistic look. Go for a nice clear or pale-colored nail and then add one single eye coming out of your nail bed. This look is clever and charming in its simplicity. Of course, it's completely up to you which nail you paint the eye on.

One of the cool things about doing your nails these days is that you don't have to spend a bunch of money at the salon to get a cool look. You don't even have to have any skills in painting designs on your nails. Nowadays, you can get gorgeous nail decals that take the pain out of making your manicure look professional without that professional price tag. We love this set of evil-eye-inspired decals, from the designs to the colors.

Your eyes don't have to be perfectly round. Instead of feeling the pressure of the need for perfection, give your evil eye nail art a more artsy and bohemian design by letting the circles be a little messy. We think these nails look like watercolor art or something fancy you'd see in an art museum. The pale pink background makes them stand out even more, so there's no hiding the uniqueness of this set of nails.

We love the circus feel of these nails — it feels like peeking behind the striped walls of the big top tent to see what oddities lurk behind. The evil eyes in this nail art have a spooky feel to them that we adore, but they also feel like eyes watching for our safety from a distance — hidden where they can pop out to protect us when they're needed. The pink and blue stripes give us punk Barbie vibes, which we absolutely love.

Go bold with your bling. You don't have to have any skill painting eyes on your nails if you have an evil eye gemstone lying around. The combination of colors here, pink, blue, gold, and white, are very striking and make this set of nails look like they're worth a million dollars. Each nail is a little different, but the evil eyes and the Hamsa are the real focal points here. We could see a nail spread like this on any of the Kardashians or Rihanna, which makes us want it even more.

One eye open, one eye closed — that's the safe way to relax. With evil eye art on your fingers, you know you're safe. We think this artist did an amazing job mixing the closed eyes with the open ones. We also love the gray that replaces the usual blue here. It's a more mellow look for the evil eye and makes us think this person already feels safe, but isn't afraid to add a little protection to their life, just in case.

The Hamsa and the evil eye are synonymous with one another, as the Hamsa or hand of Fatima is often depicted with an evil eye in the palm. This Hamsa looks to be flipping the bird to notify that this person is confident and ready to face the things that scare them. We love the turquoise color of the nails, and it makes the iris of the eye really glow. With gorgeous nails like these, one accent nail is all you need to make a statement.

If you like the combination of the Hamsa hand and the evil eye, you can go for broke with a smattering of Hamsas all over your nails. These shiny nails appear holographic and the shine is hard to look away from. The little gold hands all over are pretty, but they don't take away from the symbolism of the hand or the evil eye in its palm. The metallic appearance of this mani makes us think of rockstars and glamorous movie vixens.

You can definitely combine other designs with your evil eye. Since evil eyes are meant to protect you from the evil eye, combine them with other protective symbols. In these beautiful nails, we see the ohm symbol, used in meditation for relaxation, and a mandala, also a relaxing and meditative symbol. You can add anything you want that brings you peace and joy and makes you feel safe. For a witchier look, add a pentacle. For a more Hindu feel, paint on or find a Ganesha elephant decal. Get your hippie on with a peace sign.

If you prefer bold and artistic nails that really stand out and scream for people to look at your hands, consider something like this design. The evil eye is boldly represented, but we also love the little gold Hamsa trinket adorning one of the nails. The blues, golds, and whites spread across each nail in different designs and patterns also make these striking. Even the most simple design — the blue pinky with a little gem — is still gorgeous and gives us evil eye protection vibes all the way.

If you want a very authentic evil eye look, go for something glossy like this. This is the evil eye you often see — made of glass, and these look like glass! What we love about these is the dark color. Navy blue has such a powerful feel to it, which just seems to add to the safety and protection vibes these nails give off. Whether you put the evil eye on only a couple of nails or on all of them, we think this mani is sure to draw attention and get plenty of compliments.