Hey guys! Today I present to you one of my more successful attempts at watermarbling, this time using some gorgeous pastel shades. I adore this colour combination, and I'm pleased to say these turned out a lot better than I was expecting! If you'd like to know how to get this look for yourself, read my step-by-step tutorial below.
What I Used:
- OPI Ridge Filler Base Coat
- OPI Alpine Snow
- OPI Gelato On My Mind
- OPI Purple Palazzo Pants
- HK Girl Glisten and Glow Top Coat
- Simply Peel Latex Barrier
- Plastic cup
- Cottonbuds
- Toothpick
- Nail polish remover and cleanup brush
1. Apply a base coat to protect your natural nails from stains and provide a smooth base for polish.
2. Paint your nails with one coat of a white polish and leave to dry. This will allow the watermarbled polish to adhere to your nail more easily and will make the colours appear brighter and more opaque.
3. Apply a liquid latex barrier around your nails like Simply Peel, or use tape to protect your skin to reduce the mess you'll have to clean up later.
4. Fill a plastic/paper cup with room temperature water (straight from the tap is usually fine) and then start adding your chosen polishes to the water drop by drop. Hold the brush about a centimeter above the surface of the water and let the polish drop in. The polish should spread out into a large circle on top of the water. If it doesn't, try using a different polish with a thinner formula.
5. Once your first colour has spread out, add a drop of your second colour and allow to spread, and then your third colour. Repeat this pattern, in the same colour order, until you form a 'bullseye' shape made up of different coloured rings on the surface of the water.The more rings you have, the more detailed your pattern will be.
6. Take a sharp tool like a toothpick, needle or small dotting tool, and start gently drawing a pattern with the polish on the surface of the water. To get the pattern I used, drag your toothpick out from the centre to the left side of the cup, and then from the centre to the right side to make a horizontal line. Then using vertical lines, create a zigzag shape through the horizontal line you created.
7. Working quickly so the polish doesn't dry out, place your finger in the cup of water with your nail parallel to the surface. Hold it under the water for about ten seconds, and then remove the dried excess polish on the surface with a cottonbud before slowly removing your finger from the water.
8. Shake off any water and remove your tape or latex barrier from around your nail. If there is still some polish on your skin, clean it up with polish remover and a cleanup brush or cottonbuds.
9. Finish your design with a fast-drying top coat to seal the polish in and add shine.
Watermarbling can be a messy and intimidating technique to master, but as with everything practice makes perfect, so don't give up if it doesn't turn out great on the first attempt! Feel free to comment in the comment section below this post, or get in touch with me on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!
Lisa xx
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