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FROM FOOLPROOF TO CHALLENGING, HERE ARE FIVE METHODS TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE MARBLED MANICURE NIRVANA.

When you think of kaleidoscopic nails, your mind almost certainly skips to the delicate and (OK, we’re not going to lie) tedious process of water marbling. But we assure you that there’s more than one route to that stone-like effect—and many of these approaches require basic household items you likely already have! Rise through the ranks by trying these techniques in increasing skill level demonstrated by Yasmeen Sandoval (@sloteazzy)—or skip to the end to see our rock-solid advice on getting the hang of water marbling.

IT'S A WRAP!Use a simple flourish to get stunning results—no prior skills required!

1 Start by applying one coat of white polish to help the neon colors pop.

2 Apply liquid latex or tape around your nail to prevent the cuticle area from flooding.

3 Select two to four different colors of polish that complement each other. For each color, hover the saturated polish brush 1 inch or so over your finger, and drop one or two blobs onto the nail.

4 Cut a square of plastic wrap larger than your nail and press it evenly onto the nail, squishing the blobs. TIP! It helps if you pull the ends of the plastic tightly down and around to the bottom of your finger. Remove the plastic and the tape or liquid latex, and finish the design with top coat.

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Tip: This look makes a great background for stamping—or even the

hairspray marble demonstrated on page 43!

MADNESSMarble

By Sarah Emick Photography by Armando Sanchez

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A MATTER OF SPLATTERGetting a little messy can have a beautiful payoff.

HAIRSPRAY HACKPull an everyday beauty product from your stash to achieve a veined stone effect.

Bonus Tip: You can use a straw or coffee stirrer in lieu of a bobby pin. Test out all three to see which gives you the best results.

1 Paint the nail with nude polish. (We used a matte nude!)

2 Dip the looped end of a bobby pin sideways into the first polish. Bring your face close to the nail, and then hold the bobby pin near your lips, like a bubble wand. Blow through it quickly one or two times to spray polish onto the nail.

3 Repeat Step 2 with the other colors you wish to splatter. Clean up around the nail. If you used a matte base color or glitzy metallic, skip the top coat.

Tip: Save the color you want to be the center of attention for last.

1 Polish the nail with lilac lacquer.

2 Fill a disposable plastic cup with room-temperature filtered water. Drop several beads of black nail polish (a thinner consistency is best) into it. Gently swish a Q-tip in the water around the polish to help the lacquer spread.

3 Spray a pump or two of hairspray onto the thinly spread polish. This should create a water-spotted effect.

4 Tape around your nail to make cleanup easier. Hold your nail parallel above the water, and then dunk it in and hold it there. Swirl a Q-tip around your finger to pick up any excess polish from the water, and then pull out your nail. Remove the tape from around your nail and allow the design to dry. Finish with top coat.

Tip:

Don’t have hairspray?

Many products in a

pump bottle that contain

alcohol will do the job.

Try sanitizer spray or

body spray.

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1 Fill a small disposable cup with room-temperature filtered water. Apply one coat of white polish. Tape around your cuticles to make cleanup easier.

2 Drop a bead of lacquer into the water. Swirl a Q-tip in the water around the polish to help it spread to the sides of the cup. If it isn’t spreading, try a thinner polish or see our other troubleshooting tips in the sidebar, “Tips for a Perfect Water Marble,” on page 45.

3 Continue dropping other polish colors into the center of the cup, allowing each color to spread and separate. A good water marble needs around 15 drops, so repeat the color pattern until you reach that number.

4 Take a needle and lower it into the design, five rings in from the outermost color. Slowly drag the needle inward until you reach the center of the bull’s-eye.

5 Continue this process, first with 4 lines, then 8, then 16.

6 Hold your nail facedown and parallel to the water. Quickly lower your nail at a 45-degree angle into the water and hold it there momentarily. Use a Q-tip to pick up all of the excess polish around your finger. Remove your finger from the water. Remove the tape and use an angled brush dipped in acetone to wipe away any unwanted polish left around the cuticle. Allow the design to dry and apply top coat.

WATER MARBLING 101It’s a challenge, but mastering this technique will reward you with a perfect flower print every time! DIFFICULTY LEVEL

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1 Like with traditional water marble, begin with a small disposable cup of room-temperature filtered water. Drop a bead of purple polish into the water and let it spread to the edge of the cup. Follow with a drop of blue and then teal polish. Repeat until the cup contains at least 12 rings.

2 To create a fishtail pattern, start by lowering your needle into the center of the rings and pulling outward. Stop when you reach the third outermost circle.

3 Repeat until you’ve divvied up the bull’s-eye into eighths.

4 Let the polish sit in the cup for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, use tweezers to carefully remove the dried layer of lacquer from the surface of the water.

5 Use scissors to cut slices of the circle slightly bigger than the size of your nail. TIP! You can divide each decal into up to eight pieces, but it’s helpful to have an extra cup of marbled polish in case some pieces tear as you’re handling them.

6 Place the decal on the nail. Then, use acetone and an angled brush to wipe away the excess edges on the decal. Finish with top coat.

• Make sure to turn off any fans, air conditioners or heaters before starting. Air can dry out the polish too quickly and affect the way it spreads.

• Use a small disposable cup (rather than a large drinking cup) to hold the water. The 3-oz.-size clear cup you use for condiments at a restaurant is perfect.

• Filtered, room-temperature water works best. Bottled spring water may seem like a good idea, but often doesn’t work.

• Choose thin, newer polishes. If you’re having trouble getting the polish to spread in the water, snag some nail polish thinner from a beauty supply store. Note: Acetone

does not count as nail polish thinner!

• Using polishes from the same brand tends to work best.

• Gently pull the water around the edge of the polish with a Q-tip to encourage the lacquer to spread to the sides of the cup.

• Use a needle (instead of a toothpick) to create the designs.

• Clean off the needle on a paper towel each time you draw a line in the polish.

• Never drag the polish from the outermost circle, as it will have already dried by the time you get to this step. Always start from the third or fourth ring from the outside.

You don’t need to cross your fingers and hold your breath to get the perfect water marble. Here are a few pointers to make you a pro right out of the gate.

Tips for a Perfect Water Marble

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AS DECALSIf you’re having difficulty placing the water marble designs in the right position on your nail, let them dry first and then apply them with greater precision.

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Tip: If your decals rip

during application, take a thin brush

dipped in the same

color(s) used in the

marble decal to do touch-ups.

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