Aquatic life reaches the mainland in the form of summer nail art.“I was inspired by the beautiful shifting colors found in opalescent shells and mermaid scales,” says Yvett Garcia (@yvynails).
Opalescent Reflection
1. Apply gel base coat and cure. Then, apply one coat of sheer turquoise gel polish and cure. Do not remove the tacky layer.
2. Apply metallic and pearlescent powder to the nail. Then, place iridescent flakes diagonally across the nail. Apply a thin layer of clear gel and cure. Do not remove the tacky layer.
3. Apply blue and purple foil until the entire nail is covered. To finish, apply gel top coat and cure.
Mermaid Scales
1.Mix blue, turquoise and iridescent glitter acrylic powder. Then, apply a thin layer to the nailApply clear gel to the nail, then place small pieces of glass paper onto the gel and cure. Apply a second layer of clear gel to encapsulate the glass paper and cure.
2. Apply one coat of no-wipe gel top coat and cure. Place a fish scale stencil on the nail, then apply duochrome and holographic powder. To finish, apply no-wipe gel top coat and cure.
Sea Glass
1. Apply gel base coat. Cure. Then, apply sheer turquoise gel polish. Cure. Do not remove the tacky layer. Next, apply pieces of glass paper until the nail is covered.
2. Apply clear gel to encapsulate the paper and cure. Then, apply a thin layer of opalescent gel to the entire nail and cure. Next, apply a thin layer of clear gel and cure.
3. File and buff the nail. Next, use an e-file to cut small diagonal lines into the gel, extending the lines to the corner of the nail to form a shell pattern.
4. Buff between each diagonal line. To finish, apply gel top coat and cure.
-Yvett Garcia is a Van Nuys, California-based nail artist.
Which one of these mermaid nail art tutorials is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
[Images: Photography by Jason Bennett]
This article was first published in the August 2017 issue of NAILPRO