Water manicure – how to do it, necessary materials

A distinctive nail design that stands out can be achieved with a creative and enjoyable water manicure. This method creates captivating patterns that are difficult to duplicate using other techniques by combining water and nail polish.

A water manicure might be exactly what you need if you want to try something different with your nails. It’s simple to perform at home, and with the right supplies, you can produce amazing effects that seem professionally done.

We’ll go over the supplies you’ll need to get started as well as the steps to make your own water manicure in this guide. These pointers will help you get the hang of nail art, regardless of your level of experience.

What is water manicure

Water manicures are a new trend that nail industry designers have created for those who enjoy interesting and distinctive nail art. It’s also known as an aqua manicure or marbling.

The technique of execution, which involves using colored varnishes and a toothpick to create an intricate pattern on the water’s surface, is responsible for the name "water manicure." There are multiple ways to apply the resulting pattern to the nail surface.

The most varied varnish shades can be used, and the designs made with this method appear incredibly intricate and unique. One of the most imaginative and distinctive manicures is the aqua manicure, but it’s not hard to learn how to do one at home; all it takes is some practice and patience. Let’s examine the supplies and equipment required to paint elaborate designs on your nails.

The three most popular methods for doing a water manicure are as follows:

• Standard water manicure, when the nail plate is dipped into a container of water to apply a design to it;
• Dry manicure, when a varnish pattern is created on the surface of the water and is transferred to the nails only after it has completely dried;
• Marble water manicure, in the process of creating which hairspray is used. How exactly this happens, we will consider further.

Necessary tools and materials

There is not a lot of inventory required for water design on this list:

Small dishes with water. Considering the materials you need to work with and the technology, it is better to take disposable dishes. A plastic cup is quite suitable for these purposes.

It is imperative that the water be clean and at room temperature. The varnishes will become liquid in hot water and spread too much, and they will harden more quickly in cold water, both of which will have an adverse effect on the outcome.

Choosing varnishes

Now let’s discuss the best coatings to use when making a water ornament. There are a few easy steps you can take to create a beautiful and high-quality pattern at home.

• First, choose fresh compositions that have not yet begun to thicken. If they already have a viscous structure, they will not be able to freely spread over the water surface;
• Secondly, refuse quick-drying ones, which will harden on water almost immediately, and you will not have time to create the necessary ornament and transfer it to your nails;
• And, of course, choose high-quality materials, preferably of the same brand. In this case, they will have the same texture and drying speed, which will make the pattern better quality and more expressive;
• Do not use coatings that contain glitter, because under their own weight they will most likely settle to the bottom of the container. If you want to add shine, opt for a coating with a pearl shine;
• For a water pattern, you need to use regular varnishes, gel ones are not suitable due to their denser structure. The design itself can be transferred to both a gel base and a regular one.

Here is a short list of varnish manufacturers that I have always worked with without any issues when making patterns on water:

• Golden Rose
• Revlon;
• OPI
• Farmasi;
• China Glaze

Pros and cons

Benefits of this unique nail design:

• A huge selection of patterns and shade combinations. There are no restrictions on the number of varnishes used, with which you can make a variety of ornaments on water;
• Water manicure looks beautiful on nails of any length and shape;
• Manicure can be supplemented with a design in the form of rhinestones, glitter, negative space. This will always look original and attractive;
• A simple technique that is great for home use.

• The need to use protective agents for the skin around the nails;
• In the process of creating ornaments, there is a large consumption of pigmented varnishes. Be prepared for the fact that after one procedure the bottle may be empty by a third. When using this technique, a couple of drops of material will not do;
• It is necessary to spend a lot of time to design nails using this technique, especially if you want to cover all your nails with water patterns.

With just a cup of water, a few nail polish colors, and some simple tools like tape and toothpicks, you can create unique, swirled nail designs with a water manicure. It’s an enjoyable and creative DIY project. Anyone who enjoys DIY nail art can easily and affordably create gorgeous, marble-like patterns on their nails at home with the correct technique.

Technique of execution

Although the process of doing an aqua manicure may initially appear difficult and complex, if you follow our instructions, you will be able to create a marble design on your nails with ease.

Preparation

You must prepare in advance of doing an aqua manicure in order to avoid becoming sidetracked.

1. Lay out all the necessary tools and materials, pour ordinary water at room temperature into a container.
2. Also prepare your nails: remove the old coating, if any, treat the cuticle, give the nails the necessary shape and apply a base coat. If you paint your nails with white polish, it will allow even a thin layer of color to look brighter and more saturated.
3. The next stage of preparation is to apply cream or oil to the skin around the nails to protect them from the polish. You need to apply the product carefully so as not to touch the nail plate, otherwise the pattern will not be fixed on it. If you are afraid that the oily product will get into the water and interfere with doing your manicure, then you can do this procedure after finishing decorating the nail plates and removing excess thin film in order to moisturize the cuticle and skin after removing the remains of the colored film.
4. The last thing you need to do is stick tape or a bandage on your finger, above the nail and up to the second phalanx. This will also protect the skin from unwanted staining. We recommend that you immediately tape all the fingers on which you plan to apply aqua manicure, so as not to waste time in the process and not to spoil the nails already done.

Step-by-step instructions for various techniques

Let’s examine some popular and practical methods for creating an aqua manicure.

With immersion of nails in water

A water manicure, in which the nails are submerged in a container, is thought to be the most accessible and easiest procedure to perform. The following order is followed when doing it:

1. Take the first pigmented varnish and drop it into the center of the container with water. The drop will immediately begin to spread over the surface.
2. Drop a composition of a different shade into the center of the resulting color circle.
3. Then you can use the first shade or use a different color. You can take any number of colors, the richer the palette, the more interesting the pattern turns out. It is necessary to make a drop again in the center of the circle formed by the two previous compositions.
4. As a rule, for a complex and graphic pattern on the surface of the water, 10-20 circles are made. They need to be done quickly so that the varnishes do not have time to dry.
5. Use a toothpick, needle or dots to draw lines on the resulting circles in any direction: across, along, from the center to the edge, diagonally. As a result, interesting patterns are formed. The end of the sharp tool does not need to be deeply immersed in water and after each line drawn, it is recommended to wipe it so that the colored layers do not stick and spoil the pattern.
6. To transfer the pattern to the nail, dip your finger with the nail down parallel to the water surface in the center of the container. Hold still for 10-15 seconds so that the pattern does not smear and is fixed on the nail. You can dip two fingers at once in the colored film.
7. Collect the remains of the colored film around the finger in water with a toothpick or cotton swab.
8. Remove the finger with the film fixed to it from the water. Remove the protective tape, using a cotton swab soaked in nail polish remover, carefully remove excess varnish film from the skin around the nail. Now it is clear why it is necessary to protect the skin around the nail. Otherwise, it is problematic to remove the colored layer.
9. Wait until the pattern dries. This will take a little longer than usual, because varnishes with water dry longer. Apply a top coat to protect your manicure from chipping and damage. Aqua manicure is ready!

The method for making patterns is demonstrated in greater detail in the video:

On a gel foundation, water patterns can also be created on nails. Every step is carried out in the exact order listed. The requirement to dry the base coat, the main color coat (if applicable), and the top coat under a lamp will be the only distinction.

Without dipping your finger in water

Another name for this method is dry manicure. This is as a result of the pattern being applied to already-hardened nails. To accomplish this, you must:

1. Do the first five steps of the standard aqua manicure technique from the previous instructions.
2. Leave the film on the surface of the water for about half an hour to dry completely.
3. Carefully remove the resulting colored circle from the water and cut into several pieces of the desired size.
4. Colored pieces on the nails can be fixed with a transparent varnish.
5. When the design dries, remove excess film carefully with a nail file.
6. Apply a layer of fixative varnish on top.

In the video, the dry manicure technique is demonstrated in detail:

Marble streaks with hairspray

For nail art, the aqua manicure method is perfect for producing a marble design. Another name for it is foam streaks.

In order to get this result, you must:

1. Dissolve three to five drops of varnish of the same color on the surface of the liquid.
2. Immediately, before they set and begin to harden, spray them once with varnish or another hair spray.
3. This way you get a completely unusual and unique pattern that visually resembles foam.
4. Then dip your finger with the nail in the water parallel to its surface and do everything the same way as with a regular aqua manicure.

In the video, the marbling nail art method is demonstrated in further detail:

Possible mistakes

It can be difficult to create a decorative pattern, particularly if this is your first time utilizing the technique. Let’s look at which ones come up most frequently and how to get rid of them:

• A drop sinks. The reason may be an incorrectly chosen height of the brush from which the color composition falls. Do not raise it higher than two centimeters above the surface;
• A drop does not spread. The varnishes chosen for the ornament are old and thick. Take only fresh, liquid compositions;
• Varnishes of different colors are unevenly distributed over the surface of the water. This may occur due to the difference in texture and density of the compositions. Try to use varnishes of the same brand;
• The patterns are knocked down, smeared. This happens because the toothpick is poorly cleaned. Wipe it after each dipping into the container;
• Colored spots do not form patterns well. This happens when too warm or cold water is chosen. We recommend using water with a temperature of no more than 40 degrees, the ideal solution would be water at room temperature.

A water manicure is an enjoyable and artistic method to create one-of-a-kind nail art at home. It only takes a few basic supplies, such as tape, nail polish, and a cup of water, to create countless color schemes and designs.

Because of the great degree of personalization possible with this technique, every manicure is genuinely unique. Water marbling allows you to express your style in any way you choose, whether you want to go for bright, bold designs or something more understated.

Anyone can become proficient at water manicures with a little time and effort. So gather your supplies, schedule some time, and unleash your artistic side. Your nails will be appreciative!

Video on the topic

Water manicure with gel polish

Water nail design with varnish on tips step by step!👍⭐

How to make a water manicure at home?

Water design with GEL POLISH: 2 WAYS. Gel polish in water. Manicure with textures