nail art: plastic wrap marble nails
(Cross-posted from my article for the Birchbox Blog – go check them out!)
Do you want fool-proof marble nails in just a few minutes? Get thee to the kitchen, because that roll of plastic wrap is about to become your new best friend. This mani is hard to mess up, and you probably have everything you need on hand so you can try it today!
What you’ll need:
-Two nail polishes. Try experimenting with similar shades, contrasting colors, or different finishes to see which look you like best. I’m using light grey Zoya Dove with a dark blue polish, China Glaze First Mate, on top.
-A glossy top coat. I’m using Sally Hansen Hard as Nails.
-Plastic wrap – the roll in your kitchen will be just fine! Cut 10 small pieces (one for each nail), and don’t worry if it crumples or sticks together. That’s the whole idea here!
Step 1: Paint your nails with your base color (in my case, the light grey). Make sure to let the polish dry completely before moving on.
Step 2: Working with one nail at a time, apply a coat of the second polish over one nail. Grab a piece of plastic wrap and move on to Step 3 while the polish is still wet!
Step 3: Immediately blot the top of your nail once or twice with a crumpled piece of plastic wrap. When the sticky wrap touches the wet polish, it will pull up a bit of the color, creating a marbled effect with the base color underneath. If you pull up too much of the wet polish, just add a little more color and dab at it with plastic wrap again. Continue until you’ve completed each nail.
Step 4: If you ended up with some polish smudges outside the lines, dip a Q-tip or a small brush in nail polish remover to clean up around the edges. The surface of your nails may be a bit bumpy, so finish your marbled mani with one or two layers of top coat to achieve a smooth and shiny surface.
I love the amazing results you can get from such a simple technique – no steady hands or artistic skills required for this nail art look!
So Love it! Definitely going to try at home this week (just did mani last night…) Keep up the great work, Anna!
Thanks, Elaine! Let me know how it works for you!
This was so my next mani! I was going to do tonight!
Awesome! I’d love to see a photo if you end up trying it.
this is sooo cool. i want to try it out this weekend when i change my polish! you always have the best nail tutorials!
xoamy
http://www.cupcakesncouture.com
Thanks, Amy! And I love your blog.
Very cool idea, will try it out. Thank you.
I’m so trying this! It looks so simple!
Just tried this, and doesn’t look anywhere near as good as yours. lol Will keep practicing.
Just tried this, and doesn’t look anywhere near as good as yours.. lol Will keep practicing.
This was awesome, and so easy!!
Oooh a relatively mess free marble. Yay!
How do you keep the bottom coat from getting lifted off when you dab off the second color?
As long as the bottom polish is completely 100% dry (think second day nails or at least a few hours of drying time), you should be good to go!
Going to try this looks so cool
Tried it. Love it.
Did today with green and teal. Love it
AMAZING! I used NYC Quick Dry Park Ave under OPI Boris & Natasha (which may be my all-time fav color). Its looks great!
gonna try this with my little sister’s nails
Did this with a gold base and black top. Both glitter polishes, and it turned out pretty bangin.
Thank you, it’s a great tutorial and idea!