Pattern on nails with water. Possible mistakes when creating water design for nails

Today, flipping through the pages of fashion magazines, looking at celebrity photos and enjoying videos of various iconic events, girls are increasingly paying attention to the non-standard nail art of their idols and thinking about whether it is possible to repeat the same design at home.

For those who are already fed up with the standard monochromatic color scheme of nails, or, for those who are looking for bright and rich shades, manicure experts have come up with a new design move - water manicure or, in other words, marble design.

This type of nail art is so easy that absolutely any modern woman or girl can create a water manicure at home for herself or her relatives and friends.

Creating a manicure on the water, presented in one of your favorite photos in a glossy magazine, is not only an exciting and interesting pastime, but also an amazing result that will catch the eye and cause admiring exclamations of others.















Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of water manicure are:

  • originality of the idea, as well as the originality of the pattern (even you are unlikely to be able to exactly repeat the stains for each nail);
  • a lot of opportunities for a variety of color combinations;
  • quick drying pattern.

The disadvantages include, first of all, the high consumption of varnish, the need for a phased manicure for each nail, as well as the duration of creating a unique design.

What you need

If you decide to do a water manicure yourself for the first time, then be patient, and also allocate about 2 hours of free time for this procedure. You should not think that this type of design will always be created also laboriously, because each time your skill will grow, and the time spent on manicure will decrease. If it’s hard for you to figure out the technique of such a manicure, then we suggest you use the photo or video tutorials on how to create it.

In order to ideally create a water manicure at home, without resorting to the help of professionals, you need to stock up on the following set of tools and materials:

  1. a set of varnishes: white varnish and at least two different liquid colors that combine with each other;
  2. base coat and fixative for manicure;
  3. a bowl filled with water (only water at a comfortable room temperature will do);
  4. oily hand and body cream, pva glue or adhesive tape (fabric adhesive tape);
  5. finely sharpened matches, orange stick or toothpicks;
  6. cotton pads and a few sticks;
  7. nail polish remover.





How to prepare nails for manicure

Preparation of nails for applying varnish to create a marble design takes place in the standard mode, i.e. the first step is to make a quality manicure and perform the necessary hygiene procedures. You can choose the classic (cut) manicure method, its European or Brazilian version.

You can learn about all the advantages and disadvantages of a particular type of manicure by looking at a variety of photo and video materials. Most importantly, do not forget to carefully work out the cuticle area, because in order to use ordinary water in creating a spectacular manicure, you should make your nails and the periungual roller as smooth and even as possible. This will allow you to transfer the drawing well and not damage it.

When the nails are prepared, it is necessary to apply a base coat on them for better adhesion of the colored varnish to the surface of the nail. Ideally, you should set an overall neutral tone for the nails, i.e. cover them in one layer with some kind of neutral colored varnish (for example, nude, white or pink). So the water manicure on your nails will be more saturated and bright.

When the nail polish is completely dry, it's time to start creating a marble water design, but before that, lubricate the periungual space with a greasy hand cream or carefully tape over it - this will help protect the skin from pigment ingress.

Technique for creating marble manicure

Prepare a container of warm water at room temperature in advance. Let it rest a little while you shape the nail plate and cover it with a base, because it should not contain any foreign particles or air bubbles. Choose a container that is not too small, otherwise your nails will be damaged on the edges, which will completely ruin the manicure. If you take too large a container, then the consumption of varnish will be very high. The ideal option is a plastic disposable cup or an old and time-tested faceted glass.

Let's assume that your final manicure will be two-tone. Then prepare two varnishes that you want to use, and toothpicks or orange tree sticks. Take the first varnish and bring its brush to a distance of about two centimeters from the surface of a glass of water. Wait until a drop of varnish falls into the water. As soon as the varnish gets into it, you will see how it spreads over the surface, creating a colored film. Bring a brush with varnish of a different color to the center of the resulting divorce and also drip one drop.

You can already create the desired pattern with a sharp toothpick, carefully distributing the varnish over the water, or you can drip a few more drops of varnish, then your drawing will be even more multifaceted and interesting. It's up to you to decide.

Do not immerse the toothpick too deep and do not allow it to become heavily soiled. Also, do not forget about the time, carried away by the creation of your manicure, because from the moment of the first drop to the final transfer of the pattern to the nail, no more than a minute should pass, otherwise everything will have to start all over again.

Once you have considered the pattern complete, you can begin to transfer it to the nail. Gently dip your finger into the liquid, then in a circular twisting motion, pick up all the polish and remove your finger from the water. Your water manicure is almost ready!

For those who still do not understand how to make a water manicure, there are many photo and video tutorials that will clearly demonstrate all the stages of applying varnish and creating the perfect marble nail art.

Final touches

Each of your nails has acquired an intricate pattern. Now the question arises how to get rid of the remnants of varnish on the sides of the nail plate and how best to do it.

First of all, get rid of the tape or band-aid if you used these materials to protect the skin of your hands. Together with them, most of the surplus will disappear.

If you used a greasy cream, then just wipe it clean.

In the vast majority of cases, small areas of varnished skin still remain around the nail, or the color pigment itself has leaked under the adhesive tape. In this case, it is necessary to arm yourself with cotton swabs soaked in nail polish remover and gently clean the skin of excess varnish.

Water manicure will be considered fully completed only when you fix it with a special top coat. This will protect the color pigment and keep the pattern for a longer period. It is thanks to the top in the photo that the nails look bright, juicy, and also shiny.

What difficulties may arise

At first glance, especially after looking at photos and videos on the Internet, it seems that water manicure is simple, easy and should not cause any problems. But, this is not the case, and in the course of creating a marble design on your nails, some nuances may arise:

The varnish does not want to form a divorce on the surface of the water.

Solution: there may be several reasons for such a nuisance: hot water in a glass or the use of quick-drying varnishes of a thick consistency. Water manicure is created only with liquid color pigments.

Smearing the pattern when immersing a finger in a glass of water.

Solution: most likely, the size of the container used is not suitable for you, since the container is too narrow. Replace it and try again.

Manicure is smudged.

Solution: Try holding your finger in the water for a little longer. Also, carefully remove unnecessary parts of the pattern in the water with a sharpened match or orange stick.

The drawing is not transferred to the nail, but dries.

Solution: You keep your finger in the glass for too long. During this time, the varnish has time to dry. It is also possible that the water is too cold. Dilute it with hot water, giving the desired temperature.

You can also organize the search for a solution to your problems that arise when creating a marble effect of nails among the photos posted on the network by girls who have perfectly mastered the art of water manicure.


Very beautiful, always unpredictable, bright and original - this is a water manicure. With certain actions, a delightful marble effect or stylish stains, lines, waves, petals, circles, etc. are obtained. But, there is also a fly in the ointment here: not everyone and not always succeed in quickly and deftly doing a water manicure.

At first, various unpleasant surprises are possible, in which the end result is far from perfect. But, practice, skills, elimination of shortcomings, over time, will help to fix everything.

Prepare base polish, white, purple (one tone darker and one lighter), pink pastel, yellow polish, gloss for the top coat.

You will also need tape, a paper cup, a toothpick, sequins of various shapes, rhinestones or other nail decorations.

The varnish must necessarily blur, forming a circle. And not all varnishes are suitable for these purposes.

Lacquer for water manicure

The varnish should be liquid and not quick-drying. Suitable for creating water manicure varnishes OPI, golden rose(only in a bottle, as in the photo), Revlon, farmasi, Catherine Arley. Of course, this list is not final, only those varnishes are indicated, with which there were no problems when creating a water manicure.

Step 1. Treat your nails, giving them the desired shape and length, make up the base coat of varnish. In the photo, the nail on the little finger with a white gradient, since a slight drawing is conceived on it, where part of the nail is visible. But, you can easily skip this point.

Step 2 Stick strips of tape around the nail to avoid the extra effort of rubbing the polish off your fingers. At the same time, save nail polish remover. You can also lubricate your fingers with cream.

Step 3 Prepare a paper cup with lukewarm water and begin to drip varnish into it, from a brush, holding it at some distance from the water. An important condition - the varnish must spread. One by one, create 5 colored circles. You can combine shades at your discretion, or be guided by the photo.

Step 4 Using a toothpick, you should then create the desired pattern on the resulting film. Draw three lines from one end of the circles to a specific point on the other end, creating petals. You can also lead a toothpick, starting from different sides of the circle towards its middle.

Step 5 Choose an interesting pattern and, pointing your fingernail horizontally at it, dip your finger into the water. Without removing your finger, pick up the excess floating film with a toothpick.

Step 6 Remove your finger from the water, remove the tape, you may need to cut it, and gently but carefully, using nail polish remover, remove any mess around the nail.

Do the same manipulations with all nails, while you can experiment with patterns and a palette of circles, supplementing them with new colors of varnishes or vice versa, narrowing the number to two or three.

Water nail design- one of the easiest ways to create something unusual on your nails at home. Any girl can do it - you just need to have a couple of nail polishes on hand :) In this article you will find a step-by-step water design lesson as well as tips on how to make it and what you need to consider (features of varnishes, water and other tricks ).

Water manicure: video

Technology for performing water manicure at home

Water design consists in the fact that with the help of several varnishes and their properties of fluidity in water, a film with a pattern is created, which is then easily transferred to the nails.

What is needed for water manicure?

  1. Water container
  2. Several varnishes (from 2 to 4, it is better not to take more)
  3. Toothpick, needle or orange stick
  4. Nail polish remover, cotton pads and Q-tip
  5. Oily hand cream or tape

How to make a water manicure?

1. The first step of the nails is necessary prepare for design, that is, if it has grown and give the nails the same shape with a file. Further, it is also desirable to apply and let it dry.

2. Now let's start design on the water. To do this, several varnishes are taken in turn and dripped into each other into the water, while creating multi-colored nested circles.

3. Then using an orange stick or a needle from these circles an abstract drawing is made. You can come up with many options for creating it, it’s very beautiful when a flower is made from circles by bringing lines from the edges to the center.

5. We lower the finger into the water, directing the nail to the drawing. After holding it in the water for a few seconds, we stretch our finger. Gently remove excess polish around the nail with a cotton swab and nail polish remover. For the surface at the very edge of the nail, you can use a thin brush.

6. A similar procedure is done with all other nails. After the water and varnish have dried, a fixative is applied to the surface of the nails for additional shine and design safety. Water manicure is ready!

8 secrets of water manicure from personal experience

It happens that a water manicure cannot be done the first time: the varnish does not spread and the girls give up this business. Therefore, here I want to consider the main problems that may arise and how to solve them.

  1. When performing a water manicure, it is necessary that water temperature was at room temperature. In cold water, the varnish will not spread, but simply harden. In very warm water, drawing will not work.
  2. Some lacquer brands may not be suitable to perform a water-based nail design, since they also contain water in their composition, so it remains only to test here. In general, water nail polish should be liquid so that a drop can fall.
  3. Only one nail is made from one drawing on the water. After that, it is necessary to collect the remains of the varnish that are still floating, but it is better to periodically change the water (1 change for 3 nails).
  4. Many are afraid that water manicure takes too much polish, however, in fact, its consumption is exactly the same as with conventional nail polish. And to save money, you can take a water tank with a smaller diameter.
  5. Necessarily lubricate the surface around the nails with cream, it is sure to be found in every girl. However, it is impossible for the cream to get on the nails - otherwise the drawing in this place simply will not work.
  6. After you take your finger out of the water, let it dry well. Keep in mind that water-based nail polish takes a little longer to dry than regular nail polish.
  7. When you drop a drop into water, the brush must not come into contact with the surface, but should not be too high. In the first case, the drop will spread poorly, and in the second case, it will first sink. The ideal distance is 1 centimeter above the water.
  8. Patterns can be very different on each of the nails.. On the one hand, this gives the water manicure its zest. But if you want it to be the same, then you will have to practice both in drawing on the water and in correctly prying the drawing with your fingernail.

The first drops spread very strongly and the color of the varnish can become very light, almost transparent - do not be afraid of this, just make more drops and dip the nail in the middle. Also, for greater color intensity, you can apply the base color on the nails before performing the water design. After the drawing dries, you can additionally apply rhinestones, sparkles, broths on it - what your soul desires :)

And remember - practice improves! Try it, and in time you will definitely get your perfect water nail design!

Water manicure: photo

And finally, a few photos of interesting nail design ideas using this technique on the water.

Not all modern girls know how to do a manicure with water. And in vain, as this is a great way to make your nails attractive and original, without leaving a lot of money in a nail salon. The option presented in this article is quite simple and does not require special equipment. Although, it will take a lot of time, but the game is worth the candle.

So, let's try to create a manicure with marble effect water.

Required ingredients:

  • base varnish;
  • a small but wide container, filled to the brim with slightly warm water;
  • several types of nail polishes or special ones for nail art (decide for yourself how many to take, but it is better to have at least 2-3 varnishes);
  • nail polish remover.
  • oily face or hand cream;
  • paper towel or napkins;
  • toothpicks;
  • cotton pads.
When we have everything we need at our disposal, it is necessary to remove the remnants of the old varnish from the surface of the nails and process the nail plate with a nail file. Now you can start applying the manicure itself.


First, apply base coat to your nails. It is good if it is not too bright, for example, light pink or beige. You can also take a transparent varnish. It needs to be allowed to dry thoroughly. Now we take a few favorite polishes and match them to the color of the outfit. It is best to choose from 2 to 4 types of varnish. Such a manicure looks great and is not so pompous and colorful. True, it all depends on you. Particular attention should be paid to the quality of varnishes, but you should not try to dilute them with acetone or other liquids, as the varnish can simply dissolve in water. We will need a container for water, for this it is better to take a small container, because then it will be more convenient to work with varnishes. Due to this, this manicure is also called the "glass technique".

We continue to do manicure with water. Pour slightly warm water into the dishes, its temperature should not exceed 40 degrees, because otherwise the varnish will simply curl up, and when using cold water it will not stick to the nails. Next, generously lubricate the finger with a fat cream, approximately to the second phalanx. This is necessary so that the varnish does not stick to the skin and is easily washed off from it. You need to be good and try not to apply the cream on your nails, otherwise the varnish may not be fixed on them. If the cream does get on the nails, remove it with a paper towel.


The next step in creating a manicure with water will be mixing varnishes. We select the color that dominates your future composition, then drip a few drops of this varnish into the water. When it spreads slightly, add a drop of the next varnish to the same base and so on. Then we take a toothpick and begin to model our future pattern. After that, we confidently dip our nail into the place where the paints are mixed, hold it for a short time and pull it out. Using a napkin, remove the varnish from the skin, then fix the manicure with a colorless varnish. This procedure now needs to be done with all fingers.


You can also create a French manicure with water. To do this, you need to do all the procedures listed above, additionally applying French manicure stencils to your nails. We lower the nail into the varnish mixture, additionally decorate it with sparkles or rhinestones, then fix it all with a colorless varnish. Such a manicure has a very original look. Believe me, you will never achieve such an effect when manually applying patterns. For greater clarity and understanding of the process, we recommend watching a video on the topic.

view all 36 photos "Water manicure"

Real fashionistas and beauties always want to stay "in trend", to know all the brightest new items. This is quite difficult, since almost every day some new types of manicure, makeup application techniques and effective mask recipes appear in the world. Water manicure appeared relatively recently, but has already become popular among the fair sex. And why he deserved such gratitude, we will tell you below.


Art painting of nails has always been at the peak of popularity. This is an incredible way to decorate your nails, give them a feminine touch. There are many different methods for designing nail design, but more recently, another one has appeared, no less attractive. We are talking about water or marble manicure. With it, you can draw intricate and fantastic drawings without leaving your home.

Benefits of water manicure


  • This technique is suitable even for a beginner in nail design, since you do not need much skill to perform such a manicure.
  • You won't need much time to complete it.
  • The drawings are so bright and magical that absolutely everyone will think that such a masterpiece was made by the hands of an experienced master.
  • Since you can perform a water manicure yourself, you will significantly reduce the cost of money.
  • A thin layer of varnish is applied to the nail, so that the nails dry very quickly.
  • Large selection of drawings and images. You can make all wishes come true.


For water manicure you will need:

  • Water tank, preferably narrow.
  • 3-4 varnishes, their number depends on the complexity of the chosen design.
  • Paper tape, oily hand cream, cuticle oil.
  • Toothpicks, cotton pads.
  • Nail polish remover.
  • Color enhancer.
  • Lacquer fixer.


Tricks of marble manicure


  • use room temperature water
  • choose a transparent and shallow cup,
  • for water manicure, it is best to use varnishes of such brands: Color Club, Essie, Sally Hansen X-treme Wear, OPI, Orly. If the varnish does not spread in a circle, but sinks, it means that the varnish is too thick, dilute it with a few drops of liquid to thin the varnish,
  • at first, it is better to use varnishes of the same brand, and also do not choose varnishes with sparkles, since they are much more difficult to work with,
  • it is best to use white varnish as a base for design.

Step-by-step technique for performing water manicure at home

Step 1 - preparing nails

First of all, treat your nails with an antiseptic. Tidy up your nails with a Brazilian, European or classic manicure. Pay special attention to the cuticle. The thing is that in order to perfectly make a water manicure, the surface of your nails must be even and smooth. Then it's time to apply a coat of clear varnish. The brightness of such a manicure depends on the contrasts of the colors used. In order to achieve this, it is best to apply a base coat. You can use white or any other polish that suits your water manicure. Before the procedure, glue each finger with adhesive tape so that the nail plate is free. Alternatively, you can smear the handles with a heavy cream to protect them from color pigment.


Step 2 - the procedure itself

Take a container of water. It can be a glass or a transparent cup, but they should not be too small so that the nails do not cling to the edges of the container. If you choose a cup that is too large, then the consumption of varnish will double. Since water manicure is based on water, it should be free of foreign components and air bubbles. Open the selected jars of varnish and prepare toothpicks. Let's assume that you will use two different varnishes. Open the first varnish and bring the brush to the water at a distance of no more than 2 cm. When the drop falls, you will see that the varnish will begin to spread. Take the second varnish and drip into the center of the resulting divorce. Repeat this procedure 6-8 times, alternately changing varnishes.



Each color divorce should spread to the walls of the glass. If something went wrong, then use a toothpick to drag each divorce to the rim of the glass or cup. Do not immerse the wand too deep in the water, it should glide through the water. Now is the time to turn on the fantasy. On the resulting pattern, draw a toothpick in such a way that the desired pattern is obtained. Do not forget to clean the wand as it gets dirty. In other words, you draw a certain pattern on the water. Having engaged in an exciting process, do not forget about the time. From the first drop of varnish until the drawing is ready, it should take from 40 to 60 seconds.


When the water image is ready, dip your finger into the water parallel to the plane of the table. Twisting movements of a toothpick remove unnecessary varnish residues from the surface of the water. Remove your finger slowly. Repeat the same steps with each finger. Remember that in order for your manicure to turn out to be chic, you should not rush, as haste can ruin the result.



Step 3 - final notes

We congratulate you, the marble manicure is almost ready. Remove tape or cream residue. With a cotton swab soaked in nail polish remover, clean the skin near the nail from unnecessary varnish. Make sure your manicure is dry enough, then apply a top coat. After you make sure that the drawing is completely dry, you can decorate it with rhinestones or sequins. Thus, a wonderful water manicure is ready!

Why is something not working?

Are you following our recommendations in detail, but the result is not what you expected? No need to despair. Here are the main problems that arise when performing water manicure and how to solve them:

1. Do the lacquer droplets curl up or not spread? The problem is the temperature of the liquid, it should be room temperature. If everything is in order with the water, then maybe the varnish is too thick. Dilute it or replace it with another one.

2. Are the finger patterns different from each other? Do not worry, over time you will learn how to perform exactly the same drawings.

3. Do drops of varnish sink? You may be holding the brush too high. Remember that the distance from the brush to the water should be no more than 2 cm.

4. Is the drawing smudged? Perhaps the problem is that you are taking your finger out of the water too quickly or that you are not completely removing the rainbow streaks with a toothpick.

5. Is the image poorly fixed on the nail? Check that there is no greasy cream left on the nail plate. Also make sure the water is at room temperature.


6. If the varnishes do not mix well, then the problem is most likely in the varnish. It's either too thick or old. To prevent this problem, use varnishes that do not contain acetone. You can also add a few drops of acetone to the water to help the paint flow better.

7. Does the drawing lie unevenly, are there unpainted areas? The problem is thick varnish or too cold water. Before drawing a picture, cover your nails with 1-2 layers of a monophonic varnish. Thus, the gaps will be invisible, and the drawing will look bright and attractive.

We bring to your attention all kinds of designs of water manicure.


Top