Do you love aquariums enough to incorporate them into your next manicure? If so, you're bang on trend.
"Aquarium nails" are the latest big thing to hit nail art, but the look requires time, patience and a lot of glitter. The overall look is akin to wearing mini snow globes on your fingertips.
It is achieved by taking two transparent nail tips and attaching them together, but not before injecting oil, water and glitter particles into the hollow between the two using a syringe. Nail glitter, tinsel or beads are also inserted into the space created, giving the impression of floating inside the nail. Once the look is complete, the technique means that your nails will 'move' when you do.
First the nails must be trimmed and filed to the desired size and shape. Once the first nail is applied then a smaller tip is placed on top of it and fixed with adhesive, creating a sort of pocket into which the liquid is then squirted. Excess oil is then cleaned up before the opening is sealed and the aquarium filed, shaped and decorated.
If you don't have the patience to get a full hand of aquarium nails then the technique can be used on individual nails to spice up an aquarium-themed manicure. Nail expert Absolute Nails recommends mixing things up by applying an iridescent accessory, such as paua shell, to normal false nails using clear acrylic glue, for an extra boost. Additional details can be added to the design using foils, or 3D acrylic glue globes, as demonstrated in this tutorial:www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6bV42Q4bkA. This will really make your aquariums stand out.
The trend is taking off fast on Instagram, where the hashtag #aquariumnails brings up various different takes on the look.
Aquarium nails are the latest extreme manicure to hit this summer, coming on the back of the success of "Bubble nails" or "Hump nails" -- a technique that involves sculpting acrylic gel onto the nail to create a dome shape which is then filed down to create a short, square and very arched shape.
Aquarium nails: snow globes for your hand
Do you love aquariums enough to incorporate them into your next manicure? If so, you're bang on trend.
"Aquarium nails" are the latest big thing to hit nail art, but the look requires time, patience and a lot of glitter. The overall look is akin to wearing mini snow globes on your fingertips.
It is achieved by taking two transparent nail tips and attaching them together, but not before injecting oil, water and glitter particles into the hollow between the two using a syringe. Nail glitter, tinsel or beads are also inserted into the space created, giving the impression of floating inside the nail. Once the look is complete, the technique means that your nails will 'move' when you do.
First the nails must be trimmed and filed to the desired size and shape. Once the first nail is applied then a smaller tip is placed on top of it and fixed with adhesive, creating a sort of pocket into which the liquid is then squirted. Excess oil is then cleaned up before the opening is sealed and the aquarium filed, shaped and decorated.
If you don't have the patience to get a full hand of aquarium nails then the technique can be used on individual nails to spice up an aquarium-themed manicure. Nail expert Absolute Nails recommends mixing things up by applying an iridescent accessory, such as paua shell, to normal false nails using clear acrylic glue, for an extra boost. Additional details can be added to the design using foils, or 3D acrylic glue globes, as demonstrated in this tutorial:www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6bV42Q4bkA. This will really make your aquariums stand out.
The trend is taking off fast on Instagram, where the hashtag #aquariumnails brings up various different takes on the look.
Aquarium nails are the latest extreme manicure to hit this summer, coming on the back of the success of "Bubble nails" or "Hump nails" -- a technique that involves sculpting acrylic gel onto the nail to create a dome shape which is then filed down to create a short, square and very arched shape.