My first (somewhat) successful water marble mani!

Hi!

A few days ago, I got the urge to once again try something that I just couldn't get right... The water marble mani. There are some people out there that make this look super easy, coming up with some amazing color combinations and water marble designs. Well, for some of us it's not so easy, and often times frustrating. My biggest trouble was getting the polishes to "swirl" or spread in water, which is definitely the most important part of the water marble process. 

After a ton of failed attempts in the past year, I went on a limb one day and decided to play around with some Bettina colors again, and to my surprise, they swirled! I couldn't believe it... Finally! Lol! I immediately painted all of my nails with a white base polish, gathered everything I needed for a full water marble mani, and got to it! I wouldn't say it came out great, but it is definitely a huge step in the right direction for me! Check out the pics below!

The major thing I learned this time around was what I might have been doing wrong all the other times I tried doing this. I realized I was dropping the nail polish in the water, expecting it to swirl easier that way, rather than allowing the brush of the polish to touch the surface of the water (making sure there was plenty of polish on the brush). That seemed to make a huge difference this time. Also, even though this last attempt was much more successful for me, there was still some trial and error involved. For example, I had to change the order of the polishes I put in the water from my spontaneous attempt, because they refused to swirl when I was ready to do my full manicure. How could the same order of colors work when I was playing around and then not work just an hour later when I was ready to do it for real? I still have no idea! After I switched up the color order and saw the colors consistently were swirling in the water before I went on to every nail, I didn't dwell on it too much. I was just wanting to get it done and finally be able to say I did it! 

Again, I wouldn't say this is an amazing water marble, but it certainly is a huge improvement. Water marbles take a lot of experimenting with colors, practice, and patience. I think watching as many tutorials as you can from as many different nail artists is sure to give you more ideas as to what you can do differently to lead you to a better experience of pulling this look off. Don't give up if you're struggling with it! I once thought I was done trying, only to finally get the results I got above; and I honestly think it'll only get better from here. 

I've heard that some of the best polishes to use for water marbling , and possibly the easiest to get (as they're available in drug stores like CVS and Walgreens) are from Sally Hansen and Bettina. Start playing around with those, if you haven't already. Good luck, and hang in there if you're currently having trouble mastering it! You'll get it, trust me! :))) 

- Tiff