Mermaid magic nails
Spring/Summer, Step by Step
Dive into this mermaid design by Scratch Stars finalist, Gemma Wainwright, using products from Izabelle Hammon Ltd…
Step 1
Sculpt the nails to the desired length with iZ Pro Build & Base. Try to build the curve of the nail to perfection when scuplting to save time when filing.
Step 2
Use two layers of Calgel shade, Laguna Beach, on the pinky, middle and thumb nails and Mint Tea on the accent nails to create the base of the look. Always leave a few millimetres gap at the cuticle area on the first layer of colour, then take it as close as you can on the second. This helps to avoid a bulky cuticle area.
Step 3
Create an ombré using the opposite colours on the middle and accents nails. Allow the gel to self level after you've done the ombré. Your patience will be rewarded with a much cleaner ombré effect.
Step 4
Use iZ Beauty of London glitter in Mermaid Tears mixed with iZ Pro Build & Base for the index finger. Always use a separate brush to apply your glitter to save time cleaning and possibly damaging your main gel brush.
Step 5
Add a glitter fade of iZ Beauty of London glitter in Mermaid Tears to the pinky. Make sure your brush is wiped clean before pulling the glitter down the nail to fade it. This will result in the glitter dispersing much better and more gradually.
Step 6
On the accent nail, apply a very thin layer of Calgel shade Competition White and then add droplets of iZ Pro Build & Base to the white layer until the desired effect has been achieved. Apply the droplet of clear gel with a dotting tool in vertical lines for precision and speed.
Step 7
On the middle finger, add iZ Beauty of London Stud iT decals in silver seashells and white pearls, along with Swarovski crystals in clear and aqua marine onto a generous base of iZ Pro Build & Base until you're happy with the look. Don't cover your crystals in gel. Swarovski's sparkle due to the way they're cut so their sparkle will be dulled by gel placed over them.
Step 8
Finish all nails with a build of iZ Pro Build & Base to smooth the nail and create that perfect nail curve. If you're having trouble achieving the perfect curve, hold the hand upside down for 20 seconds or so and you will see the gel curve at the stress area creating a perfect build.
