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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Dry Water Marble + Tutorial

Happy Saturday! Hope you're enjoying your weekend so far :) Sorry for my disappearance this week. I'm still working at the hospital and it's quite an adjustment to wake up at 5am, especially if you're not a morning person :(

Anyways, today I wanted to share a fun idea for those that have not mastered the water marble or just plain hate dealing with all the cleanup. I was talking to some friends at LHCF that wanted to do a water marble on toes. I never thought to do this but another member had seen CND do it on wax paper.

The idea is to create the marble on paper then transfer it to your nails. I'm not sure why they called it the Butterfly Effect but it looked pretty easy to do. It's the same concept as ziploc bag decals: create your design on a ziploc, allow it to dry, then transfer it to your nails. It's not a pretty as the water marble but it's a good substitute. I may be able to do better designs with practice but it's not bad for a first try. I included a tutorial below. Enjoy :)


Tutorial

Apply your base color to a zip-loc bag.

Add a few more colors to marble with. I used Avon Blue Shock, OPI Banana Bandanna, Studio M Energy Star and China Glaze Custom Kicks.
Use a toothpick and draw lines to combine the colors.

He're the finished look. Allow to dry a couple of hours.

Apply base color while waiting for the marble to dry.
Once dry use tweezers to lift from plastic.

You can either peel off the entire section or cut off a piece at a time.
I recommend cutting a small piece. The polish is thin and will fold over on itself.

Apply the cut section to your nail.
Your nail polish must be slightly wet/tacky in order for the marble to adhere!!!
Press the marble into the tacky polish like you're applying a nail decal. Remember to cover the edge. Use your tweezers or toothpick to push through. I like to use scissors but I don't recommend them.


Tear off the excess and tahdah!

Apply your favorite topcoat and don't forget to cover your edges.
You're done! Let me know if you try this out. I would love to see different colors and designs!


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77 comments:

  1. Everyday I'm Polishin'August 13, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    This is such a neat idea! I gotta try it soon! For designs like this I'd rather water marble but I'm just thinking of the designs I could do that I couldn't with water marbling!

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  2. The ButtonboxxAugust 13, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    Wow I tried to do this in water and got in a terrible mess, Going to try this tonight!
    thanks so much for this


    xx

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  3. HayleyAugust 13, 2011 at 8:54 PM

    wow, that's amazing! It seems to apply like the Sally Hansen strips. Great tutorial, by the way!

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  4. UnknownAugust 13, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    this is super neat! I haven't mastered water marble but I'll try this

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  5. AmandaAugust 13, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    Very interesting! I've tried to do the plastic bag decals but they didn't work very well. :(

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  6. Amber P.August 13, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    This is awesome!!! I have GOT to try this!

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  7. Enamel GirlAugust 13, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    @Everyday I'm Polish. I like that you can control the way the polish will look on your nails. I tried to make them all slanted.

    @Buttonboxx It's easy but the downside is you have to let the polish dry a couple of hours:(

    @Hayley. Thanks :) Yes the polish is very thin like the nail strips. There's still a little clean-up but not as much.

    @Roxanne. I hope you have great results!

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  8. Enamel GirlAugust 13, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    @Amanda. Sorry you didn't like your decals. I think this is a lot easier because it doesn't have to be perfect.

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  9. UnknownAugust 13, 2011 at 9:09 PM

    this is so awesome!! thanks so much for sharing!!! I need to try this out!

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  10. LAugust 13, 2011 at 9:10 PM

    I am totally going to try this OMG.

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  11. Nail Designs xoxAugust 13, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    Whoa I have never heard of this!!

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  12. Thaisa SantosAugust 13, 2011 at 9:13 PM

    Such a great advice! Thanks so much!

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  13. GothamPolishAugust 13, 2011 at 9:21 PM

    Wow, this is awesome. I was pretty bad at the water marble but this seems do-able!!!

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  14. ToyomiAugust 13, 2011 at 9:26 PM

    Wow this is freaking amazing ! I will try this !

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  15. UnknownAugust 13, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    You are INGENIOUS!!!!!
    I am terrible at water marbling... actually I have never been able to do it, but I can do this! THANKS!!!
    So excited! Will definitelly try this weekend =P

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  16. BMRAugust 13, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    This is very cute. I've never tried water marble because it seems messy. This looks easier, if a bit more time consuming. I may have to do this. :)

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  17. Olivia C.August 13, 2011 at 9:50 PM

    Ahh! This is sooo cool!

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  18. loodie loodie loodieAugust 13, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    What a great alternative!!

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  19. BettyAugust 13, 2011 at 10:46 PM

    Wow, what an incredibly innovative idea! I didn't like dry marbling on nails because the toothpick just kind of pulls up on the base and you can have bald spots if done incorrectly. Thanks for sharing this incredible tutorial!

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  20. UnknownAugust 13, 2011 at 11:06 PM

    woah that's super neat! thanks for sharing

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  21. UnknownAugust 13, 2011 at 11:12 PM

    I have never heard ANY of the plastic bag methods. I wonder how long they will last? Will for sure try soon!

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  22. Mae Espiritu Makeup ObraAugust 13, 2011 at 11:34 PM

    wow! great idea..

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  23. Olivia FrescuraAugust 14, 2011 at 12:45 AM

    wow this is so cool! I may have to try this and do a video on it.

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  24. Rie (Nails and Noms)August 14, 2011 at 1:22 AM

    This is a really neat idea! I think I'll give this a try on my next day off. ^_^

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  25. Lailaa R.August 14, 2011 at 1:40 AM

    This is such a cool way to do marbling! I gotta try it! It's really pretty!

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  26. CamyAugust 14, 2011 at 2:56 AM

    wow, this is soooo interesting!
    and it looks great!

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  27. ♥beauxs momAugust 14, 2011 at 2:57 AM

    My first water marble was a nightmare, thanks so much for this tutorial I'm so excited to try this!

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  28. UnknownAugust 14, 2011 at 3:14 AM

    Definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing, looks way easier than the real water marbling.

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  29. Bunny NailsAugust 14, 2011 at 4:06 AM

    I love the final result. I think I am gonna try it on my nails some day :)

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  30. AnonymousAugust 14, 2011 at 4:17 AM

    How freaking cool! :]
    I'm going to try this and I shall blog about it.

    Please follow my blog if you haven't yet and if you can my twitter too! (Viva_La_Breee)

    xoxo, Bree

    http://vivalabreee.blogspot.com/

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  31. jazzqueen64August 14, 2011 at 4:42 AM

    Very clever!!

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  32. SednaAugust 14, 2011 at 5:06 AM

    Wow, I have to try this! I am not on good terms with water marble, all of my polishes tend to sink to the bottom and none of them spreads like they are supposed to... but this seems so easy and foolproof! Thank you so much for the idea, I'll write again (with a link to my blogpost) when I try it ^^

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  33. UnknownAugust 14, 2011 at 6:09 AM

    Wow!!
    amazing!
    I have to try this!

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  34. KJ CallawayAugust 14, 2011 at 6:31 AM

    Hey before you painted your nails yellow, what was the floral design you had on your nails? (WANT!)


    KJ

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  35. Enamel GirlAugust 14, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    Thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments ladies. I was having a bad weekend but this really cheered me up.

    @KJ Callaway. I had on a floral foil from http://www.foilsonline.com/

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  36. Pauline - omgnoodlesAugust 14, 2011 at 9:48 AM

    So so so awesome! I shall try this one day! Wonderful post as always =)

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  37. AngelesAugust 14, 2011 at 11:34 AM

    It's amazing! I'll try it soon... :-O

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  38. Lovely AddisonAugust 14, 2011 at 3:20 PM

    So cool! I think I may try this. :D

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  39. KayAugust 14, 2011 at 4:20 PM

    What a beautiful design! Thanks for sharing the tutorial. I'm not a morning person either. You have my sympathies.

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  40. AnonymousAugust 14, 2011 at 5:05 PM

    Haha wow! That's crazy! Never would have though of that.

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  41. KatieAugust 14, 2011 at 5:21 PM

    Great tutorial! Need to try this out! This an awesome alternative to real water marble.

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  42. KimsKie's NailsAugust 14, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    Wow, what a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

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  43. Geo58August 14, 2011 at 6:35 PM

    This technique and applying like a decal is awesome, looks so easy a guy could try it, LOL However, your nails looks amazingly beautiful and gorgeous.

    Love,

    George :)

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  44. VeronicaAugust 14, 2011 at 6:45 PM

    Wow, awesome! Thanks for the tutorial!

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  45. RedAugust 14, 2011 at 9:19 PM

    I will have to try this the next time I do a marbled design. I love water marbling but I do hate the clean-up involved when you do it.

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  46. CatAugust 14, 2011 at 9:55 PM

    Such a cool idea. Will definately try this, because I totally suck at water marbling.

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  47. Kim YuAugust 14, 2011 at 11:58 PM

    this is really awesome! will definitely try this!=D

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  48. BreighAugust 15, 2011 at 1:35 AM

    This is fantastic! I can't wait to try it! :) I wonder how long the polish keeps. Like could you do it the day before and it'd still be good? a few days? At some point I assume it gets dry and crackly... I wonder what the waiting limit is.

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  49. CallaLilyAugust 15, 2011 at 7:51 AM

    Wow, this is a wonderful post! I didn't know you could do this. Thanks!

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  50. UnknownAugust 15, 2011 at 8:20 AM

    This looks so much easier to do. I have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing darling :D

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  51. TanyaAugust 15, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    oh wow~! I am totally going to give this a try.

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  52. Nail NerdAugust 15, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    Awesome idea, I'm going to try it out -- looks fantastic!!!

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  53. EnčiAugust 15, 2011 at 2:58 PM

    woow, what a great idea! i have to try this!

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  54. Girly BitsAugust 15, 2011 at 3:41 PM

    Excellent! I am going to try this for sure!

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  55. shimmerspark.comAugust 15, 2011 at 9:56 PM

    Holy crap, really!? So regular polish would work on the wax paper too right, not just those Shellac hybrids? Wax paper seems easier because you can cut it closer to the size you want...

    Maybe I'll try both and find out!

    Thanks for showing us this!

    Oh and after a few posts back, I went to dollarnailart and got a bunch of nail foils so I can try them! You made it look too awesome.

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  56. hunnyAugust 16, 2011 at 3:43 AM

    I love it I'll have to try it out. Hey everyone please check out my blog It's new and I just made it http://nailsbyhunny.blogspot.com/

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  57. AnastaciaAugust 16, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    Yay! I finally can comment here on blogspot and I really like this idea! Totally gonna make some dry marbling nail design too!

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  58. MudAugust 16, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    Mine Turned out soooooo cute! But I did a swirly pattern instead with purple, green, and turquoise and they are adorable! Thank you thank you thank you soooooooooo much!


    p.s. Is that a stamp on your nails in the picture?

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  59. AnutkaAugust 17, 2011 at 4:03 AM

    Thanks for sharing this! I will have to try it soon!

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  60. JoiceAugust 18, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    Perfect! I suck at water marbling lol.
    One question: Do you think I could make the marbling in advance? Like, create a really big piece on a ziploc bag, allow to dry, then store somewhere for later use? It would be so great to be able to create different designs and color combos and have them ready whenever I change my mani :)

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  61. TeddiAugust 18, 2011 at 9:04 PM

    I did this today and it came out great.....I used all Sally Hansen colors......super easy....thanks for the idea!

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  62. Enamel GirlAugust 19, 2011 at 4:43 AM

    Thanks so much ladies. Sorry for the late replies.

    @Joice. I'm sure you can make them in advance but not so sure how long they would last. I think they worked so well because the polish was somewhat stretchy. Maybe if you store it with plastic on top that will help maintain some of the moisture.

    @Mud. I'll have to check out your blog because I want to see your design :) Oh and that's a nail foil in the pic.

    @Shimmerspark. I'm sure regular polish will work on wax paper. I didn't try it because I didn't have any on hand. The plastic seemed easier to work with because its flexible. But I agree the wax paper is stiff and will allow you to cut out a design.

    @Breigh. I'm not sure about day. Maybe a day or two.

    @George. Thanks :)

    @Sedna. Hopefully this will be a lot easier fr you. it was for me!

    @Kay. I'm going through the storm right now, lol. It's almost over though :)

    Thanks so much your all of your sweet comments!!! Happy Friday!

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  63. C.L.M.August 20, 2011 at 5:20 AM

    CoooL!

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  64. ER-NailsAugust 22, 2011 at 3:39 PM

    crazy technique, did you think of this yourself or is it just a known thing aha?

    http://er-nails.blogspot.com/

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  65. Soffio di DeaAugust 25, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    my water marble on cellophane, thought a year ago: http://soffiodideanailart.blogspot.com/2010/05/water-marble-su-cellophane.html

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  66. NidhiAugust 26, 2011 at 7:23 AM

    Hey dear,

    i tried it but did not work out some how.
    can u share a video for the same so i can understand the quantities of nail polish to be taken, also the method of spreading the polish.

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  67. PrettyAugust 27, 2011 at 7:30 PM

    wow this is genius. hmm will have to try it. i love the marble look.

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  68. UnknownAugust 29, 2011 at 3:49 AM

    Thats actually looks easy. I have to give that a go soon! Love it!

    Thank you for sharing :)

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  69. gallowravenOctober 4, 2011 at 3:18 AM

    I actually took this one step further, and used it to make nail decals. I know others have probably done this before. I chose to use a sheet of saran wrap taped to the table so I had a much larger canvas to work on, the nail polish peels off super easy too.

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  70. AnjaNovember 23, 2011 at 1:39 AM

    That's so cool! I tried it!
    Take a look http://thepolishsistas.blogspot.com/

    Greetz Anja

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  71. JaneJanuary 31, 2012 at 2:26 PM

    Thank you for sharing this with me. =D

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  72. Nails By SachiMarch 19, 2012 at 12:19 PM

    LOVE IT!!! Did this last night. I just had some issue with getting the polish off the bag after it drys. You can even let it dry over night and it will still work! I just used base coat to sick it on but I see some gaps where it would help to have a color under it. Thank you so much for this! I do not know if you came up with it or found it. No matter YOU gave it to us! No more mussing with water trying to get that to work and making a big mess! here is how it turned out! (1st go at it!) http://edgenails.weebly.com/

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    Replies
    1. Enamel GirlJune 8, 2012 at 10:20 AM

      Thanks so much Sachiko. I'm glad it worked for you. There definitely is a learning curve but once you find the right colors you're set!

      I still like the look of the real water marble though but I also like this as an option when I'm short on time or just being lazy, LOL.

      Delete
  73. UnknownJune 4, 2012 at 6:48 PM

    I love this, I have worn it 6 times. I love that I can do the marbling days or even weeks in advance, and that it is so much neater and easier to clean up than water marbles.

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    Replies
    1. Enamel GirlJune 8, 2012 at 10:19 AM

      I'm so glad you like it! I have marbles in my drawer stashed away, LOL. It is great to be able to whip them out whenever I like. I forgot to add but I did an experiment and was able to freshen the old marble with a clear topcoat to soften it and apply later in the day.

      I'm glad it worked for you too :)

      Delete
  74. MelissaJune 14, 2012 at 7:32 PM

    I will be trying this very soon and will be linking back. What an amazing & creative idea!

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  75. Magdalena2113June 15, 2012 at 2:56 AM

    Definitely going to try this out! I water marble my finger nails but I think this may work nicely for my toes!! I hate not having a matching mani/pedi. Hahah.

    ReplyDelete