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- “Liquid melted” nails are gaining traction on Instagram.
- The manicure features 3D nail art that mimics the look of molten lava.
- Celebrity manicurist Natalie Minerva breaks down the trend below.
There are many places where you can get nail ideas. Whether you see someone on the street or your favorite piece of clothing, you can find inspiration everywhere. However, one of the best parts of social media is that it allows you to interact more closely with people that you would otherwise never have the chance to meet. So what happens when you combine the accessibility of a platform like Instagram with the creativity of your favorite nail artist from the hit TV series Euphoria? You’ll get manicure masterpieces that need to get on your mood board right away.
the artist in question, Natalie Minerva, was the mastermind behind an emerging trend that you’ll no doubt want to emulate the next time you head to the salon: “liquid melted” nails. “It’s kind of a 3D nail art texture that makes the nails look almost like liquid,” Minerva tells POPSUGAR. “It’s really unique and a relatively new technique in nail art.”
This nail art look features parallel curved lines in a contrasting color to that used for the base. The lines can either sit on top of the nail, similar to a deconstructed French point, or cover the area closer to the nail bed like a reverse French. While Minerva says she’s seen different variations on the trend in Japan and Korea, the idea for liquid melted nails like the one she’s making now came from a trip to Iceland. “It’s my first time playing with it [these nails]I thought it would be cool to relate them to the environment,” says Minerva. “Iceland is famous for its underground thermal and volcanic activity.”
Liquid melted nails are ultra-edgy and perfectly on-trend with the recent “indie-sleaze” renaissance. If you want to get ahead of the curve and try it for yourself, Minerva has some tips. “In terms of texture, I’d recommend using a thick, non-viscous, clear gel first to apply any sort of ‘liquid-looking’ 3D pattern to the paint,” says Minerva. Her favorite is the Apres Diamond Gel ($21). “Also, make sure you only use non-wipe top gel for your chrome finish so it’s extra mirror smooth. I like to use the Presto No Wipe Top Gel ($25).”
The most important part of getting this trend right is not taking it too seriously. “There’s really no single way to do it, and that’s what makes the ‘liquid melt’ look natural and flowy,” says Minerva. If you’d like to try the manicure for yourself, take a closer look at some of our favorite takes on Minerva’s trend below.