Tutorial Tuesday: "Liquid Sand"

This week's tutorial is for the newest upcoming nail texture trend called "Liquid Sand".

About 2 weeks ago Opi's Facebook page announced their new Mariah Carey x Opi collection called "Liquid Sand" to be released in January.

 image via

I've found a way to get the look before it even hits stores!!

 How To Choose Colors For This Design:

Any color will work, but if you want the texture to be more noticeable, try to choose a lighter color.

Suggested Materials:

ANY brand is fine, listed below are the ones used for this particular mani

- Salt! Sounds weird but it works.  I used some fine grain Sea Salt from the supermarket

- Base coat - Seche Clear

- Top coat - Seche Vite

- Clear polish of any brand, as long as it is NOT a fast-drying topcoat - Sally Hansen Diamond Strength "Flawless"

- Nail color - L'Oreal "Butterfly Kisses"

- A clean, small paintbrush or cotton swabs, for cleaning the cuticles afterwards (optional)

- Nail polish remover (optional)

Before You Begin Painting Your Design:

These steps are optional, but definitely recommended!

- Put down some paper towels in your work area, in case of any spills.

- Be sure to remove any old nail polish.

- Gently file nails into desired shape and remove any ridges with a buffer.

- Push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher or orange wood stick and trim if desired.

- Apply a base coat to protect from potential staining from color polish; wait for it to dry completely.

 Step 1:
Before you begin polishing, pour the sea salt into a clean bowl and keep it near by!

 Step 2:
Apply 2 coats of your nail color and allow to dry.

Step 3:
Apply a fairly thick coat of clear polish to one  nail.
*Do not use fast dry topcoat, you want the nail polish to remain wet for now.*
*Make sure you do this step one nail at a time*
Press your finger down firmly into the sea salt.
Make sure you have a decent amount stuck to your finger.

Step 4:
While the clear coat is still wet, quickly place the sea salt on your entire nail.
Use a firm, patting motion while applying the sea salt.
Apply as many layers as you can, until the salt begins to look dry.

 Step 5:
All of your nails should be covered, and your nails will look a little dry or dull.
Make sure to shake off any excess salt.
Once your clear polish seems to be dry, you can gently brush off any large clumps on the edges of your nail.

 Step 6:
Evenly apply your favorite top coat.
Make sure the top coat is covering all of salt, so that it's "sealed" onto your nail.

 Step 7:
This final step is completely optional, but it will really help to achieve a neat & clean looking mani.

You can use either a small paintbrush or cotton swab, dip it in nail polish remover, and use it to remove any excess polish on your cuticles and skin.

Be careful not to use too much remover, otherwise you will risk ruining your mani.

 Here's the final product!

If you have sealed the salt correctly and you're not too hard on your nails,
this mani will hold up for at least 4 or 5 days!

I tested it out and it was able to withstand being submerged in water such as hand washing, dishes, bathing, etc.

*Disclaimer: This texture can be a little rough so be careful!!  Especially while picking your nose ;) * 

For all past Tutorials click here