We’re crazy for everything marble effect. From countertops to photo props, nothing seems chic without the glint of a marble. We’re looking for cute ways to improve our manicure that involve our favourite trend of the moment.

I’m sure you remember the days of dipping your hand in cold water to create marbled nails, my little sister went crazy for it, but if you’re looking for grown up ways to wear marbled nails read this guide to creating marble effect nails from the comfort of your own home!

#1 Use water

This is the way we all know, and have probably unsuccessfully tried. In order to get this to work, prep your nails with a base coat, use a nude or a white and allow it to completely dry before attempting.

You need to decide on two (or three) colours, for super chic nails we recommend white and black or grey and gold. Drop the nail varnish into the bowl, and then flick the second colour into the water with the brush to create an abstract effect.

Try not to break the surface of the water! Carefully dip your nails in. You might want to block off the rest of your finger with tape or vaseline. We can’t guarantee this won’t be messy. Check this handy video from YouTuber Helen Torsgården:

#2 Use Clingfilm

I’m not going to lie, when I saw that you could use clingfilm to make easy marbled nails my heart skipped a beat. The water method has never worked for me, I’m just far too messy and heavy handed to make it work.

Start with your base coat and then use  a base colour, this should be the colour you want at the bottom of your marble effect. For example, white or black. Ensure your nails are properly dry before you do the next step. This process works better with just two colours, so dot your contrasting colour on your nail and add a few dots of the base coat colour to that.

Next comes the fun part. Bunch up some Clingfilm and gently dab your nails for an instant and amazing look! YouTuber HannahRoxNails came up with this amazing tutorial to help us get it just right:

#3 Get the style right

Marbled nails can look super chic if you get the style right. I’ve experimented with combinations of colours and they always look a bit childish, the best combinations are dark and light colours, we love this set by Formula X, it contains all you need to create beautiful marbled nails, you can use a long lasting gold colour like Celestials by Formula X to accent your other nails and even introduce a couple of glittery polishes like this one to your marble effect nails. Don’t forget to use a topcoat to make sure your manicure lasts all day. If you don’t want to commit to a full marble manicure tape off your nail until the tip and use one of these methods to create an adorable marble french manicure! Genius!

What’s your favourite nail art trend? Let us know in the comments below.