Ocean Wave Nails: Beach Holiday Water Nail Art Tutorial

Bring the beach to your fingertips with these dreamy ocean wave nails. This beach holiday design captures the movement of the sea, perfect for summer. Three blue shades are blended over a nude base, then a milky white whitewash is broken up with top coat dots to mimic foam and bubbles in the water.

It's a surprisingly simple design for such a realistic result. Jelly gel polishes blend effortlessly thanks to their slightly transparent finish, and the whitewash effect is created by letting top coat separate the milky white while it's still wet. Finish with a quick bubble trick and you'll have nails that look like a holiday snapshot.

These beach nails have a natural, fluid look that's very hard to achieve with freehand painting alone. The blended blues create depth, from a sandy beach to bright turquoise through to deep ocean, while the milky white foam adds movement and texture. Every nail turns out slightly differently, just like real waves.

The design is also very beginner friendly. The jelly shades do the blending for you, and the whitewash looks messy before it comes together, so there's no pressure to be precise. If you've wanted to try a water or marble-style effect, this is a lovely place to start.

Begin with two coats of Oolong Tea as your nude base. The nude shade gives the look of the sandy beach underneath the shallow water.

Paint a first line of Blue Raspberry, one of the jelly shades, then a second line of Mirtillo for a gradient, with the darker Ocean Ridge underneath. Leave a little gap between each colour – it doesn't have to be neat.

Use an ombré brush to make small brush strokes that blend all three colours together. Because the jelly shades are slightly transparent, they mix seamlessly. Cure in the lamp.

Mix Snow White with Base Coat to make a milky white colour that mimics the foam of the whitewash in the ocean.

Using a 3D brush, place an even coat of the milky white all over the blue. Don't worry if it looks strange or messy at this stage.

Before curing the white, dip a dotting tool into Top Coat and add little dots all over. This starts to separate the white from the blue, giving the effect of waves and bubbles under the water. This is the step where your ocean wave nails really come to life.

Use a detailing brush to add some extra white details for more whitewash within the water.

For bubbles, pop dish soap onto the nail while it is wet. Once cured, wipe away any excess for a quick, easy bubble effect.

Don't forget to top coat at the end to finish your ocean beach wave nails.

• Jelly shades make blending easy. Their slightly transparent finish lets the blues mix seamlessly, so this design is very beginner friendly.
• Keep the white uncured for the dots. The top coat dots only separate the white from the blue while the milky white is still wet.
• Don't judge the messy stage. The milky white layer can look strange at first, but it comes together once the dots go in.
• Leave gaps between the blues. A little space between each colour gives the ombré brush room to blend them smoothly.

Ocean wave nails are ideal for beginners and anyone who loves effects-based nail art. There's no detailed freehand painting, and the techniques of blending jelly gels and dotting top coat into wet colour are easy to pick up. It's also a fun design for more experienced nail artists who want a quick, impressive summer set.

For clients, this is a perfect holiday manicure. It suits anyone heading to the coast, planning a beach break or simply dreaming of summer. The natural nude base keeps the look soft, so it pairs well with most outfits and skin tones.

Using the same products and techniques, you can easily vary the design:

• Change the order of Blue Raspberry, Mirtillo and Ocean Ridge to move the deepest blue to a different part of the nail.
• Add more or fewer top coat dots to change how much foam shows through.
• Use the bubble effect on just one or two nails for a subtle accent.
• Keep some nails in plain Oolong Tea and use the ocean wave nails design as accents.

A little aftercare goes a long way with any gel manicure, especially on holiday. Apply cuticle oil regularly to keep the skin around the nails hydrated, and wear gloves when cleaning or washing up to protect the finish. Avoid using your nails as tools, and don't pick or peel at the gel, as this can damage the natural nail underneath.

When you're ready for a new design, have the gel removed properly rather than peeling it off. Proper removal keeps your natural nails strong and ready for your next set of ocean wave nails.

Jelly shades are slightly transparent, so the blues mix seamlessly when you blend them with an ombré brush, which makes the design very beginner friendly.

Mix Snow White with Base Coat to make a milky white that mimics the foam of the whitewash in the ocean.

Before curing the milky white, dip a dotting tool into Top Coat and add little dots all over. This separates the white from the blue to create waves and bubbles.

Pop dish soap onto the nail while it's wet, then wipe away any excess once cured for a quick bubble effect.

With a nude base, blended blue jelly gels, a milky whitewash and a quick bubble trick, these ocean wave nails bring the seaside to your fingertips. Watch the full video tutorial above, gather the products listed, and get ready for your next beach holiday.