Add an element of romance and glamour to your services by offering 3-D nail art with caviar beads. Swan Nails master educator Natasha Harton of Shabby Chic Nail Studio in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada offers her tips on applying the small bead embellishment. “Caviar beads can be tricky to keep in place until your client comes back for a fill. I highly suggest brushing a thin layer of builder gel over the beads once they have been applied and cured into place. They shouldn’t budge until you remove them,” she says. 

1. Sculpt and prep the nail. Using a dotting tool and clear hard gel, draw out the first section of your chandelier design. Draw an invisible half-moon line and three loops underneath, making sure the middle loop is centered. Do not cure.


2. Apply a rhinestone to the half-moon. Use a dotting tool to pick up small silver caviar beads and arrange them in a curved line on both sides. Do not cure.


3. Starting from one side, place caviar beads over the outlined loops, making sure they are all the same size. Cure.


4. Starting from the loop on the left, make a deep U-shape with clear hard gel and connect it to the loop on the right. Add another rhinestone to the center of the U. Do not cure.


5. Add small details with builder gel to your design to fill in open spaces. Add more caviar beads over the freshly applied design. Cure.


6. Once cured, apply a thin layer of clear hard gel over the caviar beads. This will ensure they stay adhered to the nail.

Follow Harton on Instagram: @natashaharton.

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