When Kaitlin Jeanette Smith daydreams, she sees crystal water, sand, shells, and shimmering fins. The nail tech at Nails by Kaitlin Jeanette Smith for Village Hair Designers in Garrettsville, Ohio, took her vision and translated it onto this nail art design, which she calls Mermaid Treasure Nails, reminding us that you should look for nail inspiration everywhere. She chose the color scheme because she wanted “to combine a cool aqua tone for water with a summery gold for shimmer and warmth,” adding that other jewel tones (such as hot pink, purple, and topaz) paired with either gold or silver would also look terrific.

Do These Nails

1. Prep nails for gel-polish, including applying and curing the appropriate base coat. Apply two coats of Gelish in Meet the King. Cure.
2. Randomly apply an aqua glitter mix (including glitter flakes, micro beads, and hexagon glitter) to the tacky layer.
3. Apply Gelish Top It Off and 3 mm. aqua rhinestones, 2 mm. and 4 mm. aurora borealis rhinestones, and silver micro beads. (See below explanation for three dfifferent configurations.) Seal with two more coats of Top It Off, encasing the tops and sides of the stones, curing between each coat. Wipe with a lint-free cloth and alcohol.

3rd nail: Diagonal: The diagonal French stone placement adds some edginess.

4th nail: Serpentine: The S-shaped curve of stones gives nails an elongated appearance.

5th nail: Bubble Up: Place all the stones together for a more conservative client.

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