Opt for a chic and distressed look this week by offering your clients marble-inspired designs. Follow these steps from Raleigh, N.C.-based nail tech Elle Carver for an embellished marbleized look. 

1. Prep nails very well for gel manicure. Apply base coat and cure according to manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Apply first coat of blue gel-polish (or color of your choice) and cure according to manufacturer’s instructions. This coat acts as the base color for the marble design.

3. Apply another very thin coat of your base color. Do not cure. Immediately, add dots of white gel-polish in different places over the nail. They do not need to perfectly spaced apart.

4. Next, take a thin nail art brush and sweep the brush tip horizontally across the nail to create lines. Pro tip: If the marble lines are looking a bit spaced out, you can add a few extra dots of color and sweep the liner brush across again to get your desired effect. You don’t want to do too much sweeping or you will actually end up mixing the colors together. Once you are satisfied, cure the nail. Add your gel-polish top coat to the nail, and cure. If needed, clean off the tacky layer.

5. Apply nail glue on the nail in the shape of the charm, and then apply the charm. Once the glue has dried, apply your gel-polish top coat again to seal in the charm and design.

For more Mani Monday inspiration, click here. To see more work by Carver, follow her on Instagram @_ellec.