Summer Macaron Bubble Gel Nails — Step-by-Step Watercolor Tutorial

Create dreamy pastel bubble nail art with a shimmering cat-eye base and watercolor ink drops, accented by delicate white four-pointed stars.

Steps

1. 1Cover the nails free edge with white gel

   

   Take a silicone tool and apply white gel to carefully cover the free edge of the nail. This provides a solid foundation or edge detailing for the upcoming layers of the design.

   Tip: Keep the white gel layer thin and precise along the edge to maintain a clean shape.
2. 2Apply bright cat-eye base gel

   

   Select a bright shimmering cat-eye gel to use as the base color. Using a brush, apply an even coat over the nail surface to ensure full coverage of the glitter and magnetic pigment particles.

   Tip: Apply an even coat so the magnetic particles disperse uniformly before you create the effect.
3. 3Create the glass bead magnetic effect

   

   Hold a magnetic tool close to the wet cat-eye gel to draw out the glass bead magnetic effect, concentrating the light reflection into a bright center. Cure the nail under the UV or LED lamp immediately after achieving the desired effect.

   Tip: Hold the magnet steady and close to the nail without touching the wet surface to get a sharp, well-defined cat-eye line.
4. 4Check all fingers with cured cat-eye base

   

   Inspect the hand to ensure all fingers have been successfully coated and cured with the glass bead cat-eye base. Every nail should display the distinct shimmering magnetic reflection before proceeding to the next phase.

   Tip: Check that all nails are fully cured and dry before moving on to liquid application steps.
5. 5Apply an uncured layer of base coat

   

   Apply a thin layer of base coat gel evenly across the entire nail surface. Do not cure this layer under the lamp, as the wet surface is required to make the upcoming watercolor ink diffuse properly.

   Tip: Ensure the base coat layer is smooth and wet so the watercolor drops can spread into clean circles.
6. 6Dot watercolor ink onto the wet base

   

   Take a fine brush dipped in watercolor ink and dot it onto the uncured base coat layer. The ink will automatically diffuse and spread outward into a round shape on the wet surface.

   Tip: Let the ink expand naturally on the wet base coat without overworking it with the brush.
7. 7Add pink watercolor ink dots for the first layer

   

   Apply pink watercolor ink dots next to the existing blue dots on the uncured base gel layer to continue building the macaron bubble pattern, allowing them to naturally diffuse into circular shapes before curing under the lamp.

   Tip: Place the new dots carefully around the previous ones to maintain the organic bubble dispersion without overlapping into messy blobs.
8. 8Apply second base gel layer and dot more circles

   

   Apply a fresh second layer of base gel to the nail surface without curing it, then continue dotting small circles using various watercolor inks to create a layered, multi-dimensional polka dot effect.

   Tip: Keeping the second base gel layer uncured allows the new watercolor ink drops to gently spread and blend with the previous design elements.
9. 9Paint four-pointed star accents

   

   Using white gel and a fine liner brush, carefully paint small delicate four-pointed star accents in the negative spaces between the colorful watercolor bubbles to add a magical sparkle effect.

   Tip: Keep a light hand and use the very tip of the fine liner brush to ensure the star points remain crisp and sharp.

Frequently Asked Questions