Two waves over a Milk Bath ground: Deep Teal first and wide, then a thin Burnt Orange one under it.
3 bottles: Milk Bath, Deep Teal and Burnt Orange. Milk Bath and Deep Teal sit a comfortable distance apart: the motif is clearly legible without shouting, which is the easiest range to freehand in. The bottles are not all the same finish (sheer and crème), so the pattern picks up light differently from the ground.
Round nails are the setting: minimal length, a curve that matches the finger, and the least fragile free edge in the catalogue.
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Bottles for this nail
Tap a bottle to open it on the shelfWhat you need
How to paint Teal Wave nails
- 1 Buff, dehydrate and base coat, then cure. Milk Bath, cured.
- 2 One wide Deep Teal wave across the nail with a liner brush.
- 3 A thinner Burnt Orange wave beneath it, then top coat.
Questions about Teal Wave
Is Teal Wave hard to do at home?
It is the hardest tier on the site. It is doable at home, but the technique is the point rather than the colour. Budget an hour or more for a full set, and three colours means three chances for something to bleed, so cure between each one rather than working wet on wet.
What polish do I need for Teal Wave?
3 bottles: Milk Bath (sheer), Deep Teal (crème) and Burnt Orange (crème). Plus a base coat and a gloss top coat, which every design here assumes you already have.
Does Teal Wave work on short nails?
Round is already the shortest shape here, so yes, this is one of the designs that works at almost any length.
How many coats does Teal Wave need?
More than you would expect. Milk Bath is translucent, so the colour builds over three thin coats rather than covering in two. Stop wherever you like the depth — that is the point of a sheer.