The key to this look is a really nice base coat of a reflective blue/green shade. This one is really old so I don’t know if it’s still available but anything that looks a bit sea-ish will work.

Also, my new favourite thing ever: nail drying drops! They dry polish to the touch almost instantly and actually work! No more spoiled manicures!!

Anyway, let’s get to it. Start with a base coat of the green and then mix some white acrylic paint with a drop of water so it’s a good thin consistency.

Paint a small U shape at the cuticle on one side. Continue painting U shapes along the cuticle.

Start another row of U shapes above the first, this time alternate them so each one begins at the high point of the one under it.

Continue making scales in rows like this until you run out of nail to do it on.

Wait for it to dry then top coat!

It doesn’t matter if your lines aren’t this thin or if you can only fit a few scales on each finger, so long as you get the general idea you should be fine!