35+ Whimsical Ideas for Purple Mermaid Nails

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If you love mermaids, soft hues, and gradients, then you’ll love our whimsical ideas for purple mermaid nails.

This captivating trend captures the beauty of underwater realms, the feeling of lazy days by the beach, and mythical creatures.

Inspirations for Purple Mermaid Nails

Gone are the days when mermaid scales needed to be carefully painted on one at a time to achieve that iconic mermaid look.

Thanks to the wide range of available designs, tools, and accessories today, you can come up with an assortment of holographic patterns and add shimmering accents like rhinestones and pearls. 

For more swoon-worthy nail styling ideas, check out our selection of mermaid-inspired purple nails.

1. Purple Mermaid Glitter Coffins

Purple Mermaid Nails
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2. Textured Purple Mermaid Coffin Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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3. Purple Mermaid Ombre Nails with Glitter

Purple Mermaid Nails
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4. Purple Mermaid Acrylics

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5. Purple Chrome Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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6. Short Purple Mermaid Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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7. Silver Outlined Mermaid Nails

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8. Chrome Mermaid Ombre Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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9. Fishtail Purple Nails

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10. Purple and Gold Mermaid Nails

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11. Sea World Nails

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12. Opal Mermaid Nails

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13. Short Purple Mermaid Nails

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14. Ursula Nails

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15. Marine World

Purple Mermaid Nails
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16. Mermaid Pastel Palette

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17. Sephia Ink Nails

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18. Mermaid Mix and Match Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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19. Short Purple Stiletto Nails

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20. Sea Shells Nails

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21. Rainbow Mermaid Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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22. Purple Ombre Fishtail Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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23. Pearlscents Ombre Nails

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24. Pearl Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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25. Glitter Purple Ombre Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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26. Pearl Chrome Nails

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27. Mermaid Gradient Nails

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28. Abalone Nails

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29. Sclupted Pearl Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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30. Sclupted Shell Nails

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32. Galaxy Fish Scale Nails

Purple Mermaid Nails
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33. Pearl Shell

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34. Blue and Purple Mermaid Nails

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35. Short Purple Coffin Nails

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36. Purple Coral Nails

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37. Mermaid Nails with Pearls

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38. Pastel Purple Short Nails

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39. Shell Sculpted Acrylic Nails

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40. Mermaid Marble Nails

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Channeling Your Inner Mermaid

To achieve magical and seamless purple mermaid nails, you’ll need to learn specific nail styling techniques like adding pearls and other metallic elements.

For starters, here are some of the techniques you need to be acquainted with:

  • Gradient blending – similar to ombre, use contrasting colors or different colors like olive green or fuchsia for your gradients.
  • Nail wraps – extremely thin polish strips are applied to nails for that additional sparkle. They can be used to add definition to the scales of your nail design.
  • Gel sculpting – Uses gel polish to create textured mermaid scales. It requires detailing and precision.

If you don’t want mermaid tail-inspired nails, you can use purple and chrome as your base and use ocean-inspired accessories for your overall look like pearls and rhinestones.

Pairing Purple Mermaid Nails With Style

Wear your purple mermaid nails with different colored clothing. Nail art designs like this one have become an expression of one’s personality, so you don’t have to adjust your OOTDs to match your nails.

Purple mermaid nails go best with relaxed summer wear and casual outfits. Most complement their nails by wearing clothing that has an ocean vibe.

The Purple Mermaid Nail Care Guide

Maintaining your purple mermaid nails is doable with a few add-ons in your usual routine.

  • Seal the edges of your nails with a top coat and re-apply the top coat every three days or at least once a week.
  • Invest in protective gear for your hands so your nails don’t get exposed to harmful chemicals, dirt, or pressure during your day-to-day activities.
  • If you work with your hands a lot, keep your nails short. Longer nails are tougher to maintain. 
  • Regularly moisturize your nails and cuticles by applying nail cuticle oil every day.

DIY Vs. Professional Purple Mermaid Nails

Purple mermaid nails are eye-catching because of their delicate designs and details.

Since you’re working on a tiny canvas, you need patience and practice to achieve the look at home. You’ll also have to become good at some nail art techniques.

To inspire your nail art journey, here is a sample video of purple mermaid nails that you can learn from and make your own.

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IPSY

Caring for Purple Mermaid Nails

Mermaid’s nails are usually topped with glittery or shimmery nail polish. Make that shine last longer by:

  • Not using your nails to peel off sticky items like stickers and paper labels
  • Not picking your nails or biting them
  • Using quality nail polish with glitter. If you’re using glitter powder, learn how to use it correctly.

Conclusion

You can’t go wrong with the magical vibe of purple mermaid nails. This pretty nail art design is perfect for everyday wear and formal occasions.

Bring out the mermaid in you with soft-looking, dainty, and whimsical purple mermaid nails.

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Author
Lindsey is a professional nail artist based in Utah, US. Her specialties are party and occasion nails, she loves to work with glitter and gemstones in her nail studio. She loves sharing her knowledge of the nail industry and curating the latest nail design trends. She is contributing to a number of other industry related magazines.