Advantages and main types
Chameleon nail polish changes color depending on temperature and lighting (or just one thing). For example, during the day the color of the varnish can be restrained and calm, and in the evening it can be bright and luminous. This will allow the girl to feel most comfortable and natural both in everyday wear and at night in a club, at a disco or on a date.
Chameleon varnishes contain microparticles that react to changes in ambient temperature, lighting levels, and direct sunlight. Also worth noting are the chameleon gel polishes, which contain shiny crumbs that add an incredible crystal shine to your nails.
Main types:
- changes color depending on temperature (so-called “thermovarnish”);
- changes color when lighting changes.
- the hue changes depending on the viewing angle.
The first type of varnish is the most popular. Thermal varnish changes color when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees. And when exposed to low temperatures, a dark tint appears. Therefore, to create a stylish manicure, you can use coatings of both similar shades, for example, lilac and pink, and contrasting ones, for example, red and black, or white and blue.
However, the shades should not only complement each other, but also look good with different color changes in different settings. For example, black polish will look out of place in the workplace.
These polishes look best on long nails. This is due to the fact that in this case the nail has a different temperature at the base and at the tips. Therefore, the tips become (for example) dark, the base becomes light, and a very beautiful transition is created between them.
Thermovarnish is completely safe for nails.
Chameleon gel polish, which changes color depending on the lighting, depending on the viewing angle or sunlight, is most popular among girls who go to nightclubs. This is due to the fact that the color of the varnish changes due to strobes and color music. In everyday life, such a color change will not look as impressive.
I would also like to note that many girls are looking for “chameleon shellac,” but in fact, there is no real gel polish (manufactured by CND) that changes color when the temperature or lighting changes.
Application rules
Actually, they are exactly the same as when using regular gel polish or polish. But to make your manicure last longer, you can resort to simple tips. So, chameleon varnish, like any other, is best applied to the base. This has already been discussed above. Today, there are special strengthening base coatings that not only extend the life of the varnish coating, but also have a beneficial effect on the natural nail plates. Therefore, it is worth applying at least one layer of such a base.
But that is not all. After applying a colored layer of varnish, you can seal the manicure with a top coat. Some companies even produce special finishing coatings for chameleons. They are the ones most suitable for this varnish. But if you don’t have a special fixer at hand, a regular one will do just fine. This will not affect the main property of chameleon varnish in any way - it will continue to change its color under certain conditions.
Top 3 best chameleon gel polishes
Gel polishes with a chameleon effect are offered by various manufacturers. The most popular and high-quality ones in 2022 include:
- Color Club. Among the features of this brand is a wide range of colors and shades, which will make it easy to choose the optimal combination for yourself. In addition, the varnishes from this company have a convenient brush, dry quickly and go well with any top coat. Refers to professional products that are most often used in beauty salons.
- Color Intense.
Chameleon varnish that changes color in the sun: these are the shades the same coating can have under different conditions!
The varnish of this brand allows you to create a fresh, fashionable and neat manicure. Provides perfectly even and uniform coverage, as well as an incredible shiny effect. The varnish contains a unique vitamin complex that protects nails and strengthens them. The coating dries quickly and retains its presentable appearance for a long time. - Dance legend. Chameleon nail polishes of this brand are extremely diverse and popular. There are also thermal varnishes with very subtle color transitions, and those that change shade in sunlight (so they can be used with short nails), and when the viewing angle changes. Dance legend products are also safe and durable.
Varnish is a chameleon dance legend.
Delicate transition of colors on long nails. Any of the varnish manufacturers described above has a number of advantages and belongs to professional salon products. Therefore, you can safely choose any of them, based primarily on its color.
Customer Reviews
Despite the fact that there are a huge number of companies producing varnishes that change their color, they are all essentially the same. Therefore, customer reviews should be considered as a whole. Thus, chameleon varnish, the photo of which cannot fully convey its effect, appealed more to young girls who are looking for unusual ways to decorate their nails. But to mature ladies and middle-aged women, such “tricks” seem nothing more than pampering. It might be worth trying chameleon-effect polish or gel polish at least once, but you definitely don’t need to get hung up on it: there are plenty of other ways to decorate your manicure. And even more unusual than those described in this article.
The principle of self-application of chameleon gel polish
If you do a chameleon effect manicure yourself, the greatest difficulty will be applying the varnish to your working hand. To ensure accuracy, it is recommended that right-handed people start with their right hand, and left-handed people start with their left.
The main steps on how to apply chameleon gel polish:
- Preparing the nail plate. Regardless of how the manicure is planned, it is important to carefully prepare your hands and nails. To do this, the cuticle is removed and the nails are given the required shape and length. After that, using a special file, the surface of the nails is processed to increase the adhesion of the gel polish and the nail plate.
- The next step is to apply a primer, which improves the adhesion of the nail and polish.
- A mandatory step in any gel manicure is applying the base coat. After which the nails are dried under a special lamp for 30 seconds.
- The next stage is, in fact, the application of varnish with a chameleon effect. For proper application, you must carefully squeeze out the brush as when painting your nails with regular polish. Then dry it in a UV lamp. It is recommended to apply the color coating in two layers.
- Finish coating. An obligatory stage of manicure is applying fixing gel polish and drying it in a UV lamp.
To make your chameleon manicure neat and beautiful, it is better to use the base and color coating from the same manufacturer.
In some cases, the manufacturer may state that there is no need for a base or top coat to cover its product. If so, listen to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Mystical nail art
Sophisticated fashionistas have long stopped admiring ordinary gel polishes, which do not create any special effects. Knowing that German-Russian girls are picky, the developers of TM Vogue nails created a new unique chameleon gel polish called “Mystical Night”. It combines purple-pink microparticles that shimmer depending on the brightness of the light. The best effect is achieved when applying varnish on a black base. But to achieve originality, the substrate can be of any color. Apply Vogue nails Mystical Night on a well-dried base.
cat's eye
Design ideas
Manufacturers of nail polishes are actively working on creating new collections of coatings with thermal effect and other chameleon effects. Therefore, you can find many photos with original designs. Let's look at some of the most unusual and stylish options for decorating nails using this coating.
In this video you can see an unusual three-color coating from the popular Dance Legend brand. It looks great on nails, and when reacting to changes in temperature, it forms three main currents and two transition currents on their surface.
Another great option for creating a stylish and unusual design is a combination of rich purple chameleon polish from Patrisa Nail and soft white gel paint. To create such a design, you need to make a drawing with the thinnest brush, then place the brush with chameleon gel just above the outline of the drawing and move it upwards. Carefully coat the nail in two layers and apply the topcoat. It is important to do the work carefully so as not to get into the white lace design (you can use a stencil). The photo of this design turned out stylish and bright.
Unusual French design with chameleon gel polish.
Reviews of chameleon varnishes indicate that the best effect can be achieved on long nails. Due to the fact that the nail plastic does not have the same temperature at the base and at the tip, a beautiful, graceful color transition occurs from light at the base and dark at the tips.
Photo: chameleon polishes on nails.
Here are a few more photos with interesting design options. Below are mainly works with varnishes that change color depending on the viewing angle.
Photo of an iridescent manicure with chameleon polish.
How to apply shellac chameleon
Girls who use the product for the first time have a question: “How to apply chameleon on nails?” Creating a bright manicure at home is not at all difficult if you follow a certain sequence:
- Before applying the gel, the nail plate should be treated (pull back the cuticle, sand it).
- Apply primer to the surface of the nail to improve adhesion between the nail plate and varnish.
- Cover your nails with a colorless base.
- Wait for the product to dry completely by placing your fingertips under the lamp.
- Paint all nails with the selected shade of gel.
- Place your hands under the lamp for a couple of minutes.
- It is best to use a shine product over a colored coating.
Read also: Step-by-step instructions for gel nail extensions
The secret to applying shellac is to use a moderate amount of varnish on the brush. If there is too much varnish on it, it will quickly harden and it will be very difficult to save the manicure.
You will learn how to apply Bluesky shellac after watching the video.
Consolidation
When all layers of colored gel polish have been applied, they must be secured with a top coat. It is also, as a rule, odorless and colorless, like the base (base). In gel polish technology, a top coat without a sticky layer is most often used, so after drying, you can immediately apply the oil to the cuticle. The fixative dries in a UV lamp for about 60 seconds.
Creative ideas
Nails always reflect the inner state of a girl. In a romantic mood, light pink polish appears on the nails, perhaps with some kind of lace or guipure. During the period of achieving any specific goals, a woman paints her nails red and chooses catchy varnishes to reflect a decisive, militant attitude.
The shades of gel polishes are so varied that you can use them to create any design in light or dark tones. Most often, a varnish that changes shade acts as an independent unit. It is not complemented with anything, and sometimes one or two nails are even covered with varnish. However, there are creative ideas, after learning about which you will definitely want to make yourself a non-trivial nail art.
The first option is to use a matte top and holographic polymer in tandem. On the ring finger you can draw a design, for example, simple cubes and fill the geometric pattern with holographic varnish. The design looks masterpiece, although it is simple in execution.
Nail specialists can perform a spectacular manicure; they have original ideas in their catalogue. But if you are planning some home creativity, take note of another interesting design.
To complete the design, you will need a stencil that can be placed anywhere on the nail. You can’t do without a black base, so you’ll also need an additional dark shade of varnish or paint. Fix the stencil on plasticine, apply black color as the first layer, and then cover the pattern with a chameleon.
A beautiful manicure is performed using companion flowers. For decoration you will need more rhinestones, crystals or broths. Cover your nails with dark varnish, additionally paint your index and little fingers with chameleon. Lay out stones on the ring finger, and leave the middle and big fingers without design. Nail art will turn out luxurious, without unnecessary details and patterns.
On long nails you can experiment, do a moon manicure or a reverse French manicure. The voluminous drops made on varnish with a variable color look original. The color of the drops is much lighter, and the technique is considered interesting and original.
