Thermal nail polish - what is it and how does it work?

How thermo-gel polish works: principle of operation

Thermolak is an ordinary nail polish that changes its tone under the influence of temperature. Temperature varnish contains special heat-sensitive ingredients that can darken, lighten or completely change tone when cooled or heated.

1. Sometimes the shades differ quite significantly. For example, varnish can be white in warm weather and blue in cold weather. However, in most cases the color scheme is similar - for example, blue and cyan.
2. “Chameleon varnish” is applied like ordinary varnish. If after the first layer the color does not seem saturated enough, you can apply a second one. You can dry the usual product in air.
3. To dry the gel polish you will need a UV lamp. The gradient result lasts on the nails for at least two weeks. If you want to get a long-lasting nail coating, it is better to use shellac with a thermal effect.

The best thermal varnishes without drying in a lamp

As already mentioned, stores offer conventional varnishes with a temperature effect, which dry due to the evaporation of solvents without the use of a lamp.

Masura

The professional brand Masura offers thermal varnishes in a classic design, as well as with an additional effect in the form of glitter. The color palette is not too wide, however, you can still choose a shade to your liking.

• №1237. A brownish tint, which changes to a transparent flesh-colored color when the temperature changes;

• №1236. The main color is purple. When the thermal effect is activated, it turns into a soft lilac, also with slight transparency;
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• №1138. Rich violet with sparkles changes to lilac, creating a smooth translucent transition.

The Masura palette contains dense thermal varnishes :

• №1215. The main color is ultraviolet, that is, rich purple. Turns into purple. Holographic glitter is also added to the polish;

• №1223. Thick blue varnish with sparkles, turning into soft blue at temperature;

• №1123. Thick varnish without glitter in a grayish tint. As the temperature drops, it darkens to granite.

Masura thermal varnishes do not require drying in a lamp and can be removed with regular nail polish remover. When using a base coat and a sealer from the same brand, the polish lasts up to one week, which is an excellent indicator for a polish.

El Corazon

The brand offers the Kaleidoscope line with a palette of 24 thermovarnishes, some of which are additionally saturated with glitter. This number includes 4 thermal varnishes with a craquelure effect.

Shades with glitter:

• №t-03. Pinkish beige transitioning to rich pink;

• №t-08. The already rich crimson color turns bright red in response to lower temperatures.

Classic glossy:

• №t-21. White dense varnish with a transition to grayish-blue;

• №t-23. Peach with a subtle transition to brownish.

Thermocraquelure:

• №tk-01. Soft lilac with a reaction to temperature in the form of a transition to pinkish-violet and a craquelure effect;

• №tk-04. From rich pink to purple with a craquelure effect.
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El Corazon warns that color may vary slightly on natural and extended nails due to differences in heat transfer. To create the most dense coverage, it is recommended to apply varnish in 3 layers.

How to use and paint nails: instructions

To make a beautiful and neat manicure using thermovarnish, you need the following tools:

• primer for degreasing the nail plate;
• basic gel polish (base);
• thermovarnish of the required shade;
• top coating (top);
• lamp for finishing nail art.

The technique for using thermovarnish is quite simple. To do this, just follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. Treat your hands with an antiseptic and remove the glossy layer from the nail plate. To do this, you can use the soft part of the buff.
2. Apply primer. It will degrease your nails and prepare them for coating.
3. Apply the base coat in one layer, then dry it in a lamp for 1 minute.
4. Apply thermal varnish and treat the nails again in the lamp for about 2 minutes. If you want to achieve a more saturated tone, you need to apply several thin layers, drying the product each time.
5. Finally, apply the top coat and cure it in a lamp for 1 minute. If necessary, you can use a special composition to remove the sticky layer to complete the manicure.
6. To remove thermovarnish, you can use a liquid containing acetone, and then remove the product with an orange stick. If you need to remove the composition from artificial nails, the varnish is removed by filing. This is necessary in order to maintain the integrity of the coating.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any product, thermovarnishes have their positive and negative sides.

Let's look at them in more detail. So, the obvious advantages of the funds include:

• an unusual effect that cannot be achieved using conventional varnishes;
• high quality product;
• ease of use;
• the ability to create festive and everyday images.

The disadvantages include the following:

• the possibility of allergic reactions (however, it should be noted that this is extremely rare);
• high cost of high-quality varnishes;
• Thermal varnishes cannot be stored for a long time after opening.

As we can see from this list, there are still more pros than cons, and you must decide for yourself whether to use thermoactive varnishes or replace them with another product.

Review of temperature manicure polishes that change color

We present to your attention an overview of the Top 5 high-quality thermal varnishes, which are rich in their color palette. You can also familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of each of them, which we compiled based on customer reviews.

Dance Legend - Termo Trio, changing color depending on temperature

The manufacturing company Dance Legend produces both two-color and triple thermal coatings. The collection of three-color thermovarnishes is called “Thermotrio”.

The new "thermo" series is much more sensitive. Therefore, the thermoactive agent changes shade faster and more intensely, allowing you to achieve interesting color transitions. After drying, the coating on the nails becomes matte. This effect looks stylish on long extended nails. On short nails, the effect of changing color is less noticeable.

Pros:

• The varnish instantly reacts to changes in temperature.
• Dries quickly without a lamp.
• Stays on nails for about a week.
• 3 polishes in 1 bottle.

Minuses:

• High price: 400 rubles per bottle.
• On short nails, a double transition of shades is noticeable.

El Corazon Kaleidoscope

The collection of thermovarnishes from the El Corazon brand is distinguished by a high-quality formula that does not contain harmful substances for natural nails. The varnishes are easy to apply and self-level on the nail plates. They do not require the use of a topcoat after the coating has dried.

The manufacturer's arsenal includes cream varnishes and those with glitter in the composition. El Corazon varnishes are affordable.

Pros:

• High-quality thermal effect on nails.
• Applies in a thin layer and self-levels.
• Suitable as a substrate for stamping.
• Convenient brush.
• Inexpensive: 190 rubles for 15 ml.

Minuses:

• For good durability of thermovarnish you need a base and top coat.

Gel polishes TNL Professional Thermo

Nails coated with thermal gel polish from TNL instantly change color if you pick up a hot cup or go for a walk in the cold season. When the temperature rises, the nails lighten, and when the temperature drops, they darken. At normal temperatures, an ombre effect is observed on the nails.

Pros:

• Price/quality/volume ratio.
• The coating is worn for 7-10 days.
• Doesn't chip.
• Good pigmentation.

Minuses:

• To dry gel polish you need an LED lamp.
• They are harder to remove than regular varnishes.

Shellac BlueSky

BlueSky shellac is ideal for use at home. It is easy to apply to your nails and easy to remove. The only caveat is that a UV lamp is required for drying. The manufacturer claims that the coating lasts 2 weeks or longer. Temperature shellac looks great on long nails, but is less noticeable on short ones.

Pros:

• Long-lasting thermal manicure – lasts longer than 10 days.
• Does not dry out natural nails.
• Insensible odor.
• Low price: 180 rubles per bottle.

Minuses:

• May be stained by food coloring substances.

Bow Nail Polish that changes color in the sun

The Bow Nail Polish collection varnishes have holographic particles that change their color not only in the sun, but also depending on the temperature. Thermal jacket looks good in the sun.

You can choose a white varnish that contains holographic chips. In the sun it will change its color to lilac. The photosensitive varnish dries quite quickly and has a matte finish.

Pros:

• It changes color from the tips, so you can notice an interesting French pattern.
• Dries quickly.
• It is easy to remove and does not damage your nails after removing the polish.
• Beautiful combinations of tones.

Minuses:

• It is better not to use varnish in hot summers.
• To extend the durability of the varnish up to 7 days, you need to paint it with a top coat.
• Need 3 layers.

Fashion trends

Throughout 2022, short oval or almond-shaped nails with a free edge of no more than 2-3 mm are trending. But along with natural and pastel colors, red, blue, purple, and black tones with paintings of bright large flowers, arbitrary geometric patterns, and card suits turned out to be popular.

The most fashionable nail designs with thermal gel polish are designs on nails with varnishes with an amber effect and partial coverage in bed colors, the “highlight” of which is an unpainted space with clear boundaries.

Fashion trendsCharming look and radiance - L'Oreal shadows.

Photo of nail design with two-color polish

Numerous photographs of manicures made using thermovarnish only confirm the fact that such nail art looks very stylish and fresh. Today you can find a variety of color solutions for such cosmetics that can easily fit into any look and add a certain zest to it.

Thermolak is an innovative product that allows every fashionista to look unusual. To get excellent results, it is important to choose the right shade of the product and apply it as carefully as possible. If you want to get a more durable manicure, it is recommended to choose gel polish. Thanks to this, you can enjoy a flawless manicure for at least 2 weeks.

Design ideas

Thermolak itself is an interesting and creative solution in nail art, but new trends require even more ingenuity and imagination from girls. Manicure using such a product can be performed in various ways.

• Using stones, Swarovski crystals, rhinestones, bouillons, crystal chips (Crystal Pixie). They can be located at the base of the nail, along, across or in a curly manner. An effective solution would be to perform a lunar manicure, when the hole is lined with pebbles, and it is from these stones that thermovarnish is applied.
• French. In this case, camouflage can be of any color, and the line of the French manicure itself is drawn with thermal varnish.
• A design with a pattern that can be made with thermovarnish, or the product can be taken as a basis (background). It is possible to embody the idea in floral, animalistic, abstract or any other motifs.
• Using tape.
• Slider design - stickers.
• "Liquid Stones"
• Stamping.

Editor's choice: How to make an ombre manicure with gel polish at home

Application secrets

Simple nail polish and thermal polish are applied to nails in exactly the same way. There is no need to use a UV lamp when drying. However, the durability of such a manicure is comparable only to an ordinary coating. In order for the manicure to be as decorative as possible and also safe for your nails, you need to follow some rules.

1. Prepare your nails for applying polish. Push back or trim the cuticle, polish the plate and file the nail:
2. Degrease the plates using alcohol wipes or nail polish remover with acetone without caring oils;
3. Cover your nails with a protective base for varnish so that aggressive coloring pigments do not have a negative effect on your own nail;
4. Wait for the base to dry completely and apply one layer of thermovarnish in the usual way;
5. Wait for the varnish to dry. Depending on the brand, this period can range from one to five minutes;
6. Apply a second coat. As when applying the first one, do not try to make the layer thick. Two thin layers provide the necessary color saturation;
7. Dry the second coat and paint the third coat only on the tips of your nails. This will make the manicure clearer and the effect more catchy and noticeable. This option is especially good if you want to create an effect close to a French manicure. For those who want to do a manicure with ombre-type thermovarnish, it is better not to apply a third layer;
8. After the third layer has dried, apply a protective base to your nails. It will not only add shine to your manicure, but will also make it more resistant to external influences and any mechanical damage. This way the coating will remain on the nails longer. When applying, it is very important to seal the free edge.

As you can see in the video, thermal nail polish is applied just as easily as regular nail polish. Most often, it dries quickly and lays flat and neat. Therefore, you do not need to have some manicure skills in order to apply it to your nails.

Problems that may arise

As mentioned above, low-quality thermovarnish may not exhibit its properties and may not change color. The second common problem is that this polish may change color unevenly and slowly, even if it is of high quality. The thing is that the varnish is applied to the nails in a very thick layer.

If the thermovarnish dries out, it will no longer be possible to “revive” it. If it is diluted with liquid, the varnish will begin to color again, but will lose all its unusual properties.

Another problem is that polishes are not sold in all cosmetic stores. Since varnish is just gaining popularity, it is problematic to find it even in big cities, not to mention small towns. Then where to buy thermal nail polish? In our advanced age, almost any thing can be purchased via the Internet, including chameleon varnish. But you should choose trusted or popular stores to reduce the risk of running into a fake to a minimum.