Modern nail art never ceases to delight us with unexpected and creative design ideas and chic materials for their high-quality execution. One of these original, wear-resistant and easy-to-use materials is mica, an imitation of the natural material of the same name. This inexpensive synthetic analogue of the famous rock is made from tiny shiny plastic particles.
Varieties of mica
Artificial mica comes in two main varieties: dry and liquid. The liquid variety is soft, pliable, and easy to create designs with shiny patterns and smooth lines. Liquid mica is perfect for covering the entire surface of the nail. Dry mica is small shiny particles, the size of which can be adjusted independently using nail clippers or scissors.
Mica in any version can be of various colors and shades, and in dry form it can be of different shapes and sizes.
Manicure design with mica: main trends
Mica in manicure design can be a self-sufficient element, or can be perfectly combined with other decorations and types of nail designs. For a simple and elegant everyday manicure, a laconic idea of choosing one color of gel polish for most nails and covering a few nails with shiny mica as decoration is perfect. Mica will perfectly complement more complex designs. Be sure to pay attention to the compatibility of the colors of the base coat and nail design elements. Let's talk in more detail about the most popular design ideas.
What are the reasons for choosing this decor
There are also many reasons why girls choose holographic decor. For example, these include the following:
- The material is able to reflect sunlight.
- Numerous different variations of combination with other shades of varnish.
- It is possible to avoid flashy and vulgar manicure. For example, with rhinestones and modeling this happens quite often.
- If you follow the correct application technology, the durability of this material on the plate will be excellent.
The most important and, perhaps, the only drawback of this material will be the wrong choice of manufacturer. If the material is of poor quality, this will entail a number of disappointments and troubles. Incorrectly made material can crumble or simply stain clothes. And if you apply too much of it to the nail plate, then the nail design as a whole will look tacky.
Manicure with golden and silver mica
Despite the fairly rich selection of colors and shades of shiny mica, golden and silver shades remain the most popular and universal. Mica in these tones is perfect for compatibility with complex nail designs. Noble gold and silver in manicure design goes well with women's jewelry and accessories. Golden and silver mica can easily be called classic elements of this design.
Spring gentle manicure for short nails
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This season, fashion dictates its own rules to girls. Popular colors for delicate spring manicure are: all shades of turquoise and sea; pale green or mint; cream colors for the base of a French manicure; baby blue; soft pink colors. To create a beautiful spring manicure, nail art masters offer us options with exquisite tulips, designs with thin branches and delicate flowers. To create a feminine and stylish manicure, choose nude shades and minimalist prints. These can be individual geometric details, dots and circles.
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Nail design masters are increasingly using so-called artist strokes. A drop of color is applied to the transparent gel polish with a slight movement, which creates the effect of painting with watercolors.
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Gold or silver stripes on the nail will add harmony to the manicure. Girls, remember that a simple design will express your charm and inner world. Do not overload your manicure with unnecessary elements.
French manicure with mica
French using mica is an original and extremely attractive choice. The execution technology is similar to a regular French manicure: the main part of the nail plate is covered with gel polish of a light shade, close to the natural color, but the so-called smile is made with gel polish with elements of dry mica or completely decorated with mica. Unlike the classic French manicure, the smile of a French manicure can be in a variety of colors: from light pastel to rich dark shades. Also, all these creative options can be combined in one design, for example, a French manicure with a dark smile and shiny mica on most nails, and a full coverage of rich liquid or dry mica particles on a few.
Designer delights
For greater effect, cover not the entire nail plate with mica, but part of it:
- Apply the base, dry, remove the sticky layer.
- Apply designs with gel (flower petals, stripes, geometric shapes), dry. Do not remove the sticky layer.
- Apply glitter to the desired elements, blend with a brush - they will remain only on a sticky base.
- Brush off any remaining residue.
- Apply a final coat.
If desired, you can decorate the base with additional lines and monograms. After secondary decoration, you need to apply another layer of topcoat.
This video tutorial will show you how to easily and quickly make a beautiful glass manicure at home.
Matte manicure with mica
The combination of glossy and matte textures, contrasting colors in manicure, and various types of designs is always a spectacular and sophisticated option for nail design. Matte manicure using shiny mica is a win-win, beautiful manicure design. You should pay attention to the compatibility of the shining shades of mica and the tone of the selected base varnish. An ideal pair with golden mica would be black, red, burgundy, brown, green, and purple. For silver mica, matte nail polish in black, gray, red, white, blue, and pink is perfect.
Technique for performing therapeutic manicure
The first thing the master does is examine your hands and make a diagnosis. He may also consult with various specialists, such as a dermatologist, to deal with the root cause of this nail condition. Then you will be offered a more effective comprehensive treatment.
Next, the doctor performs the following steps in turn:
- cleaning the nail plate;
- preparing a hand bath (herbal-based formulations with beneficial microelements are usually dissolved in water);
- treatment of the nail plate, nail bed, skin folds;
- wellness massage;
- applying a moisturizer or other treatment to the skin.
Additional stages may also be added if the diagnosis requires it. For example, paraffin therapy.
Mica honeycomb design
A manicure with a shining mica honeycomb is extremely beautiful and original. This design can be easily brought to life using shiny mica of the correct shape. For example, mica of a hexagonal shape, a color that matches the main varnish, is laid out in the correct order on the entire surface of the nail plate of one, several or all fingers. It is important to note that shiny, non-plastic mica is a very rich element of nail decoration, so it is necessary to use this spectacular and fashionable nail design in moderation and with taste.
How to use dry mica
Mica nail polish can be used in many different ways. You can use it to lay out the entire nail, the French area, or use it to create a specific pattern on the nail. In order to apply crumbly mica to your nails, you will need the following:
- Base varnish: it can be varnish of any shade or simply transparent;
- Drying-fixer (in extreme cases, mica can be coated with ordinary transparent varnish);
- Orange stick (this can also be a dots or a simple toothpick);
- Small container with water;
- Mica of the selected shade.
How to apply:
- Before starting the design, be sure to do at least a light manicure, align all your nails to the same length so that your hands look well-groomed;
- Apply one coat of base varnish first and let it dry slightly. Then apply the second layer, but without waiting for it to dry, start applying mica to your nails. This is done like this: dip an orange stick (toothpick or dots) in water to remove the electrification, then pick up a little mica on the tip and transfer it to the nail, laying it out in the desired order. If you want to cover the entire nail plate with mica, you can use a brush, also dipping it first in water, then in mica.
- Finish the manicure with a dryer or any other top coat.
Nail design with mica “broken glass”
This design fully justifies its original name: a mosaic pattern of individual mica particles is very similar to broken glass. Beautiful and shiny, arranged pieces of mica can decorate all nails or decorate two or more nails. Using manicure tweezers, apply pieces of shiny mica to the base polish in a chaotic order, reminiscent of shards of broken glass, cover with topcoat and dry. A simple and effective design is ready!
Decorating nails with mica at home step by step
The technique of using liquid and regular material is different, but the initial stage is the same - you need to treat your nails:
- trimming;
- grinding;
- applying the base layer.
Nail designs using mica should be done on gel polish, since the glitter firmly “sticks” to the sticky layer, which guarantees a longer lifespan of the manicure.
Manicure with regular mica
- Colored gel polish is applied to the base and then dried in a lamp for 2 minutes.
- Using an orange stick, the desired pattern is laid out with glitter.
You can cover the entire nail with a thick layer of mica plates - then it will be bulky, heavy, and to create an unobtrusive image, the plates need to be distributed at a distance from each other.
- Cover the nail with cling film, press it down, carefully straightening the mica with your finger.
- Dry in a lamp for about 30 seconds.
- Remove the film and apply the final coat of varnish. Dry for another 2 minutes.
Next, you need to carefully examine the resulting design: if there are uneven, protruding pieces, carefully file them, but do not try to straighten them with your finger. Are you sure the surface is smooth? Cover it with another protective layer.
For more information about what ordinary mica is, what it is like and how it is applied, watch the video.
Manicure with liquid mica
Liquid glitter is successfully used on short nails. In this case, cling film is not needed - you need to stock up on a brush.
- Apply gel polish to the base layer and dry it in a lamp.
- Using a brush, we “catch” the glitter and cover the desired part of the plate with it.
- Use a brush to level the surface. Dry for about 20 seconds.
- Apply a final protective layer and dry again.
It is not necessary to apply a second finishing layer, because... The structure of liquid foil is softer. If you find any irregularities, sand them with buff.
You will learn more about liquid mica from the video:
Abstraction in design with mica
Abstract design in the nail industry is always a limitless space for the creativity of creative manicurists. Using multi-colored glitter mica pieces of various sizes and shapes, you can create countless unique and imaginative designs on your well-groomed nails. Dark or dark blue with small silver mica circles will evoke associations with cosmic distances and the starry night sky. Green shining mica in the form of droplets on an emerald base polish will remind you of green summer grass and morning dew shimmering in the rays of the sun.
By the way, the original abstraction made with sparkling mica is an excellent option for any holiday manicure, including New Year’s: shiny highlights of mica in shades traditional for New Year’s holidays will perfectly complement the festive image and will certainly improve your mood!
A manicure using spectacular shiny mica in design is one of the magnificent finds of the modern nail industry, which is distinguished by its magnificent appearance, convenience and ease of use.
A huge number of magnificent and varied ideas for decorating manicures using mica provides us with an excellent opportunity to choose an interesting and attractive design to suit our taste, mood and pocket.
Mica: a natural mineral and decorative material
Have you ever seen mica in nature? This mineral has a beautiful silvery pearlescent luster and a textured layered surface. The structure of the mineral is lamellar. Mica exfoliates into thin sheets that have jagged edges.
The scope of application of the natural mineral is very wide. For example, mica is successfully used in construction. Thanks to its beautiful appearance, it has been used in interior design, painting, stained glass, and even in jewelry. Manicure mica is an artificial material that maximally replicates the features of natural material: layering, pearlescent shine. It consists of thin films resembling foil with torn edges. In the rays of sunlight (or under artificial lighting), mica sparkles beautifully, creating a magnificent 3D effect.
