How to apply glitter on gel polish correctly: design with large and small glitter, coating with liquid glitter

When choosing a manicure option, women face a lot of difficulties. If previously there were a lot of strict restrictions and bright colors were looked at askance, now the main thing is not to overdo it.

In addition, in order to create an original design on your nails yourself, you need to know how to properly apply glitter to gel polish.

Benefits of glitter manicure

Manicure with glitter stubbornly holds a leading position among the most popular nail designs. Craftsmen are diligently developing new bright options that are appropriate in any case and in any setting.

Benefits of sparkling nails:

If you don't overdo it with shimmering details, then this is a great everyday option. The accent is made with sparkles; they are the highlight of the decoration.
It is the best holiday decoration. There are tons of designs for parties, weddings, guests and other important events.
At the moment there are no restrictions on the use of shimmer and glitter. They can decorate any design to varying degrees. They also look great on both short and long nails.
The technique is easy to learn. Even a beginner can handle this coating.
The glitter adheres perfectly to the surface of the nail.

By experimenting with the density of the coating and the combination of sparkles of different colors and sizes, nail designers create a variety of coating options.

Pros and cons of dry glitter manicure decor

Pros:

With their help, you can easily create the desired design.
There are many more variations of dry glitter than liquid glitter. This allows you to create a larger number of different manicure options.

Minuses:

If they are not secured with a clear coating, they can quickly crumble.
In the process of creating a shiny manicure, a lot of dry glitter goes to waste.

Flaws

Oddly enough, one of the advantages of glitter polishes is also their biggest disadvantage. This is resilience. When removing old manicures, they are very difficult to remove. There is even a special nail polish remover sold for these purposes. It must be applied to cotton wool or a special swab, and then kept on the nail for some time to soften the coating.

To attach round decorative parts you will have to purchase special glue. In addition, they still need to be able to fix them correctly.

Liquid coating with decor does not always provide the opportunity to realize your ideas. Working with dry glitter will require additional costs.

You will need to purchase:

tweezers with thin working edges;
applicators;
sponges;
wooden stick.

Fine shimmering dust can easily be found in hair and clothes a little later; you still need to learn how to work with it.

Applying glitter

What is it and how to use it correctly. Transparent liquid varnish containing glitter and gel. The disadvantage lies in the already established density upon sale.

Liquid glitter is much easier to apply to your nails. When applying, the base must be dry. A brush is used as in a regular varnish. It is better to apply the coating to the entire nail, although you can also cover some part. It is also used when making a pattern, but the dry version of glitter is more suitable for this case.

Rubbing in glitter is the simplest type of coating decoration. All nails or several fingers can be covered with glitter, the rest are covered with the selected varnish. It is necessary to monitor the combination of colors. The process itself is performed like applying gel polish, only with the use of glitter.

Sequins are considered a universal decoration element. The polish should be fixed with gel, and the charming manicure will last a long time and naturally.

The material provides the opportunity to do a manicure yourself, without the help of a professional.

Types of glitter for gel polish

Specialized points of sale offer a wide range of tempting glitter particles. But understanding this diversity is not at all difficult. There are two main types of glitter.

To create a sparkling coating use:

Gels with glitter. Whole series of compositions with glitter of different sizes and shapes are now arriving in stores. It can be simply a transparent gel or a composition with pigment. All that remains is to distribute it over the surface of the nail plate.
Dry glitter. They are sold in small jars. Shape and colors are different. They are coated with special glue or varnish that has not yet dried. A special type of fixative must be applied on top.

Glitter comes in the form of fine shiny dust and in the form of fairly large particles of various shapes. The diameter of the latter starts from 1 mm. They can be mixed to create your own colors and textures, and dry ones can be added to gel or varnish.

Glitter method

There are several options for using dry glitter that will help radically transform your manicure, making it solemn and unique.

The choice of sprinkling of glitter depends on the final result you want to achieve - either the nail plate is completely covered with a shining layer, or you can apply individual shimmering fragments.

Also, the option you choose depends on your convenience:

Apply one or two layers of decorative coating; the last layer does not need to dry. Dip your finger with the wet gel into the glitter or sprinkle it on top (it is recommended to place a container with glitter underneath so that the excess can be poured back). After this, the gel polish is completely dried and secured with a finishing layer.
Dry the base color of the gel polish completely and apply a fresh layer of coating on top of the pattern or design you have chosen (the nail is not completely filled with color). Sprinkle this fragment with decor and fix it in the lamp.
In a small container, you can mix a small amount of clear glitter polish until smooth, and then apply it as a regular glitter finish using a clean brush.
You can make a smooth transition from glitter to a regular plain coating. To do this, apply gel polish to the entire nail bed and apply the decor with a brush from the free edge. Be careful not to damage the gel polish, which will remain clean.

Any design option for the nail plate looks impressive, especially in the evening, when the sparkles begin to shine and shimmer under the light. Small cosmetic defects become completely invisible.

How to Apply Glitter

Working with different types of decorative coatings requires certain skills and tools. There are also some tricks: you need to know how to properly apply glitter to gel polish.

Required tools and materials

In order for a sparkling manicure to look good and hold securely, you need to purchase the necessary equipment and materials.

To work you will need:

Primer. Its purpose is to provide better adhesion between the nail plate and gel polish.
Shellac is a colorless coating, a base for applying colored gel polish.
Brushes with synthetic bristles. For applying glitter - fan-shaped and flat. To make a drawing you will need a thin one. There may be a need for a few more for other types of work.
Glitter.
To remove the dispersion sticky layer, you should purchase a special liquid.

You will also need manicure tools. And for drying the coating - an ICE structure or a UV lamp.

Small and medium glitter

Glitter can be applied to gel polish in a variety of ways. It is not necessary to cover the nail plates completely.

You can emphasize small details, complement the drawing, focus on the beauty of the nail or an interesting detail:

Drawing. The sparkles are laid out so that they themselves form a pattern on the main coating.
Image decoration. Bright sparks highlight the details of the sculpting and create highlights on the surface of flowers and figures.
Full coverage. Glitter polish is applied to the entire nail. You can paint selectively: all fingers have a matte finish, and one or two sparkle brightly.
Polka dot or spot coating. Take medium sequins and place them on the surface, imitating the popular “polka dots”. Or these same polka dots are formed from a scattering of small sparkles.

Such motifs can be easily performed independently at home. You don't even need any special skills. If the drawings were made with varnishes, they take a long time to dry. Therefore, it is better to coat the surface with a special hardener, which will speed up the process.

Large sparkles

Working with large glitter requires a few different skills. They are sold only in dry form.

Technique for applying large shiny parts:

General nail preparation: shaping, polishing, applying base and varnish.
The glitter is picked up with tweezers and carefully placed on the surface of the gel polish that has not yet dried.
A colorless coating is applied to a completely dry nail.

Large plates themselves can serve as a decoration for a manicure. They can be used to lay out a drawing or make the main accent in the design. Sometimes special foil is used.

The following options are possible:

Snake print. Meticulous work. The nail is completely covered with diamond-shaped details. Usually done selectively on one or two fingers. The rest are coated with matte varnish.
Aquariums. Large, mysteriously shimmering sparkles are placed under the transparent layer. They are combined with fine shimmer, twigs, patterns, feathers.
Main focus. It is made with a large shiny detail, and small shimmer of different colors is laid out around it.
Mixture. A chaotic combination of small and large sequins. They can be applied along the edge of the nail, along, across, to emphasize curls or decor, or to create a hole.

These are the basic and most popular techniques. If you wish, you can create a new composition each time - the range of incoming jewelry is so diverse. For example, the French manicure is quite interesting, the edges of which are decorated with puck-shaped large sparkles.

Manicure with glitter and clear gel polish

Even a person who has never dealt with gel coating can cope with this task. The work uses a colorless liquid base with glitter. This option is also the most popular.

Step-by-step working method:

A manicure is being done. Primer and base coat are applied on top. Dries in a lamp.
The base is applied. Two layers are made, each one is dried. They must be completely dry.
The surface is covered with glitter gel, the top dispersion layer is not erased.
Top coating. It makes the nail surface smooth and glossy.
All layers must be dried under a lamp.

There is one drawback to this manicure: this simple technique of attaching glitter to polish does not allow your imagination to run wild. There are very few design options here. But it is suitable for beginners. Once mastered, you can move on to more complex techniques.

Applying dry glitter to polish

Dry glitter goes on sale in a much larger assortment than liquid glitter. Due to the fact that they are not placed in the gel in advance, it is much easier to create the desired design with such sparkling powder or large parts.

They look like records without varnish in a jar. They are made of metal, plastic, paper, glass. Shapes - square, round, rectangular, polygonal and others.

Particles are divided:

Large (from 1 mm), they can be used to create spectacular mosaics.
Sand. The grain size is from two microns. It is from such particles that the iridescent velvety surface is obtained.
Powder - mirror dust. It creates patterns and gradients.
Pigment with a holographic effect. Most suitable for creating 3D patterns.

Dry metallic particles create a lot of room for creativity and even make your manicure more durable.

But this decor has its drawbacks:

most of it goes to waste during operation;
They need to be fixed immediately with a special coating, otherwise they will quickly crumble.

To work with such particles, special tools are required.

To apply dry decor you will need:

dots - a wooden stick with a characteristic cut at the end;
brushes - thin and fan-shaped;
tweezers.

If necessary, sparkling particles can hide all defects and unevenness of the coating and hide chips. Working with them is not difficult even for an inexperienced beginner. Sprinkling is carried out on a non-dried sticky layer that has not yet been covered with topcoat. Hands must be dry.

Step-by-step method for sprinkling with small and medium dry glitter:

Place a dry and clean napkin under the hand being treated - particles tend to sprinkle everything around.
Using a dry fan brush, pick up a small amount of sprinkles from a jar.
The brush is brought to the painted surface, but cannot be touched.
Glitter is sprinkled in the desired place by lightly tapping the brush handle. If you need to save materials, you can work with a soft flat brush.
After treatment, the surface is covered with a transparent gel.

If the coating should be very shiny, then you need to add more material. Sometimes the nail is dipped directly into a jar of glitter.

If you are working with large particles, then use a dot stick. The sparkles are taken out carefully, one at a time, and laid out in the desired pattern.

Rubbing in glitter

Rubbing is one of the simplest and most effective techniques for creating a manicure. You can work with both large and small particles.

It includes the following steps:

treated nails are covered with two layers of gel polish;
The layers are dried in turn in a lamp for two minutes each;
glitter is collected on a soft brush and sprinkled evenly, from the cuticle, onto the surface of the nail plate;
With light finger movements, the particles are rubbed into the coating;
drying in a lamp (a few seconds);
Apply top coat and dry (one minute).

Using this technique, a metallic effect is created on the nails.

Stretch application technology

Despite the complex name, stretch application technology is one of the simplest. With its help, gradients or play of colors are created.

It is almost identical to rubbing. Only sparkles of different colors are applied alternately, starting from the edge and ending with the cuticle. This is “stretching”. The finished design is dried and covered with topcoat.

French manicure

This manicure option has long been a classic. But nail designers create new samples for execution, adding rhinestones to it. At the same time, it can be elegant and modest or flashy and solemn.

Classic French - white nail tips with a neutral base. The execution technique remains virtually unchanged, but a slight deviation in shades and details completely changes the result.

New French options with shimmer and sequins:

With black tips. Available in a bright or neutral base. There is an option with two contrasting sides.
Red. It is not challenging, but at the same time emphasizes individuality.
Pink and purple.
Gold. Painting and rhinestones are added to the shimmer. Front option.
Neon. Reminiscent of the wild 70s, when bright plastic jewelry was in fashion. More suitable for young girls.
Dark base. This is a kind of confrontation with the classics. The base can be made with a matte surface, and the ends can be made glossy.
Reverse French. The emphasis is on the cuticle, where a bright stripe is placed.
Oblique. Any bend duration can be set on the nail and any slope can be set. Shimmer and rhinestones are designed to soften this asymmetry.

Most of these techniques are difficult to master and require skills and special tools. Beginners should try a simple gel method, without unnecessary details.

A simple French manicure method with glitter

There are a lot of rather complex techniques for making French.

At home you can make a very simple and interesting one using liquid glitter with rhinestones of different sizes using the following method:

Preparing the nail, applying and drying the base.
Applying the selected base color.
Then the brush picks up as much glitter as possible and makes three shiny stripes along the entire length of the nail.
New application of glitter on brushes and painting of the plate in a horizontal direction, starting from the second third (a U-shaped movement is made).
Apply a third layer of sequins to the very tip of the nail. This can be done with smaller particles.
Finish coating.

If you are not happy with how the sparkles lay down, you can touch them up with an orange stick before drying. You can also make the glitter more saturated with sparkles if you buy additional sparkles and simply add them to your favorite coating.

Lunar French

Moon manicure is also called reverse French. When making it, the area of the nail at the base, called the lunula, is painted. It is shaped like a month. For ease of work, a special semicircular stencil is used.

Step-by-step instructions for using shellac:

Nail treatment and removal of oily layer, polishing.
Apply base coat and dry.
Covering the nail plate with the main color. It will also be the color of the lunula. If you need a more saturated color, then do two layers. Each is thoroughly dried.
The lunula is covered with a stencil.
A second color is applied to the uncovered nail plate. After drying, the stencil is removed and a top coat is applied.

These are the main stages of work. You can also add accents with small sparkles or shimmer to the ends and cuticles. To make the lines clearer, a stencil is used.

Ombre

Ombre, stretch or degrade also refers to decorative French-type coatings. It is suitable for those who do not like clear lines and geometry. This type is good because it perfectly hides nail imperfections.

Ombre with shimmer and sparkles is ideal for any age and style. Reflective elements highlight the smooth transition of one shade to another.

This design is considered simple, adds length to the nails, and matches any outfit. The main task is to achieve a smooth transition between colors. Degrading with gel polish is most conveniently done using a comb brush.

How to make your own coating:

Prepare your nails.
Apply and dry the base.
Next, the lightest shade of the future ombre is applied in one layer and polymerized.
A dark color is applied to the lower third of the nail (near the cuticle). Since such tones have the ability to absorb light ones, they are applied to a smaller part of the nail.
A lighter shade is applied to the larger one.
Stretching. It is done with a brush. It consists in the fact that a darker color is “stretched” with strokes onto the border of a light one. They are mixed. After the dark has stopped shrinking, polymerization is done.
Paint is applied again and stretching is done again. And so several times until the desired effect is achieved.
The finished gradient is sprinkled with glitter, polymerized and covered with a top transparent gel.

Small sparkles can also create a gradient. Stretching over a colored substrate is done in the same way as described above.

Stamping

Stamping, or stamping, is an opportunity to decorate a manicure with a spectacular design without making much effort. This is especially true for those who are not very good at drawing, but want to have beautiful and original nails.

The design is applied to the coating using specially made stamps. They are purchased separately. At the moment there are whole sets of different styles and trends.

Stamping process:

A small amount of highly pigmented shellac or varnish is applied to the stencil.
Excess is removed with a scraper. It is necessary that the drawing be clear. Therefore, you need to make sure that only the pattern is filled in.
A design is imprinted on the prepared nail (with base and color).
The fixative is applied.

All layers are dried as they are applied. More experienced craftsmen can even make colored patterns. To do this, you will have to arm yourself with a brush and carefully paint the plate with the desired shades.

When choosing color solutions, you need to remember that contrasting shades will look great. Before applying the top coat, you can add accents with glitter and sparkles.

Waterfall

The “waterfall” manicure is so called because the image on the nails looks three-dimensional. There is a feeling that the details or image are hidden behind a wall of water.

The peculiarity lies in the combination of acrylic and gel materials. Particular attention should be paid to finding a specialist, because not everyone can skillfully work with two different technologies at once.

Brief method of waterfall manicure:

First comes the usual hand treatment and degreasing of the nail plates.
Any design can be made with acrylic powder. Nail designers use special ones with sparkles. Paints and rhinestones are also popular.
The final stage: coating with a transparent modeling gel. Once dry it gives a waterfall effect.

This manicure has an undoubted advantage: it eliminates alkaline and acidic primers and natural nails are less damaged. In addition, such a manicure is much more time-efficient. As the nails grow back, the contour of the connection between the artificial and natural nails is less noticeable, and correction procedures are required less frequently.

Rub method

Rubbing is now used quite often in salons, since the technology is done quite simply and looks as impressive as possible. Many rubs have a mirror effect, which makes the manicure especially unusual.

The technique is that the nail technician rubs shiny powder into the girl’s nail at a time when the gel polish has not completely polymerized in the lamp, but is not in a completely liquid state. It is quite difficult to catch such a moment, which is why not everyone succeeds in the procedure, especially the first time.

Apart from this, the technology of rubbing in the shine itself is quite simple:

Apply the base coat and dry it in a lamp.
Apply the first layer of gel polish and cure it completely.
Apply a second layer of decorative coating, put your hands in the lamp for 20-30 seconds so that the coating does not drip, but does not harden completely.
Apply glitter to the nail with a brush and rub it into the decorative coating with your finger using rubbing movements.
Dry the work in a lamp.
Apply a final layer of topcoat.

The rub looks impressive if you can catch the right edge and time period when to apply it. If you take your fingers out of the lamp early, you will only ruin the condition of the gel polish by pressing your fingers on it, and if you overdry the manicure, the rub will not be able to stick to it, which is why you will not be able to create a glossy shine effect.

Glitter manicure options

With glitter, nail design becomes more interesting. With them you can achieve different effects, create complex applications and compositions, or simply add a slight mysterious shimmer.

Manicurists offer luxurious ideas that will be easy to reproduce yourself.

For the “aquarium”, large and small sparkling particles are carefully attached to the nails, and then covered with a thick layer of transparent coating. They can be diluted with plants, flowers and even feathers. All this is presented in a wide range at specialized points of sale.

A transparent shimmering coating is made with glitter or powder. The design is unobtrusive and suitable for everyday wear.

Lunar manicure can be neutral shades with glitter at the junction of two colors.

Patterns of fine shimmer are applied with a thin brush onto a contrasting color.

You can make a multi-colored manicure with glitter patterns.

For a jacket with glitter at the ends of the nails, glitter can be applied in bulk or large particles can be attached in detail.

White with rubbed glitter creates the effect of moonstone, if you take the delicate pink, blue and light green colors of the particles. You can make it black in the same way by choosing the appropriate decor for the base.

Multi-colored chaotic designs are still popular. This includes amber and French. Varnishes are colorless and colored, with decorative particles included.

These are just some of the ideas that give room for imagination. Nowadays fashion does not make strict restrictions. The main thing is that they are appropriate and suitable for the specific case.

Pros and cons of using glitter

Pros:

The glitter is easy to use.
Requires less effort to create a manicure than dry glitter.

Minuses:

If the colorless varnish in the liquid glitter composition deteriorates, the glitter becomes unusable.
Often spreads.

Recommendations from professionals

To make your manicure look more impressive and neat, experts give a number of tips for working with glitter on gel and regular polishes.

The shine on the gel will last longer if you follow the technology when attaching it. When working with regular varnish, a fixative is required.

To prevent chips and cracks:

you need to purchase high-quality top and base;
if the nail is wet, it needs to be treated with a dehydrator;
Before manicure, the nail plate needs to be filed down with a buff - it removes the glossy layer;
when degreasing the nail, you need to pay attention to the side ridges and the area near the cuticle;
the gel coating should not get on the cuticle;
the base, color, finish should be applied in a thin layer, the cut should be painted over (sealing the end);
for soft and thin nails you need to use a rubber base, acrylic powder, gel - these are strengthening agents;
Each layer must be dried thoroughly; the exact time is indicated in the manufacturer's instructions.

If the glitter chips ahead of time, you can restore it without having to change the entire coating.

To do this, mix the colored gel with the base (proportion 1:1). The resulting mixture is used to paint over the damage and sprinkle glitter on top. Then - drying, which takes twice as long as usual. Then all excess that is not fixed is removed, and the surface is covered with topcoat. The last layer should be thin. Then dry again. Restored decor lasts a long time.

Stretch glitter application technology

Stretching is one of the ways to create an ombre manicure. And it is worth saying that it is one of the best, as it has a number of advantages.

Usually ombre is done with a sponge, and stretching with a brush. This is the main advantage, because when using a sponge, the skin around the finger gets dirty, and the nail polish itself hardens with slight roughness from the texture of the sponge; none of this happens when using a brush.

Stretching can be done with either dry glitter or liquid glitter. You need to apply colored varnish to the nail, let it dry, if liquid glitter follows, and vice versa.

On top of the varnish, apply glitter to part of the nail, this can be a hole at the base, a free edge, or the vertical half of the nail. And with a clean brush you need to drag a certain amount of glitter onto the free part of the nail, gradually reducing the concentration. This is an option with one color of glitter, or you can do it with several.

To do this, you need to cover the nail with 2 colors of glitter, leaving a small gap between them free, and then “stretch” both colors over this gap.

Interesting ideas for shimmering manicure

Modern fashionistas are constantly striving to diversify their nail design, and even already elegant nail art with iridescent particles is also being improved all the time.

Gradient design

The transition from one shade to another is always interesting, because it gives the manicure a certain mystery. And glitter based on this enhances this effect.

Gallery: gradient transition options with glitter

Stylish French

By covering not the entire surface of the nail plate, but only its tip, with shimmering pollen, it is easy to create a kind of jacket that can have clear or blurred boundaries.

Gallery: shiny French

Lunar option

Glitter can only be used to decorate the nail holes. This will give the manicure femininity and at the same time luxury.

Gallery: moon manicure options

And one warrior in the field

The nail design looks original and unconventional when only one nail on the hand is decorated with glitter.

He is the one who will attract attention

Decorating one nail with glitter is a popular trend in manicure.

Matte manicure

Shiny elements will look especially bright on a matte base. In this case, shimmering elements will favorably emphasize the depth of the color of the varnish and make the manicure luxurious.

Gallery: matte varnish and glitter

Glitter designs

Using glitter of different colors, shapes and sizes, you can create unique patterns on your nails. To do this, you need to apply a little imagination, and then the design gallery will be replenished with countless options.

Video: design ideas with glitter

Manicure with glitter has been, will be and will remain popular, because it makes nail design festive and elegant. It’s easy to make it yourself at home, and there are a large number of options.

Ideas for long nails

A glitter jacket on long nails will look simply gorgeous. To prevent the decor and gel polish from merging together, you can choose a variety of contrasting shades. Patterns drawn with glitter will also be appropriate on long nails.

Glitter has become very popular in creating wedding manicures. Their use gives the bride's hands brightness, tenderness and, of course, attracts the eyes of all the gathered family and friends.

What is it for, how to use it in creativity and what kind of glitter, glue (gel) with sparkles are there?

Glitter is a very interesting material for decorating crafts (especially New Year's), cards, coloring books, etc.

What are the advantages of nail designs with shimmering elements?

This manicure can be used for any festive event (birthday, bright party, wedding, dinner party, etc.), as well as for everyday life, with the difference that in the second version there should be fewer shiny elements.
Shimmering nail art is distinguished by its versatility, because it can be used on nails of any length and shape, and in all cases it will look luxurious.
Shiny manicure is characterized by many variations.
Even a beginner can master the technology of decorating nails with such glitter.

Even a beginner can do a glitter manicure.

What it is

Manicure with large sparkles

Sequins (glitter, shimmer) are decorative elements designed to create a manicure.

They can be in the form of dust, sand or large elements .

Each type is good in its own way and has characteristic features.

For example, dust or sand will have to be applied to the nail plates with a sprayer.

This manicure suits everyone. It will perfectly complement your everyday look and go well with a formal evening outfit. It all depends on the chosen design.

Types of glitter

Glitter is metallized elements, usually made of foil, measuring one millimeter or more.
Yes - the diameter of the particles does not exceed one millimeter.

The glitter base is selected depending on the desired effect. Bright colors are suitable for holidays and parties. It’s better to design a daytime manicure in calmer colors.