Stained glass manicure: TOP 5 exquisite nail art ideas

Manicure is a necessary and very pleasant procedure that gives girls a lot of positive emotions. The variety of shades and techniques is so huge that after every visit to a manicurist, a girl can see new and original design ideas on her nails.

A single-color nail coating, which was initially considered the only option for most fashionistas, has today turned into mega-stylish, voluminous and bright designs. French, lunar design, gradient - all this has already been repeatedly used to decorate marigolds. If you want more, then we suggest getting acquainted with a new nail design that undoubtedly deserves close study - stained glass manicure.

What is stained glass gel polish and how to use it

Stained glass gel polish is a material that visually resembles glass. The structure of the polymer is changed in such a way that a transparent base predominates in it. It is this that creates that beautiful glass effect that changes depending on the main shade.

Visually, stained glass varnish resembles gloss with enhanced color depth. On nails, stained glass looks airy and weightless.

Stained glass gel polish is used as a base coat for painting and small decoration. In this version you can find light and pastel gel polishes, sparkling and deep shades.

Stained glass varnishes look chic on a silver and mirror base. In this combination, transparent stained glass paints look very gentle and beautiful; they saturate the main shade, making it deeper and brighter.

To create a stained glass manicure, you need to prepare the following tools:

• standard set for edged or unedged manicure: tweezers, scissors, remover, orange sticks, dust removal brush, pusher
• UV lamp for drying gel polish
• strengthening base for stained glass gel
• color gel polish
• top coating
• optional decor - rhinestones, sparkles, kamifubuki
• stained glass gel - if it is not available, then read below about how to create it yourself from ordinary varnish

Types and features

Stained glass gel polish is a coating of rich but translucent color to create a glass effect. In fact, all translucent gel polishes will help you create a stained glass manicure.

When applied to nails, it creates a feeling of fragility, as if the nails are made of glass.

Glass effect material can be used:

• when creating a jelly manicure;
• for a change in the classic French style - glass tips will look impressive on long nails;
• for mosaic manicure. You can combine foil, mica and glitter. The result is very reminiscent of the popular mosaic glass in 19th century buildings;
• manicure with design - mica, foil, stamping, dried flowers. All objects used for decoration will seem more voluminous, and the design will resemble an aquarium design;
• imitation gems. A polymerized drop of stained glass material looks like real stone;
• enhance the effect of a cat's eye or smoky manicure.

Naturally, these are only common techniques. The use of stained glass is limited by the imagination of the master and the desires of the client - there are no other restrictions.

Features of using stained glass gel polish:

• Stained glass gel polishes are designed to create airy, weightless designs, so they are not recommended for use if the skin on your hands has lost its tone or there are abrasions and scratches. All external imperfections of the nail plate “ground” the design. Of course, this is just advice and a matter of aesthetics - otherwise, rely on your own desires and feelings;
• Stained glass gel polishes tend to settle - the pigment goes down. To avoid bald spots during application, the product must be thoroughly mixed - otherwise, you can forget about uniform application.

Design options for a French jacket - a selection of ideas

Overview of stamping technology

There are only 2 types of stained glass varnishes:

• classic . Plain, without sparkles, mother-of-pearl or other additional effects. They lie on the nails with a translucent layer, but with a pronounced color;
• with dried flowers . The Irisk brand offers products with a glass effect and dried flowers. This material does not require additional decor - when applied to the nail it looks complete and complete.

Examples of the most popular stained glass gel varnishes are given at the end of the article - take a look so you don’t make a mistake with your choice.

Gel spider and spider manicure

#1 Plain stained glass nail design

Thanks to the glass texture, stained glass manicure will look beautiful even in a single color version. Just look how airy and light nails with this design look. Use light shades for manicure: green, blue, pink, yellow. Visually, this manicure looks like candy, how bright and beautiful they are.

If a solid color design seems boring and simple to you, then add foil to it. To do this, use ready-made foil shapes: diamonds, hearts, triangles, thin stripes. The design will look voluminous and light.

Interesting design ideas

Stained glass design is perhaps one of the most versatile there can be. Its scope of application is so wide that one can endlessly list the ideas and types of designs with which it is compatible. Both young, carefree girls and wealthy adult women, with completely different types and lengths of nails, can afford a stained glass manicure. But, nevertheless, we will tell you the most popular designs for any occasion.

1. Stained glass summer manicure. Summer stained glass involves the use of bright and “rich” shades of gel polish. You can easily apply the entire spectrum of the rainbow on one nail and it will look very impressive and original.
2. A ceremonial stained glass window using shiny gel polish and even rhinestones.
3. Discreet, casual stained glass in bed colors. Suitable for young female students. Fresh, delicate and original manicure.
4. Stained glass for successful and stylish business women using dark shades. A great option for an office manicure!
5. Some girls even use stained glass techniques in wedding manicures. This idea looks unusual and original, in contrast to the usual wedding designs, executed exclusively in white colors.

Not all beautiful nail art that you may have seen on the nails of your friends, acquaintances or in fashion magazines has a complex creation technique. Stained glass is one of these designs. We hope that after reading our article, stained glass manicure will become one of your favorite decors in your collection!

#2 Stained glass stains on nails: a strikingly beautiful design

Stained glass stains are an amazingly beautiful nail design that is easy to do yourself. To create a design you will need:

• silver gel polish as a base
• stained glass gel 3 shades
• thin manicure brush

Cover your nails with a continuous layer of silver or mirror gel polish and dry it in a lamp. Apply stained glass paints in a chaotic manner and blend the borders with a manicure brush. The design is ready.

Stained glass colors look beautiful on a gold and silver background, adding volume and depth to the design.

Instructions for creating beautiful designs with gel polish

Constant experimentation with applying designs to nails will be excellent practice for novice nail artists. Before the girl has time to look back, ideas will be born in her head instantly, and the result will exceed all expectations. Let's try to analyze step by step the options for beautiful drawings for beginners in this creativity.

Option one

With this method of application, all the work will be done using an ordinary needle (you can use a toothpick).

You can also apply drawings to a helium surface using acrylic paints:

Cover your nails with a base coat.

After drying, decide on the choice of background and cover all nails.

Use a needle to mark the dots of the future design or other patterns using the wet varnish.

Using a needle, carefully begin painting, mixing colors; if the design provides for clear lines, then do them with great care.

Dry the finished manicure under the lamp and secure with top coat.

Option two

This application system is ideal for beginners, and the tool used is the same needle and several shades of coating:

1. Apply a colorless base to the nail plate and dry.
2. Complete the background using a matte shade.
3. While the varnish is still wet, make spot applications of a different color.
4. Using a thin needle, begin to make circular connections of drops, based on the idea of ​​​​the future drawing.
5. Dry the drawing and secure with topcoat.

Option three

This method is performed using ordinary tape. No matter how surprising the method may seem, the drawing turns out to be very original:

1. Cover the nail plate with base and dry well.
2. From tape, cut out small geometric shapes and glue tightly onto the nail plate.
3. Cover your nails with any color.
4. After drying, carefully remove the tape with smooth movements.
5. For added effect, cover the entire manicure with a clear coat.

Option four

With such an easy creative process, an example of applying patterns with various varnishes will be given.

Painting called nail is distinguished by its simplicity and justified result:

1. It’s worth starting again with a basic application.
2. Apply a background in any color scheme.
3. Make any drawing using painting varnish, which has a special thin brush.
4. Use the finishing coat to secure it.

Option five

The means at hand often come to the rescue. For example, an ordinary helium pen is capable of miracles. With its help you can create a masterpiece on your nails

An important feature is the fact that you do not need to learn to be confident in mastering such a tool.

In this application method, the drawing will be done with helium-based acrylic paints:

1. Tweak your nails and correct any imperfections with several coats of clear gel.
2. Squeeze several colors of acrylic paints onto a piece of foil, it will act as a palette.
3. Use your imagination and start making the same designs on each nail plate, and finally secure the composition with a finishing agent.

#3 Stained glass pattern on nails: imitation of stained glass using gel polish

In our minds, stained glass windows are echoes of a mysterious and sometimes magical past. Stained glass windows decorated churches, administrative buildings and simply people's homes. It was considered art; with the help of images on stained glass windows one could read historical events, feelings and emotions of people. Today, stained glass windows are present almost everywhere: in the decor of apartments and office premises. This technique has also found its application in nail design.

The simplest stained glass design looks like many pieces connected into a single whole. Creating such a pattern is not difficult. Use light pastel shades of gel polish for design, black, white or silver gel polish to draw partitions. Secure the design with clear stained glass gel.

What is stained glass manicure: varnish, paints, brands, manufacturers

Stained glass manicure is done by professionals using a colored gel with a translucent base. It differs from conventional varnishes in its more liquid consistency and fairly dense color texture, but at the same time it remains transparent, which gives it a glassy finish.

Stained glass varnish is applied on top of a hand-drawn stained glass design and creates a glare effect, like on glass.

But this does not mean that a stained glass design cannot be made with ordinary varnish. It’s possible, you just need to get used to it, although you’re unlikely to get an amazing “glass effect”, but you can create a beautiful design in the stained glass style under a transparent top.

Nail technicians prefer special stained glass gels and this is understandable, the effect is simply mesmerizing.

Of these, we note two brands:

1. Vogue Nails. Manufacturer - Russia, Irkutsk.
2. Kodi Professional. The manufacturer is located in the USA, the partner for improving the quality and promotion of goods is located in Ukraine, Kharkov.

These two companies have long established themselves as reliable manufacturers. Both companies focus on high quality raw materials for the production of gels.

Characteristics of varnishes from Kodi Professional:

1. Large selection of colors.
2. Long lasting.
3. High quality raw materials.
4. They are created on a rubber base.
5. Gentle on the nail plate.

Qualitative characteristics of gels from Vogue Nails:

1. Unique modern composition.
2. Multifaceted color palette of varnishes.
3. Thick consistency.
4. Persistent.
5. Self-leveling effect.

But there are also many budget options for brands that create stained glass gel polish:

1. Lia Nail.
2. Look Nail.
3. Lu Nail.
4. Nail Passion.

#4 Aquarium nail design

Stained glass gels are often used by craftsmen to create three-dimensional designs. Aquarium design is one of the uses of stained glass gel. To create a manicure, use ornate patterns with sparkles, gold or silver gel polish. To make the resulting design look three-dimensional, it is decorated with a layer of stained glass gel.

Aquarium nail designs look great on long, pointed nails. The manicure looks especially beautiful with a floral theme. In the photo below you can see examples of this stylish nail design.

Stained glass manicure and its varieties

There are four different techniques for performing this manicure. Each of the options is interesting in its own way, but they differ in the degree of complexity. In any case, if you decide to decorate your nails with vintage painting, then get ready for a long workout.

• For beginners, we recommend starting with a contour manicure. This stained glass nail design is done as follows: using acrylic paint or gel, the boundaries of the various elements are drawn on the tip of the nail. In most cases, geometric shapes are taken as a basis. Next, the space inside the lines is filled with color. You can choose different shades that combine well with each other. The so-called smile or the inner border of the tip of the nail is also marked with paint or covered with glitter.
• Mosaic manicure looks very solemn. To complete this you will need mica, glitter or pieces of foil. It is these decorative elements that fill the tip of the nail.
• Stained glass nail design with painted elements is an option for professionals. In this case, a pattern is applied to the nail plate with acrylic paint. The easiest way is to use a floral theme or abstraction.
• A combined manicure can include elements of all of the above varieties. There is no limit to imagination here, but we advise you not to get too carried away with the decor. Do not overload your nails with painting and sparkles, it may look ridiculous.

Materials for stained glass manicure

As we have already said, this nail design is only possible on gel nails. Professionals recommend making nails of impressive length and elongated shape to make the design look more advantageous. Stained glass gel is used for extensions. It contains reflective particles, which provides it with transparency. This gel is available in a rich color palette.

Some masters save money and perform stained glass manicure with regular gel with the addition of stained glass paints or transparent gel. In this case, the result may differ from the original not for the better.

You will also need acrylic paints of various colors, glitter, broths, beads, dried flowers, etc. Well, of course, you can’t do without a special UV lamp.

Manicure technique:

1. It all starts with preparing the nail plate. The surface is carefully sanded to remove the glossy shine and add roughness. The edge of the nail is cut short and processed with a nail file.
2. Using a special frame (tips), the tip of the nail of the required length is formed from transparent gel. The first layer is dried under a lamp for about two minutes.
3. Next you can start decorating. Mica, acrylic painting or imitation stained glass is applied to the nail. Use only materials for this type of manicure. Their distinctive feature is transparency. For example, stores offer acrylic stained glass paints.
4. The stained glass nail design is completed with a fixing layer of gel. It also dries under a lamp for a few minutes.

Manicure at home

If you don’t want to extend your nails, but can show off your own, then try a simplified version of a stained glass manicure. The effect will not be the same, but you will get something similar.

Decorate the tip of the nail with stained glass acrylic paints and secure with regular clear varnish. You can also use the glitter and mica mentioned above. Talented artists will be able to depict a beautiful pattern. Try to achieve maximum transparency of the edge of the nail so that your stained glass manicure is close to the original.

Are you interested in nail extensions? Then our article will tell you what types of nail extensions exist.

Ekaterina S. for the site Beauty-Hands.ru

#5 Cat eye manicure: stylish ideas for stained glass nail design

The cat eye design looks very rich. Manicure is created using special gel polishes that contain metallic pigments. For them to show themselves, you need to run a special magnet over the surface of your nails, which is included with the gel polish.

For cat eye manicure, deep dark shades are used. In combination with stained glass gel, the manicure will look rich and noble. Use blue, burgundy, green gel polish for nail design.

The great advantage of a cat's eye manicure is that it practically does not require additional decor. The coating itself looks bright and rich, so additional decor can simply ruin it. The only exception can be considered rhinestones and sparkles, neatly located in the root zone.

Manicure with mosaic

You can do a simple but original mosaic manicure with stained glass gel polish yourself. No artistic skills required.

Materials and tools:

• file and buff;
• degreaser;
• base and top;
• orange stick;
• stained glass gel polish;
• diamonds for nail design. Irisk offers about 10 colors. For decoration, you can use one or more decor colors.

1. Do a hygienic manicure and prepare the nail plate for applying the base by filing off the shiny layer with a buffer;
2. Apply a thin layer of base and dry in a lamp;
3. Now it’s the turn of the gel polish. Cover the plate with the chosen color so that there are no stripes or bald spots - dry again in the lamp;
4. Instead of a second layer of varnish, apply a base or top coat over the dried stained glass. Lay out a pattern of diamonds on the “wet” material. You can combine colors and place the decor the way you like or repeat the design shown in the photo;
5. Dry the base or top with the design in a lamp. Apply another layer of stained glass gel polish over the pattern and dry again. If you want to achieve the effect of an aquarium, first apply a fixing layer of top coat over the design, then gel polish and again top coat. But be prepared for the fact that the overall thickness of the coating will be impressive.

According to these instructions, you can place any non-volumetric design under the stained glass gel polish - mica, kamifubuki, glitter, foil.

Nail decorations - an overview of all types

Sprinkles and loose decor for nail design

How to create stained glass gel yourself

If you don’t have stained glass gel on hand, but want to create a three-dimensional design, you can use a simple recipe. To create a stained glass gel yourself, you need to mix a high-quality, loose gel polish with a top coat in a 1:1 ratio.

Choose a gel polish that does not contain white pigment. The ideal option would be a transparent gel polish with a small amount of glitter.

Stained glass manicure looks amazingly beautiful and airy, and creating such a design is not difficult even at home. We offer you a photo selection of stylish stained glass manicure ideas that you can repeat on your nails.

Best ideas

Stained glass manicure has hundreds of options and designs. We have collected simple ideas for you that you can implement yourself at home. Let's get to know them all better now.

Varieties of stained glass nail designs

Nail art masters identify several basic techniques for performing stained glass decor:

Stained glass cat's eye

This stained glass manicure with a cat's eye effect will appeal to many lovers of everything beautiful and noble. It is quite possible to make this nail design at home in a few minutes. Let's take a closer look at it.

What you will need:

• base;
• black gel polish;
• gel polish with fine shimmer;
• magnet;
• stained glass varnish;
• rhinestones (optional);
• top

How to make a manicure with stained glass varnish:

1. Cover the design with a base coat and dry your nails well in a lamp.
2. Apply one layer of black gel polish as a base.
3. After drying, coat your nails with gel polish with small glitter.
4. Use a magnet to carefully create an even highlight.
5. Dry your nails in a lamp.
6. After drying, apply 1-2 layers of stained glass varnish. Two layers of stained glass give a richer and deeper effect.
7. If desired, magnetize your nails again.
8. Apply a finishing coat to secure the effect.
9. Carefully place several rhinestones near the hole of one nail.
10. Secure them with top.

Video instruction

How to make a stained glass manicure can be seen in the video below.