Glass manicures start out like any other manicure you would get at a Scottsdale Nail Salon. You might have seen this trend on social media where it looks like there are raised pieces of glass within the manicure. This trend is thought to have originated in South Korea. The start to the manicure is the same as any other. The finish is what is different. After completing a normal manicure, you add materials to your nails to give them a glassy appearance.
Step 1. Cut Thin Craft Ribbon
The thin ribbon is what will give the glass effect. Cut them in short and longer sections and at a diagonal angle to create a more appealing look.
Step 2. Remove Old Polish
This is the first step in every manicure. A lot of us want to take the easy way out and paint over our old nail polish, thinking there won’t be much harm. However, nail polish that is not removed can harm your nail bed. In addition, it makes the base coat ineffective whenever there is a barrier between the base coat and the nail bed.
Step 3. Shape your Nails
The glass manicure is flexible with any nail shape and style. It also works on natural, gel, shellac, and acrylic nails.
Step 4. Add Fake Nails
This is an optional step. Glass nails will work on natural nails, but they might not last as long or be as prominent. You can use gel, shellac, or acrylic.
Step 5. Apply a Base Coat
This step is consistent regardless of the final look. The base coat helps to adhere the nail polish to the nail bed.
Step 6. Choose Your Polish Color
You can pick whichever color you want. Think about the ribbon that you will be applying on top of your nails and choose a color that looks good with the ribbon.
Step 7. Apply the Nail Ribbon
Use a cotton swab to pick up the individual nail ribbons. Apply them to your nails while they are still wet. It is important to do this while the nails are still sticky otherwise the ribbon will not stick as well.
Step 8. Apply a Top Coat
The top coat is always important in a manicure, but it is especially important when you do this adding the ribbon to create a strong seal.
Step 9. Cut off Excess Ribbon
Some of the ribbon may extend beyond your nails. Use a small pair of scissors to cut off excess ribbon.
Step 10. Dry Your Nails
Whether you use a professional nail dryer, a hair dryer, or wait for your nails to dry on their own, you need to make sure they are dry before you move on to other activities.
Glass manicures look good year round. Choose different color ribbon to fit the season or the holiday. Just like any other manicure, you can change it as often as you want to. You should mess around with the spacing and color scheme of the ribbon until you are happy with the final look!