Glitter nail polish can be a lot of fun with when creating different nail art designs, however, there are a few things you should be aware of as well as techniques you should know to get the most out of your glitter polish. First, you should keep in mind that when using glitter nail polish you should judge the glitter pay out for each polish you use since some brands will have more glitter than others. Secondly, you should know how to get the most out of your glitter nail polish when you want your nails to be completely covered in glitter.
Complete Coverage plus Chunky Stars
One technique to obtain this amount of coverage without multiple layers is to use a makeup sponge to apply the polish as the sponge will collect the clear polish. Simply dab this on your nails and apply the chunkier pieces using a toothpick.
Glitter Lines and Complete Coverage
Using the technique of applying glitter polish with a makeup sponge can save a lot of time, but what if you want to create a design? You can do this one of two ways, first apply the glitter polish then apply tape over the sections you wish to remain glittery. You can also do this in reverse by applying your non-glitter polish and taping off the sections that you don’t want glitter.
Just a Touch of Sparkle
This design can be pretty easy to do by simply applying a thin layer of glitter polish to a makeup sponge and dabbing that to the area closest to your cuticle. Keep in mind that the more you add to the sponge and the more you dab, the more glitter you will apply.
Tips and Designs
The layout of this design is incredibly easy as you apply a nude polish first, then dab a light coat of glitter polish to the tips of the nails using a makeup sponge. Once you applied the desired amount of glitter and it has dried, create the floral design on the finger you want it on.
Glitter Bands
These particular nails were created by applying a layer of glitter on the nail first, then covering the section that the glitter is wanted with tape coat the nail in a non-glittery polish. Once you have applied the polish color of your choice remove the tape to see the design you have created. A good pro-tip would be to apply a topcoat to the glitter layer to prevent bumps in the colored polish.
Colored Glitter Polish
Polish like this can be done by either brushing on or applying with a makeup sponge to ensure color and glitter payoff are strong.
Jagged Tips
Simply apply a base coat polish, then using the brush dipped into the color of your choice brush on the colored polish where you want it to be. Once all layers of polish are dry use the brush to apply the glitter polish along the jagged lines.
Glitter and Color
While most would brush this kind of glitter polish on, keep in mind that different brands will have a different glitter payoff than others. If you want more glitter than the color you will need to use the makeup sponge technique.
Spiked Cuticle Design
Brushed designs can be a lot of fun and are easy to make your own with the use of various colors, however, you will need a fine bristled brush to create these designs. You can also choose to use this brushed design with glitter polish lines or a glittery polish as an accent nail.
Stamped Designs over Glitter
You can use your stamp designs over glitter polish, however, the technique used is incredibly important to a smooth design. Since glitter can create a texture to your nail, simply apply a top coat before placing your stamped design to prevent imperfections.
Glitter Tips
There are many designs that will only need glitter on a small part of the nail over a solid colored base coat. To achieve this fun look you can either brush on the glitter polish or dab it on using a makeup sponge to ensure the appropriate glitter payout that you are looking for.
Waterless Marble with Glitter Accents
Designs like these take a fair amount of practice as you need to drop a small amount of polish onto your nail and drag it into place. Once you have the polish where you want it, lightly press the tip of your finger to the sides and front of the nail to remove the excess by pulling and capping. Finish the look with a glitter polish on a liner brush to add the beautiful sparkle.
Chunky Foil Glitter
Foil glitter can be difficult to work with and the color payoff may vary with different brands, however, it does work like chunkier glitter polish. You can either paint it on using multiple layers or use a makeup sponge to get the most out of your polish.
Seasonal Nails
You can either tape off the placement of the bulbs or paint circles if you have a steady hand.
Stamped or Brushed
Designs like this can be either stamped or brushed depending on your patience and steadiness of your hand. It is highly recommended that you place a topcoat onto the glitter layer to prevent strange bumps and imperfections.
Full Glitter
Having an accent nail using full glitter polish is a great way to show off your personality and get the most enjoyment out of your nail art.
Match Your Glitter
For some of the best results with your nail designs using glitter polish, ensure that you are matching the color of the glitter to the main polish color. The copper glitter matches the brown polish perfectly and adds a special sparkle to your nail.
Holographic Top Coat
There are many fun ways to use glitter polish such as this holographic foil polish to enhance the look and feel of these turquoise nails. Not only does it show off the main color but adds a little extra fun to the nails.
Sections
Another great idea for those who are just starting out with glitter polish is to create a sectioned design as it will allow for practice dabbing on glitter and taping off areas.
Glitter and Black
You will find that applying brightly colored glitter polish shows up best on a darker polish such as the black in this image. While the glitter polish is a foil and glitter mix, the iridescence of the color isn’t overpowered by the base color but rather highlighted.
Bright Glitter Tips
Pairing a dark base with a bright color can be a lot of fun when using glitter polish, and it looks even better when you create a fade effect from the tips.
Ombre
You can obtain an ombre effect with your glitter polish through many different methods. First, you can create the ombre look with solid polish then apply a glitter top coat, or you can attempt it using colored glitter polish.
Clear Glitter Polish
There are many advantages to clear glitter polish as you can use it as a top coat or to add glitter to any design. These polishes also work well using the sponge technique as you will get the amazing payoff from your glitter.
Designs
Some people think glitter polish is good for only adding sparkle, however, you can create designs using vinyl’s or tape and putting the glitter on using a makeup sponge.
Matte and Glitter
Combining polishes that have two different looks can be fun and unique such as these curved lined nails. You can create this design by using hole-punch stickers and applying the glitter polish with the sponge technique to obtain this same look.
Fade towards the Tips
Creating a fade from the cuticle to the tips of your nails is all about patience and controlling the glitter application remembering to add more glitter at the cuticle and less towards the tips.
Burgundy and Gold
As mentioned before, pairing dark polishes with bright glitter is a lot of fun and can create some interesting results like the nails below featuring an angled fade.
Vinyl Recommended
There are a few designs using glitter and polish that a nail vinyl will be recommended, although not technically required. The reasons for the recommendation is that it will provide you with a negative space that can easily be filled using the sponging method like the zigzag pattern below.
Thin Layers
When you only want a little sparkle on your nails, try applying your glitter polish over your solid color in thin layers until you have the look you want.
Black Tipped Gold
The faded look using glitter is an incredibly popular choice and is even more popular using dark colors under light glitter.
Tape and Sponge
This particular design was created by first sponging on the glitter then applying the solid color. You can achieve this by using nail art tape or just tape depending on the width of the chevron you are looking for.
Matte, Glitter, and Glossy
There are some fun designs that use a variety of polishes like the combination of matte, glossy, and glitter polishes below. These are applied starting with the matte polish, then the tape is used before applying the glossy polish, finally, the look is completed by taping off the sections where glitter isn’t wanted.
Bright Colors
Many people love their nails painted in brilliantly bright colors such as the yellow polish used below, however just because the polish is bright doesn’t mean you can’t apply a glitter polish to really make it pop.
Just Paint it On
Polishes like the one below can simply be applied in layers to create the thickness you are looking for in the color. It is recommended to start with a base coat and follow with a complimentary color coat before using polishes like this to ensure the opacity of the color.
Nail Art Brushes
Designs like this are beautiful, however, you will need patience and maybe a set of nail art brushes to achieve this look. Start with a nude or neutral color as your base, then choose the glitter colors you want and simply brush on the designs.
Holiday Themed
These nails feel like Christmas and were created through the use of various techniques. First, the base color was applied, then the tape was used to block the tip creating a half moon shape from the cuticle followed by sponging on the glitter. Then the rest of the design was added using liner brushes.
Dusting Glitter
This method is a bit easier for beginners and those who don’t want to buy makeup sponges as you simply paint your nails, then apply any glitter you wish to the top of the wet polish.
Glitter French
Faded French designs can be done many ways and this one was created using either a clear polish or translucent nude polish, then the fade was applied at the tips.
Foil Polish Top Coat
One of the easiest options when adding a little sparkle to your nails is to add a glitter or foil top coat to achieve the look you want.
Standard Colored Glitter Polish
Accent nails can be added to any nails including ones using glitter polish like the set of nails below featuring a palm tree.
Butterfly Wings
If you are looking to achieve a design like this, it is actually fairly easy since you just need to use the sponge technique to apply the glitter polish, then add in the wing designs using liner brushes.
Vinyl or Patience
Nail vinyl comes in a wide variety of patterns, and while vinyl would make your life easier you can still achieve this look using a liner brush as well as a lot of patience.
French Tips
Glitter can be used many ways when doing French tips and adds a little something extra to a classic style.
Triple Hombre
Using 3 colors when creating a hombre look isn’t much different than using two, simply apply stripes of color to a makeup sponge and pat onto the nail.
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All in One
Polishes that include glitter with the color are some of the easiest to use as you simply apply to the nail.
Hearts
When creating designs like this you can use a glittery polish for all fingers and the accent decoration to create a fun and sparkly look.
Dry Brush
If you want a look like this, start with a base coat in a color of your choice, then use a glittery polish to apply close to the cuticle, and finish by dragging color towards the tip using a dry liner brush.
Golden Glitter
Using a glitter polish like this for your whole nail can create a fun look, however applying using the brush will leave little glitter on the nail. First, apply your first coat of polish to the nail, then apply polish to a makeup sponge and pat onto the nail for the best coverage.
Pink Sparkles
Color Club polishes offer many colorful glitter polishes that can be applied to the nail and will leave glitter visible. As seen below, these solid color glitter nails were created by simply applying the polish.
Black French
Creating these nails may seem hard, but in reality, it was done by applying the pink glitter polish, then the black along the tip of the nail. A French doesn’t have to be a thin line along the edge of the nail but can go into the center of the nail.
Glitter with Non-Glitter
Pairing a non-glitter accent nail with glitter polished nails is a beautiful contrast and are easy to do when looking for some nail art designs.
Sticking Glitter
If you have the patience, you can place individual large pieces of glitter onto your nails using a clear polish. Keep in mind that this process is slow and will take you a few hours to complete.
Rainbows
You can create a multicolor fade where ever you want on your nails, then simply using a glittery top coat to give your nails some sparkle.
Matte meets Glitter
The first thing you will need to start with is the application of the matte black polish. Once that has dried simply apply a circular sticker to your nails and apply the glitter polish. Be sure to remove the sticker before your nails dry.
Fade with Glitter Accents
You can accent the tips of your nails using glitter polish or clear polish dusted with glitter on just about any nail design you want.
Glitter Nail Art
You can use glitter polish in nail art as it works incredibly well to accent certain aspects of your nail art designs.
Framed
These thick triangle pieces of glitter or nail jewelry can be attached using glue or clear polish depending on their thickness and can create an interesting design.
Chunky Holographic Glitter
Glitter like this can be found as either a polish or a loose glitter and can be applied by either brushing or dusting it on.
Sparkling Cuticles
The application of clear glitter polish can even create a fade style design that will dress up any nail color in a snap.
Accent Nails
Accent nails come in a variety of different forms including a matching glitter polish rather than a polish without glitter.
Designs over Glitter Nails
Just because you apply glitter to your nails doesn’t mean you can’t add a design over it. Simply use a layer of top coat to seal in the glitter and apply your design over top of that.
Colored Polish with Glitter
Many brands have glitter in their colored polish and this will easily add the holographic look you want in the color rather than a flat appearance.
Glitter Fades
If you are doing a fade design using glitter, don’t be afraid of how much glitter you use. You can use as much or as little glitter as you like using the sponging technique and simply add as much as you like.
Plain over Glitter
Try considering placing a glitter polish down as your base color and decorate your nails using polish without glitter for a little-reversed look to the norm.
Glitter Dipped
This is another French Tipped style nail and you can easily create it using a piece of tape or nail art tape to block off the area you don’t want any glitter.
Rainbow Scaled
Placing individual pieces of glitter on your nails can take a great deal of time, however, once you have completed your nails you will be so proud of how they look.
White Foil Glitter
Foil glitter polishes come in many forms and colors and can add a great deal of variety to your glitter nails.
Fades and Accents
You can even use a full glitter nail to accent your glitter fades.
Two Accents
Multiple glitter nails can add a fun accent to even the wildest designs that you may have in mind.
Glitter and Jewels
Maybe you should consider using glitter accents with chunky sparkles to pair with your nail jewels.
Solids and Patterns
Whether you prefer solid glittery nails or patterns using glitter, you can have a lot of fun with your polishes.
Crystal Glitter
Even a crystal-like glitter polish will add the pop of sparkle you desire when painting your nails.
Highlight Designs
Try highlighting designs using a glitter polish like the chevron shape below.
Sparkling Tips
Glitter French manicures are becoming incredibly popular and are some of the easiest designs you can do at home.
Tipping
Tipping your favorite colored polish with a matching glitter will add a little extra flare that you may not have had before.
Faded Glitter Chevron
Designs like these are more complicated, however, with patience and tape you can create the fades and protect the design in the process.
Dipped
Loose glitter can offer you a great deal of flexibility that polish won’t such as mixing your own combinations of glitter and dipping your nails into it.
Designs over Glittered French
Placing designs over a glittered French manicure can add a bit more personality to your nails without a lot of effort.
Holographic Violet
Holographic polishes can add a wide variety of colors to polish that may not be present such as the blues and silvers in this purple creating a brighter color.
Pattern with Glitter
A pattern like designs created from polish without glitter can be the most fun when combined with a glitter polish.
