Mica for nails: technique, necessary materials and tools, color palette and manicure ideas with photos

• February 20, 2021
• Nail care
• Valentina Kravchenko

Beautiful and spectacular nail designs do not always have complex execution technology. For example, a manicure made with mica is a clear confirmation of this. In addition, such decor is ideal for both business and ordinary, everyday outfits. And he always looks elegant and festive.

What is mica

Mica is a natural material with a layered texture. Mica can create fun holographic effects. The cost of such material is low.

Currently, mica is often used in the manufacture of:

1. Accessories for clothing.
2. Semi-precious jewelry.
3. Nail design.
4. Bags, stand-up collars, straps.
5. Some cosmetics.
6. Architectural objects.

What are the advantages of this material

The main advantages of mica include the following:

1. Radiant shades, subtle shine.
2. Great layering. Thanks to this quality, you can create the effect of voluminous nail art.
3. The ability to create a unique and original design, the “broken glass” effect.
4. This material is absolutely harmless, that is, it cannot harm the nail plate at all.
5. A manicure with mica is suitable for both an evening and a business look.

It is worth noting that manufacturers create this artificial material from super-thin, pliable plastic particles. In this regard, both the designs and the material itself are accessible even to beginners. It is worth noting that the article contains quite a lot of photos of nail designs with mica.

What tools are needed for the job?

Mica nail art is one of the most interesting materials used for nail art. This is a kind of artificial substance of rainbow, iridescent shades, quite rigid in its structure, but very beautiful. It acquired its name due to its similarity to real mica. This is a thin substance similar to foil. Usually the base is cut into small pieces or small shavings. There is a finer grinding variety called liquid base.

To work with this interesting substance, special tools are required:

• base varnish (when working with gel varnishes and acrylics, a special base is used, suitable for each product);
• dots (special brush for application, you can use a regular toothpick);
• manicure brush;
• a hard manicure brush (to remove residue from the base);
• sanding file;
• fixative

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Varieties of this material

Many girls are already tired of the flirtatious lunar material, the aristocratic jacket. Thanks to the use of mica in manicure, it is possible to go beyond the classics.

There are currently two main types of this synthetic material known in the beauty industry. These include the following:

1. Dry mica.
2. Wet, or, in other words, liquid mica for nails.

In addition, among the entire assortment it is possible to choose the following varieties of this material:

1. Round mica.
2. Small caliber.
3. Large-caliber.
4. Diamond-shaped.
5. Mirror mica.

What are the reasons for choosing this decor

There are also many reasons why girls choose holographic decor. For example, these include the following:

1. The material is able to reflect sunlight.
2. Numerous different variations of combination with other shades of varnish.
3. It is possible to avoid flashy and vulgar manicure. For example, with rhinestones and modeling this happens quite often.
4. 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.

Liquid and dry version of mica

Many nail artists very often use the liquid version of mica for nails. It is the most common gel polish. The consistency of the substance is viscous and thick. And thanks to its excellent adhesiveness, it can be easily and simply distributed evenly over the nail.

To properly apply liquid mica for nails, it is recommended to use a special thin brush with a flat tip. And thanks to the “hair” you can create various lines and monograms.

This material is also sold in a bottle in the form of dry mica. The material consists of shiny fragments, which are presented in powder form. They can be obtained by processing the structure of the mineral itself.

To get this decor yourself at home, it is recommended to use nail scissors. That is, to do this, the foil needs to be cut into very small shimmering pieces.

Thanks to dry mica, you can achieve an “aquarium design” or, for example, a voluminous nail effect.

Nail art with foil

Foil for manicure design is not a simple kitchen utensil, but a special adhesive shiny film neatly placed in a jar. It comes in several types:

• roll of sheet (multi-colored, with patterns);
• embossed (a combination of smooth and rough structure);
• thermal (changes color upon contact with warm air);
• adhesive based stickers.

Of course, before creating a design, you need to think it through in advance. It is possible to cover both the entire nail and part of it with foil. In the second case, you may get the well-known effect of cracking varnish.

What you will need:

• foil, cut into pieces (this makes it easier to use);
• base varnish, clear varnish or fixative;
• glue for foil;
• cotton buds;
• tweezers and nail scissors.

If it is difficult to determine which side is matte, you need to lightly scratch the foil. You need to apply the scratched side to the nail.

To begin with, apply a base to the nail and leave it for some time until it dries. Then the nail plate is covered with glue. When it becomes transparent, glue a piece of foil (matte side to the nail) and smooth it out with a cotton swab.

Next, the foil is torn off from the nail plate. This must be done carefully, but sharply. A pattern should remain on the surface of the nail plate. The final step is to apply a final layer of varnish, which will add even more shine to the manicure.

Features of the technique for performing such a manicure

Quite often, novice nail artists wonder how to use mica for nails? To make your manicure creative, beauty experts recommend using the “broken glass” option. To do this, it is best to use dry mica for nails.

The technique of performing manicure with this material involves performing the following actions:

1. First, it is recommended to get rid of the cuticle, then give the nail the desired shape.
2. After this, you need to polish and level the nail plate. This can be done using a buff.
3. Then use special wipes to degrease your nails. At home, you can use regular micellar water for these purposes.
4. Next comes the application of primer. Thanks to him, it will be possible to extend the life of the manicure.
5. Then you need to apply the base and dry it under an ultraviolet lamp.
6. After these manipulations, you should cover your nails with gel polish.
7. Using tweezers or a toothpick, apply shimmering particles to your nails, then you need to distribute them over the entire surface of the nail, creating a decorative pattern.
8. The resulting result can be fixed using a glossy or matte topcoat.
9. Then you need to remove the sticky layer.

More experienced craftsmen recommend that beginners first moisten the dots or stick in a glass of water before applying the shimmering substance. This is necessary in order to get rid of electrification.

And most importantly, under no circumstances should you remove the sticky layer until the primer has dried. And in the case of liquid mica, for greater effect, it is best to apply it in two layers at once. Compared to dry shimmery material, a manicure with liquid mica will last much longer. In other words, nails will be able to cope well with various scratches and will also be able to withstand any load.

Stamping set: the fab five

What tools are used for stamping?

• A flat metal plate with engraved patterns. The disk can accommodate a varying number of images. And the in-depth patterns themselves can have a variety of sizes. There are floral, themed, geometric, openwork and others. The imagination of the masters is limitless! For example, you can apply an original New Year's design using a plate with corresponding designs, as in the photo. The choice depends on the woman's preferences.
• A small stamp with a rubber or silicone base, with the help of which the image is transferred from the disk to the nails.
• A scraper is a thin scraper that removes excess varnish from the surface of a metal plate. The product remains only in the recesses. This helps to create clear, expressive, beautiful stamping designs on your nails.

What tools are needed for stamping?

• Standard base for varnish and fixer.
• Colored varnish for the main background.
• Regular varnish of the selected color for applying drawings.
• Acetone or other HDSL, but without oil content.

During the work process, you also need napkins and lint-free cotton pads.

Interesting combinations

When applying liquid mica, it is recommended to use stickers or stencils. For example, in the form of a moon jacket, equal angles and much more.

The most interesting combinations:

1. Deep blue glitter and black gel polish.
2. Black gel polish and purple liquid mica.
3. Black gel polish and gold glitter.
4. Black gel polish and lime mica.
5. Blue, crimson and turquoise gel polish with silver sparkling splashes.

Thanks to the right color palette, you can create a truly exclusive manicure. In addition, it is worth noting that this design will be ideal for any season of the year and any style of clothing.

Win-win manicure options

Such interesting options for nail designs with mica include the following:

1. Broken glass effect. This design will look great for the warmer seasons, for example, spring and summer. Quite often, representatives of the fair sex use the rainbow effect for mica nail designs. The photo posted in this article confirms this.
2. French. The application technique is similar to a classic French jacket, but, unlike it, it will look much more impressive. A girl with such a manicure will definitely be the center of attention. For a more contrasting shade, you can use either liquid or dry mica.
3. Honeycomb effect. This year this design is very relevant and in demand. The only thing that is required for its high-quality execution is the use of high-quality materials and the experience of the craftsman.
4. Glitter. This effect is mainly used in wedding manicure.
5. "New Year's manicure." Mica is very often used in this manicure; according to statistics, it is 90%. In this version of manicure, even the most incredible ideas can be realized. Combinations of such shades as:

• dark blue and silver;
• fiery red and elven green;
• lilac and mustard;
• golden and burgundy.

6. “Abstract” design. This manicure can add aristocracy and nobility to any image.

What can it be used for in crafting?

It is most often used as an additive ingredient to paints and high-quality inks. But mica was also widely used by craftsmen as an independent material.

You can make shiny epoxy resin. Recently, epoxy resin products have become extremely popular: countertops, dishes, jewelry and even mirrors. Adding mica will make these pieces shine, taking them to a whole new level.

Mica powder is mixed with pigments to add shine to the paint before using it in your art.

It can also be used in stamp work, where you spray it onto your freshly stamped patch before the ink dries, and then pour any flaked mica back into the bottle, leaving behind a gorgeously shiny stamp to make your cards and scrapbooking sparkle with new colors. .

Instead of spending money on expensive glitter paints, you can add mica to your favorite regular paints. This will add uniqueness and added luxury to your creations.

Likewise, you can even add mica powder to modeling clay or clay for later baking. Many jewelry and home decor designers who use clay add mica to it.