At the disco, many people's manicures begin to glow brightly. But when the lights suddenly go out or when going outside, in a car or other places without special lighting, the manicure behaves differently: for some it continues to glow, for others it stops. Why does one polish glow in the dark and the other not? How to explain that in the light of advertising lights they behave the same? And most importantly: how to buy the right glowing polish?
In order to understand this, we should consider some physical phenomena. Everyone knows that phosphorus glows in the dark. In this case, a transition of the chemical type of energy into light occurs. But phosphorus compounds have long been banned for use in cosmetics. Why are some varnishes called phosphorus?
Why does nail polish glow in the dark?
Some substances have the ability to absorb light and then release it. This does not mean that they are light sources. On the contrary, in order for them to glow, they need to be placed under sunlight or a lamp. This effect is called luminescence. Translated from Latin “faint glow”. Luminescent varnishes glow in ultraviolet and neon lighting, which is used in discos and cafes.
Luminescence is divided into fluorescence and phosphorescence and differs in the duration of glow in the dark. Fluorescent varnishes immediately stop glowing when the light source is turned off, while phosphorescent varnishes continue to glow even in complete darkness. Gradually the intensity of the glow fades, but the polish glows in the dark all night long.
In the production of varnishes, cosmetics, fabrics, and designer paints, organic phosphors are used rather than phosphorus. They are safe, non-toxic and are even used in the production of children's toys. They accumulate light and release it in the dark, changing the wavelength to a shorter one.
Ideas for long nails
As already mentioned, not everyone decides to use neon on long nails, fearing to overload the image and make the hands too bright an accent. However, we managed to find options on how to use neon on long nails.
The classic option is a plain coating without additional prints or decorations.
For variety, complement the brightness with decoration using the Ruffian technique.
When adding designs to your nails, keep in mind that neon is already bright, so accents should be chosen with care.
Description of luminous pigments
Colored pigments have appeared on sale, which are used for mixing with acrylic powders for nail extensions, sprinkling in designs and adding to top coats, both varnish and gel. Now there are dozens of phosphors that have different origins and costs. It is possible to industrially dye them in red, yellow, blue and green colors and shades.
The most commonly used substances in the production of glow-in-the-dark varnishes are:
- Sodium isothiocyanate, which is added for a light green glow. It has a short cycle and stops glowing quickly.
- Rhodamine glows red in the dark. It will also go out quickly.
- Strontium aluminate, giving a turquoise or yellow light. Lights up for 16 hours after “charging”. Now it is the most popular ingredient in varnish.
- Zinc sulfide – glows red-violet. A cheap component that is now being replaced by strontium aluminate.
The powder itself is opaque, its color is almost white with a greenish tint. In order for it to adhere to the surface, it is mixed with transparent varnishes. When dry, the coating with phosphors becomes matte. If desired, it can be coated with a glossy topcoat - this does not change the properties of the phosphors in a transparent medium.
Other types of coatings
Luminescent nail polish will make your entire bed glow, of course, provided it is applied in this way. But if you want to create a design with small glowing elements or inclusions, ideal for a party, then various transparent gels that have inclusions in the form of glowing confetti can help you. They can be applied to any colored varnish; they do not affect its color, but only add an interesting effect.
Most often, such confetti has the shape of circles or stars. However, it will only be possible to examine it purposefully, since the size of these inclusions does not exceed one and a half to two millimeters. From a distance, such a manicure will look simply shimmering. The finest luminous hairs, which can sometimes act as inclusions, look very impressive. However, the stability of such coatings is not very high, because confetti is quite dense and can peel off.
Inclusions in such varnish are most often made from processed paper or phosphorus-coated film. This method is quite simple and cheap, and therefore most non-professional varnish manufacturers use it. There is no need to be afraid of this, since the inclusions are rare and have a small area, and therefore will not cause serious harm to the nail. You can order glow-in-the-dark nail polish on the Internet, although it is freely available in ordinary stores.
Why does nail polish stop glowing in the dark?
Sooner or later the varnish stops glowing in the dark. As time passes, the glow of the phosphors stops and they go into a quiet state. Fluorescent varnishes stop glowing immediately. In order for the phosphorescent varnish to begin to exhibit its properties again, it needs to be “charged”: brought to a light source. Unfortunately, this is not useful for fluorescent varnishes.
When purchasing varnish, you should first place the bottle in the area of the light source - for example, under an incandescent or energy-saving lamp (not under a fluorescent lamp). Then the bottle is transferred to complete darkness or lowered into a box. Phosphorescent varnish glows in the dark.
How to apply reflective pigment?
How to use: Apply
on a black backing.
The reflective pigment
is densely sprinkled onto the undried top without a sticky layer.
Polymerizes in a lamp according to the instructions for the top coat. After polymerization, excess pigment
is removed using a soft brush.
Interesting materials:
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How to choose the right varnish
The composition will tell you a lot - what kind of light the varnish glows can be seen from the pigment included in it. There are a lot of names for pigments, but the most commonly used in varnishes are the following:
- TAT 33, which glows brighter than the others and gives different colors when illuminated.
- MHB-4E, giving a turquoise glow.
- MHP-6D, which produces a purple glow.
Uncertified varnishes containing tritium are radioactive and their glow is dangerous. If the label does not indicate the composition, most likely the manufacturer has something to hide. Therefore, it is better to opt for products from well-known brands.
In daylight, phosphorescent varnishes have a dense texture and a matte surface. They are good for the office, but on vacation it is better to choose neon varnishes: they glow in the dark in the same way as other varnishes with phosphors, but in daylight they look much more advantageous. Phosphorescent pigment is added to the phosphors.
Safety
Neon nail polish, despite its brightness and acidic appearance, is completely safe for health. The composition does not include any harmful substances, only natural pigments of different shades, which gives each varnish its own color.
But we are talking exclusively about high-quality nail coating, and not about cheap fakes that are made on the basis of mineral oils. The latter are very harmful to the nail plates, destroy them and cause allergic reactions.
You can check the quality of the varnish by looking at the composition of the product, and not at its price. The latter is not an indicator, since each seller himself decides what price tag to set for his products.
Neon nail polish is a super hit for a party
How to make nail polish glow
To make your manicure glow in the dark, you can apply a top coat with phosphor pigments. The light green pigment glows brightest. Manufacturers' recommendations for the ratio of pigment to clear varnish range from 1:1 to 1:10. In the production of paints, a ratio of 1:3 is used, where three parts of varnish are taken for one part of pigment.
After adding the powder to the varnish, it must be mixed well until smooth. When subsequently applied to the nails, the operation is repeated by shaking the bottle. If the pigment is applied unevenly, the glow will turn out ugly.
Video instructions will help you make your own nail polish that glows in the dark.
To make the manicure neater, luminous varnish is applied to a white base. This is followed by two layers of varnish with phosphors. Seal the coating with a glossy topcoat.
Manicure technique
There are no particular difficulties with using a luminous coating, since the technique of applying such varnish is simple and in many ways similar to conventional varnishes. This manicure can be done using one of two types of preparatory means for applying luminous varnish . This can be a primer and corrector . The difference between them lies in the technique of performing manicure.
Manicure made with glowing varnish
To perform such a manicure, you will need ordinary nail clippers, a nail file, a special product or acetone for degreasing nails, the luminous varnish itself and a primer or corrector .
If a primer is used, then a base can be used underneath it. If it is a corrector, then you should choose a regular colored varnish on which the corrector will be applied.
A step-by-step manicure with glowing varnish is as follows:
- nails are treated to remove the overgrown cuticle layer;
- to clean and grease-free nail plates , then a varnish with luminescent particles already present in it. To enhance the glow, it should be applied in two layers, and the second layer should be painted after the first has completely dried. Before applying the primer, you can initially put a layer of base , which will even out the nail and eliminate small cracks.
Glowing polishes
The corrector is applied to an existing layer of varnish , and since it is a diluted colorless varnish, its glow is somewhat less than that of the primer . For this reason, you need to apply the corrector in five to six layers - this will provide a brighter glow in the dark.
The more uniformly the luminous coating is applied, the brighter the manicure will be . You also need to remember that with nails that attract the attention of others, your hands should be in perfect order: bright varnish should be applied to treated and very neat nails.
The question often arises: is it possible to make a building gel glow at home? To do this, a luminescent pigment is added to the gel polish or acrylic. The main thing is to evenly add this pigment and thoroughly mix the gel polish.
Glowing gel polish
In the dark, luminous nails with colored patterns look especially attractive. Some types of designs are difficult to achieve with regular varnish. Sometimes it’s easier to do this with gel polish. The phosphor and gel are mixed on the palette in a ratio of 1:4 - four parts of gel polish are taken for one part of pigment.
The advantage of directly preparing gel polish before application is that the pigment is well distributed over the entire surface. In the bottle it settles at the bottom and you have to shake it for a long time. Gel polishes have a thick texture; simply shaking the bottle (as when using regular polishes) may not help.
Many designs do this. One of them is ombre, stretching color and light. Stamping and stencil design look interesting against a luminous background. Some gel polishes, in particular El Corazon, contain luminous design elements - stars.
Peculiarities
Neon manicure is not such a universal design option as, for example, a French manicure. You can't paint your nails with acidic yellow polish for the office or a business meeting. It is suitable for beaches, parties or discos.
Features of neon design:
- Neon looks best on short or medium-length nails. Although, this is a recommendation - today we will look at a dozen examples of neon on and on long nail plates;
- giving preference to neon, you should think over the image as a whole - the acidic color itself is a bright accent and it is better not to overload it with accessories, makeup or a colorful outfit;
- Since bright nails immediately catch the eye, the coating must be perfect - no streaks. Fingers require special care and regular moisturizing to prevent dry cuticles and hangnails. All the shortcomings make the design careless and inappropriate.
You can create a bright manicure:
Brand names of glowing varnishes
The most famous domestic brand of fluorescent varnishes that glow in ultraviolet radiation is “Dance Legends”. There are a lot of color options for both the office and the disco. The second popular brand is Neil Art. During the day they look like regular polishes with glitter that glows green in the evening. Another good varnish is Jerden. Glowing varnishes are also produced by the brands “Patricia Nails”, “Smart Enamel”, “Masura” and others.
Gel polish that glows in the dark is produced by Global Fashion, Patrisa Nail, Rio Profi. To make the coating glow, it is kept in the light for several minutes. The cost of all brands is different, everyone can choose a suitable bottle.
Ideas for short nails
It has been observed that the most common neon color is yellow. More women choose it than green or pink. Neon yellow looks equally good on square, almond and oval shaped nails.
If you have already decided on neon, then combine several bright colors on one hand. This can be 2 or more colors from the palette.
But neon is not only a monochromatic coating. Focus on some notes or create small drawings.
Here is a great example that neon and glitter are perfectly compatible and do not create a feeling of bad taste and overload.
