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

Stained glass manicure: design features

It's no secret that this type of design is quite bright and complex. Therefore, it creates a festive feeling on the nails. This solution is ideal if you are bored with a simple monochromatic coating.

Of course, making the design in the salon is the easiest option. If you wish, you can try to implement the idea at home. However, this requires at least minimal knowledge of nail art and a basic set of materials and tools.

At the very beginning, it is imperative to treat the cuticle and nail plate. It is very important that everything is done efficiently, as this affects the result. According to standard rules, a special base coat is then applied in several layers. Each of them is dried in turn in a lamp until completely dry.

The next step is to apply the varnish of the chosen shade. After it dries under the lamp, you can apply borders on the nail plate with a thin brush. It is best to use black varnish for this. Please note that the lines can be either straight or broken.

The gaps between the borders must be filled with colored varnishes. Then you should draw the black lines again. After drying, be sure to apply a top coat. Thanks to it, the manicure will last well for a long time.

#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.

How is broken glass different from kamifubuki?

Kamifubuki is another way to decorate your nails. Although manicurists often compare the design to "broken glass" kamifubuki, there are still differences between the two.

It should be noted that the design technology for both types of manicure is no different.

• Kamifubuki are ready-made manicure products. These can be circles, stars, flowers and other shapes.
• The “broken glass” elements vary in shape and size, but have the same color, as they are randomly cut from the same material. The same cannot be said about kamifubuki - the shape and size are the same, but the colors can be very different. The only rule is that they must be combined with each other and with the colored coating, if any.

“Broken glass” on nails is a design that has deservedly won the hearts of fashionistas. Thanks to photo and video instructions from nail art masters, it will not leave the list of trends for a long time, as they amaze the imagination and you want to immediately repeat each design.

#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.

Top 5 brands of gel polishes with stained glass effect

Currently, many brands have released these popular creative coatings to create stunning looks. These are brands such as Bluesky, TNL, Kodi, Masura, Diamant. Why are their products interesting for beginners and nail industry professionals?

Stained glass gel polishes from Bluesky

are perhaps one of the most famous materials of this type. Bright and monochromatic, quite well pigmented, they are ideal for creating mirror mosaics using mirror gel varnishes as a substrate for stained glass windows.

"Glass" from Tnl

They have both a wide range of colors and good durability. Among the key features of this brand’s products is the need to apply stained glass effect gel polish in at least three layers to obtain optimal color brightness. It is also worth remembering that stained glass from Tnl looks especially beautiful on a special backing that enhances the expressiveness of the material on the nail.

Mosaic stained glass windows and aqua manicure with Kodi gel polishes

– a design with high quality products and a range of colors for even the most picky fashionistas. They are famous for their crystal-precious finish, dramatic and deep glass effect. By using Kodi's stained glass products even in just one coat, you can easily transform those already boring gel polishes from your collections into sparkling gems.

Glass coatings from Masura have long been in favor with craftsmen.

. They are interesting for their incredibly attractive effect akin to Murano glass. Most of the colors in the palette are perfectly pigmented and can be applied even in one thin layer to make your favorite cat eye gel polish even richer, more expressive and more interesting. They have a viscous and thick texture and do not flow when applied. However, some shades “sin” by sliding off the ends. Experts advise “treating” this problem by removing the stickiness from the base, or by polymerizing the nails one at a time in a lamp.

coatings from the Diamant brand were no less delighted.

. They provide a beautiful background layer, juicy, deep and rich. They look especially stylish on a mirror backing, but without it they give the effect of transparent sugar candies. Thanks to the dense texture, even a single-color design with these gel polishes allows your nails to feel under reliable protection without harming your nails during long-term wear and removal of the manicure.

Attractive and elegant stained glass coatings, along with the specialized substrates that complement them, are, of course, better to purchase from trusted manufacturers in order to avoid annoying mistakes when applying and removing materials. But what if you don’t have ready-made gel polish with a stained glass effect, or it has thickened or run out? Fortunately, the special beauty of these materials is that they are very easy and simple to make yourself (both in the process of creating an image in a nail salon, and at home). Let's look at the two most common methods.

#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.

#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.

#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 stained glass varnish: basic recommendations

If you are planning to do such a manicure for the first time, we recommend that you carefully study the recommendations. With their help, you will get a truly decent result, and the process of working with varnishes will be simple and understandable.

Before applying stained glass varnish, it must be shaken. The fact is that the pigment settles on the bottom and when applied, the shade leaves stains on the nails. In turn, when applied evenly, a glass effect is obtained. It is for this reason that this rule should never be neglected.

Not many beginners know that stained glass varnish was created for decoration. Therefore, you should not apply it to the entire nail plate. It is best used in small design areas.

And, of course, it should be noted that varnishes from different manufacturers may differ. Carefully study the instructions for use, and also take into account the characteristics of your own nails.

Stained glass manicure is significantly different from all types of design. It is deeper, more luxurious and truly festive. This option is ideal for important events and special occasions.

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.