Adding Charms to Your #Mani

This blog post goes out to all you attention getters! Sometimes a creative mani just isn't enough to stand out when it's one dimensional. Nail artists are using charms, studs, and beads to their nail art creations more and more often. Now you may wonder why anyone would want to add something to your nails that could just fall off the same day you apply it?! Well we've got some tips that will you can use to make sure your favorite nail art add-ons stay put!

What Will I Need?

You may not need everything on this list depending on the method of application you choose, but if the method you choose ends up not being what you expect it's best to be prepared!

• Nail polish
• Glitter
• Top coat
• Bonding formula (if applying glitter directly to the nail)
• Sealing formula (if applying glitter directly to the nail)
• If creating your own glitter polish, frankening supplies
• Studs, charms, beads
• Nail glue
• Gel polish

How Do I Apply My Add-Ons?

There are various methods of adding on your charms, studs, and beads. They range from easy to time consuming, long lasting to a little more temporary. 

The Top Coat Method

If you're wanting a quick and easy application we recommend applying directly to your top coat.

• Paint your nails with the polish of your choice.
• Add on a clear top coat that isn't quick drying.
• Using tweezers or an orange stick, place your add-ons to your wet nails.
• Once the coat has dried and your add-ons are secure, add one more clear top coat to seal the deal!
• Easy, huh?

The Nail Glue Method

Now this method takes a little more hand stability and a little more time. You'll want to use this method if you are working with large add-ons or want to make sure your charm mani lasts longer.

• Paint your nails with the polish of your choice. (Or glitter your nails :))
• Add a dot of glue to the area you want your add-on to be.
• Place your add-on on the glue dot.
• Use an orange stick to hold your add-on in place. (You will not be happy if your add-on slips and slides!)
• Allow glue to dry.
• Apply a clear top coat.

The Gel Polish Method

Gel polish also works well with larger add-ons without the stress of dealing with glue! You may want to try both out to find your personal preference.

• Apply two coats of gel polish to your nails and cure.
• Apply your add-on.
• Add a top coat of gel polish. (Make sure you apply it over your add-ons)

Which add-on method is best? Only you can decide that for yourself! Try these out and share your best works of art with us! We always love to share great nail art :)

Silver #glitterpowder mani with summer treat charms! #nailart #silverglitter https://t.co/9g1OlSP2wO pic.twitter.com/BWQCQ9c9FJ

— Glitties Nail Art (@rockstartoes) August 1, 2015

DIY Summer Beach Nails

This week we're going to share the how to's on making your own Summer themed beach nails. You don't want to let the season pass you by without sporting this fabulous trend! We'll go over all the details in simple steps that anyone can pull off.

Ocean nail art with iridescent hexagon glitter#iridescent #hexagon #glitterhttp://shop.glitties.com/iridescent-yellow-p400.aspx
Posted by Glitties Nail Art on Tuesday, June 30, 2015

There are a lot of fish scale looks in beach nail art designs, and just as many ways to pull off the fish scale look. This unique look uses hexagon glitters strategically placed to create that scale texture! And the best part, it's super easy to create:

Things You'll Need:

• Hexagon glitter
• Orange stick
• Sealing formula
• Bonding formula

How To Create:

• Apply a thick coat of bonding formula to your nails.
• Using your orange stick, place your hexagon glitter one at a time so they touch each other in the pattern shown.
• Apply your sealing formula and let dry for 3-5 minutes.
• Apply a second coat and let dry for 3-5 minutes.

Another way to add some spice to your beach nails is to just add some glitter powder:

Things You'll Need:

• Glitter powder
• Sealing formula 
• Bonding formula

How To Create:

• Pick one or two accent nails to apply your glitter to.
• Apply a thick coat of bonding formula to your nails.
• Pour glitter powder to the nails.
• Apply your sealing formula and let dry for 3-5 minutes.
• Apply a second coat and let dry for 3-5 minutes.

This #mani is all about #RainbowFish! Loving the #glitterpowder #goldglitter https://t.co/omWGFRLucM pic.twitter.com/tzUrqLbigu

— Glitties Nail Art (@rockstartoes) July 8, 2015

This more complicated look can still be pulled off with the right tools. Who wouldn't be mesmerized by a fish scale mani that resembles the rainbow fish? 

Things You'll Need:

• Nail polish
• Circular nail tape
• Glitter powder
• Sealing formula
• Bonding formula

How To Create:

• Create a base color with the polish of your choice.
• Using the circular nail tape, add more colored polishes in a scale pattern.
• Once polished scales have dried, choose a select few to cover with bonding formula.
• While formula is still wet, sprinkle glitter powder.
• Apply bonding formula and let dry for 3-5 minutes.
• Apply a second coat and let dry for 3-5 minutes.

These are just a few of the gorgeous looks you can rock this Summer! Here are a few more beach manis that will definitely attract some envious eyes :)

Missing the open sea? You'll die for this sailor mani!#blue #hexagon #glitterhttp://shop.glitties.com/cobalt-blue-hexagon-p78.aspx

Posted by Glitties Nail Art on Saturday, April 11, 2015

Gorgeous #beachnails dusted with #goldglitter! #glitterpowder http://t.co/oJmPMW3FHN pic.twitter.com/zTsV3bB9Sd

— Glitties Nail Art (@rockstartoes) July 7, 2015

Another stunning take on #beachnails with #goldglitterpowder https://t.co/omWGFRLucM pic.twitter.com/pxKesDRvTW

— Glitties Nail Art (@rockstartoes) July 3, 2015

Gorgeous sea inspired #mani with green #hexagonglitter! #greenglitter https://t.co/CkYhssICp7 pic.twitter.com/qzuj5DyGug

— Glitties Nail Art (@rockstartoes) July 2, 2015

Adding a Glitter Accent to Your Mani

One glitter mani trend that is just as gorgeous to look at as it is easy to create is the accent nail design. You can create any consistent nail art pattern and alter one nail by covering it with glitter. One nail can completely change your look!

What You'll Need:

• Base polish
• Nail polish
• Glitter
• Bonding Formula
• Sealing Formula

This one is pretty simple:

• Start by polishing your nails an even coat with the color of your choice (blue is used in this example).
• Paint a second coat, and make sure to get the edges of your nails to prevent chipping!
• Create the chevron look by placing nail tape and painting with your second color.
• Create your glitter accent nail! We love the use of silver hexagon glitter on this. You can do this one of two ways:
• Apply glitter directly to your nail!
• Create a glitter polish!

Here's a fun one:

• Once again, polish those nails!
• Give your nails a second coat and paint the edges.
• To create the colorful polka dots, use a dotting tool. Don't have a dotting tool? You can actually use a Q-tip, but your polka dots with be a larger size.
• Create your glitter accent nail by following the same guidelines as shown above.

Warm #ombremani with #silverglitterpowder accent nail https://t.co/uTuIcf0a9M pic.twitter.com/91XtWpZRaR

— Glitties Nail Art (@rockstartoes) June 20, 2015

The perfect look for an ombre lover:

• Create an ombre effect by putting the two colors you want on a makeup sponge and blending with a brush.
• Take the blend on the sponge and apply it to your nails
• To create the glitter accent design, tape off the sections you don't want the glitter on with nail tape.
• Apply glitter. We recommend applying glitter directly to the nail with this one!

Still want more? Here a few more glitter accent nail looks we're in love with!

How To: Gradient Glitter Nails

Gradients are a big trend in nail art so we've got a fun and simple way to create a gradient mani with polish and glitter! Intrigued? We thought so ;)

Blue nails with gold glitter powder and hexagons. Pinterest find#gold #hexagon #glitterhttp://shop.glitties.com/metallic-sunburst-p192.aspx
Posted by Glitties Nail Art on Tuesday, May 5, 2015

So what will you need?

• A base coat to protect your nails from discoloration
• Nail polish (whatever color you want your base to be)
• Solvent resistant glitter
• Franken Formula (to prevent glitters from sinking)
• Orange stick
• Franken Ballz
• Jar

Create A Glitter Polish

So first thing's first, we're going to start by creating the glitter you want to use. 

1. Use any color and shape combo your heart desires (although we suggest starting out with a simple powder if this is your first time) in an empty jar.
2. Place a few drops, or a small amount of suspension base nail polish on a paper plate. Don't be afraid to use a little portion of the nail polish to test. Shake in a bit of the glitter combo you've already created into the few drops of polish
3. Use your orange stick to mix the glitter and polish together. After mixing, do a test swatch on paper or a nail. Feel free to experiment until you get your perfect look!
4. Place a funnel into the top of the Franken Formula or polish bottle. Slowly add glitter into the bottle. 
5. Add a couple of Franken Ballz, and shake! Test your mixed glitter polish on a nail. Add more glitter as needed.

Nail Time!

Okay, now that we have our glitter polish created we can get to our nails!

1. Start by applying a base coat to your nails to prevent and color from bleeding through and staining your nails. (Stained nails ain't pretty!)
2. Once base coat is dry, apply 1-2 coats of the colored polish you've chosen for your look. 
3. Once your color has dried, apply a light coat of your glitter polish on the tips of your nails in a "C" shape. Make sure this coat is only lightly glittered.
4. Now lay on another coat of the glitter polish in a "C" shape closer to the tip of the nail.
5. Repeat this getting closer and closer to the tip of the nail until you get the gradient effect that you want.

Now that wasn't too hard, was it?! Now you've got the perfect gradient glitter nails! Here are some examples of what you can do with this look:

Pink cheetah print mani with silver glitter powder #silver #glitter #powder http://t.co/kpvfanKH7s pic.twitter.com/lJy4z297nL

— Glitties Nail Art (@rockstartoes) May 18, 2015

Pink nails with silver hexagon glitter #silver #hexagon #glitter https://t.co/1kesOM2pKd pic.twitter.com/AHf6YIsDcl

— Glitties Nail Art (@rockstartoes) May 21, 2015

Feature Friday

TGIF, right?! We want to start your weekend off right with our favorite nail art from the past week. So much to choose from, but we'll make it work! Hopefully some of these designs can give you some weekend nail art inspiration!

Looks like another hot '80's mani! Pinterest find#retro #nailart #manihttp://buff.ly/1LSsvGW
Posted by Glitties Nail Art on Monday, March 23, 2015

Add some hexagon glitter to your mani to spice things up!#white #hexagon #glitterhttp://shop.glitties.com/diamond-dust-hexagon-040-p469.aspx
Posted by Glitties Nail Art on Thursday, March 26, 2015

Which of these gorgeous manicures is your favorite of the week? We'd love to hear what you think in the comments below! XOXO, Glitties

Best Glitter DIY's This St. Patrick's Day

To start the week off right, we've gathered together just a few of the best ways to add some glitter to your St. Patrick's Day! From creative nail art to fun DIY decor, you're sure to have a pinch free holiday. Because no one wants to be pinched, right?

Creative use of gold hexagon glitter in this St. Patty's Day manicure! Why paint pieces of gold when you can use glitter and create a more realistic look?

Cute, cute, CUTE! Who would've thought you could improve an already adorable green shamrock bow just by adding glitter? You could easily use green hexagon, square, flitter, or powder glitter to make any shamrock pop! (You'll probably want to invest in Mod Podge for this one too) We've got lots of green glitters to choose from at http://shop.glitties.com/green-glitter-c36.aspx

Believe it or not, you can actually make this glitter shamrock onsie for your little one in as little as five minutes! You just need some green glitter powder and the How-To instructions http://www.practicallyfunctional.com/diy-st-patricks-day-baby-onesie/

No one will be able to pinch you when you're sporting this glitter powder eye! And you're sure to stun in the process, that's what we call a win win :)

Have you noticed that gold glitter goes with just about any holiday mani? It's the perfect glitter color for any festive look so don't shy away from it with your shamrock nail art designs! The only question is, are you going to go with hexagon or powder?

What kind of glitter look are you planning to pull off this St. Patrick's Day? With so many great ideas out there, it's going to be hard to choose! 

XOXO,

Glitties

Feature Friday: Disney Inspired Nail Art

This week's Feature Friday goes out to all you Disney Lovers, and we know there's a lot of you! We've gathered up some of the best Disney inspired nail art designs for you to covet. Which of these magical manicures is your favorite?

Mickey Mouse with polka dots? Yes please! This is the perfect Disney mani for those "classic" Disney fans.

Okay, how can you not fall head over heels for this absolutely stunning Beauty and The Beast nail art design? Don't forget to show some love for that metallic hexagon glitter included! Perfect, perfect, perfect!

Of course we have to include Frozen nails! We'd be crazy not to share a mani inspired by one of the best selling Disney movies to date!

Post by Glitties Nail Art.

This Winnie The Pooh nail art is pretty much the cutest thing we've seen! Can't go wrong with that honey comb detailing either :)

Post by Glitties Nail Art.

What little girl didn't wish she was Ariel at one point? If you can relate we're sure this Little Mermaid mani is bound to be your fav! You definitely can't go wrong with a little blue glitter powder either! All of these Disney nail art designs are so awe inspiring, how can you choose a favorite?! Let us know what you think!

Feature Friday

We're not surprised at all that a Disney themed manicure made the list. And with an addition of some beautiful purple glitter powder, it's no wonder this Ursula nail art is so popular! Doesn't that purple glitter really set this Disney mani apart from the others?

Fall nail art is the big trend we can always rely on this time of year. After a season of sunny bright colors, it's nice to see some reds and greens! We absolutely love this Fall tree nail art design, but can't help but imagine it with some glitter powder.

Even a simple single color of polish can win over a crowd! Let's be honest though, the silver hexagon and powder glitter definitely helped. Anyone can spice up a simple mani with a touch of glitter and look like a pro!

We had to share our most popular Halloween movie mani! Who can be surprised that Hocus Pocus won the title?

Feature Friday!

Now this mani was one of our absolute favorites of the week! We see so many soft and sweet nail art looks that it's a real treat when we see something completely bold and dangerous! If this mani isn't scary good, then who knows what is? The brilliant use of holographic silver hexagon glitter makes it even more bold. We're happy to see plenty of holographic glitter this week!

We don't often see nail art completely without polish. When polish is absent, typically glitter is present, but of course this mani is a completely fun surprise! While this look probably isn't the funnest to create, looking at it is a blast.

Of all the glitter we see used in nail art, glitter powder is by far a nail artist's favorite. This silver glitter powder looks absolutely beautiful against this black sleek polished mani. It's always great to see the contrast of glitter against polish taken further with color.

Silver glitter powder used in a brilliant chevron styled mani. Chevrons are one of the biggest nail art trends that will probably last a lifetime. And as always, it's great to see these trends enhanced with a silver holographic glitter powder. What is it about glitter that makes any mani better?

Our Favorite July 4th Glitter Ideas!

We were expecting to see some pretty great things this 4th of July season, and we were anything but disappointed! From nail art to crafts, we saw glitter used in amazing ways to show our country some love!

This 4th of July themed mani has a beautifully crafted American flag made of red, white, and blue hexagon glitters! Not too shabby, right?

We're pretty sure no one will ever get tired of all the cute mason jar crafts you can create! It's only natural we would find a mason jar glitter craft made up of the good USA colors! Pretty perfect for BBQ table decor!

Balloons and glitter are pretty much a match made in heaven! We can just imagine keeping the kids busy with these glitter filled balloons! (Best used outside to keep the mess out of the house!)

We see a lot of glitter letter decorations year round, so it's very fitting to see them made just for Independence Day! ANY kind of glitter for can be used for this work of art! Hexagon, square, flitter, star, even powder glitters!

This is the perfect way to go for the classic manicure lover who wants to show some patriotic spirit! This classic french manicure turned USA glitter mani has blown us away!

So, what do you think of these 4th of July glitter projects? If you like what you see and want to recreate it, check out all the glitters you'll need here!

 We hope you have a fantastic holiday with your friends and family! Remember that we're not celebrating fireworks and parades, we're celebrating our freedom as a nation!

XOXO,
Glitties

10 Ways To Put Your Glitter To Use

There's so much you can do with glitter! Honestly, the possibilities are just about limitless. Crafts, makeup, and nails. All of the things you love can look that much better with a little bit of glitter. Or a lot! Take a look at these cool glitter uses, you'll definitely like what you see! ;)

Glitter hair ties 

Glitter clothes pins

Glitter mason jars 

Glitter shirt collar

Glitter lip makeup

 Glitter balloons

Glitter pants

Glitter nail art

Glitter eye makeup

Glitter egg crafts 

All of the pictures give us such great ideas! Don't tell us you can resist ALL of these glitter craft and makeup ideas!

XOXO, 

Glitties

Manicure Monday

Happy Monday! 

Hope you all enjoyed a fabulous weekend! Here is a recap of the best nail art from this last week, we know you'll love it! 

 

Manicure Monday!

Hello glitter guys and gals,

Hope you had an excellent weekend! Here is our mash-up of favorite manicures from the past two weeks, enjoy!

Which manicure was your favorite? Comment below!

Why Solvent Resistant Glitter?

Photo from Glitties.com

Are you looking for the next great nail art look? Have you seen all the fantastic glitter powder, glitter polish and matte glitter? Is it time to try something new in nail art? Solvent resistant glitter is a spectacular way to express one's creativity. Solvent Resistant Glitter can be used so many ways. Solvent resistant glitter comes in hexagon and there are a variety of colors to choose from. The main thing is to be creative and enjoy learning how nail art is an expression of ones style. The possibilities are numerous and the fun is just what happens when using glitter.

All of our Franken/Solvent Resistant Glitters have passed the MEK Test!

What is MEK?

Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is a strong colorless liquid solvent that has a sharp, sweet odor. Methyl ethyl ketone (also known as 2-butanone) is a man-made chemical that is also found in nature.  It is related to acetone and is used in dissolving paint, lacquer, varnishes and cleaning agent.

How Does Glitter Pass the MEK Test?

Photo from Glitties.com

Glitter is soaked in MEK for 5 minutes.  If the glitter does not bleed color or melt/dissolve any, this glitter would be considered solvent resistant.

Why Aren’t the Acrylic Polyester Glitters Solvent Resistant?

Acrylic Polyester Glitter is tiny perfectly cut colored plastic pieces, coated with an outside layer of polyester material.  The outside layer of these glitters is solvent resistant, but because the glitter is layered, the MEK or solvent is able to seep into the side of the glitter and dissolve the color and plastic core.  Just as though acetone dissolves acrylic nails.

If you haven’t already tried it, solvent resistant glitter is worth trying! Especially now that we have 18 new solvent resistant glitter colors available for spring :) https://plus.google.com/100319229337332113065?rel=author

Mani Monday!

Happy Monday and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Okay, to be honest, for our first Mani Monday post, we couldn't decide on just one. Instead, we wanted to share with you some of our absolute favorite manicures from amazing artists from this past month that we are dying over! Tell us which one is your favorite!

Which manicure wins the best #ManiMonday award!?