Stained glass gel polish - how to apply correctly

Gel polishes with stained glass hues are a novel and imaginative way to up your manicure game. These polishes’ translucent finish gives your nails a gorgeous, glass-like appearance by letting light through and exposing color layers underneath.

With stained glass gels, as opposed to ordinary gel polishes, you can play around with various patterns and hues. These polishes can be layered or combined to create a variety of effects, whether you’re going for a subtle tint or a bold, multi-dimensional look.

Stained glass gel polishes can be difficult to use at first, but with a few pointers and tricks, you can create stunning, salon-quality nails at home. Let’s examine how to utilize this adaptable nail art tool to its full potential and achieve the best results.

Contents

Types and features
How to use
Mosaic manicure

5 best stained glass gel polishes
Irisk
RuNail

Grattol
Vogue Nails
Nayada

Ideas
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Types and features

A rich, translucent color is applied using stained glass gel polish to produce the illusion of glass. In actuality, you can achieve a stained glass manicure with any translucent gel polish.

It gives the impression that nails are made of glass when applied, giving the nails a fragile appearance.

You can use materials that have a glass effect:

when creating jelly manicure;
For a variety of classic jackets – glass tips will look effectively on long nails;
For mosaic manicure. You can combine foil, mica and sparkles. The result is very reminiscent of the popular mosaic glass in 19th century buildings;

manicure with design – mica, foil, stamping, dried flowers. All objects used for decoration will seem more voluminous, and the design will resemble an aquarium design;
imitations of gems. A polymerized drop of stained glass material looks like a real stone;
enhancement of the effect of a cat"s eye or smoky manicure.

Obviously, these are merely standard methods. There are no other limitations on the use of a stained glass product other than the master’s imagination and the client’s desires.

Benefits of gel polish for stained glass:

Stained glass gel polishes are designed to create airy, weightless designs, so it is not recommended to use them if the skin of the hands has lost its tone or there are abrasions and scratches. All external imperfections of the nail plate "ground" the design. Of course, this is just advice and a matter of aesthetics – otherwise rely on your own desires and feelings;

Stained glass gel polishes tend to settle – the pigment sinks down. To avoid bald spots during application, the product must be thoroughly mixed – otherwise, you can forget about uniform application.

Stained glass varnishes come in just two varieties:

classic. Single-color, without glitter, mother-of-pearl and other additional effects. Apply to nails in a translucent layer, but with a pronounced color;
with dried flowers. The Irisk brand offers products with a glass effect and dried flowers. Such material does not require additional decoration – when applied to the nail, it looks complete and full-fledged.

See the list of the most well-liked stained glass gel polishes at the conclusion of the post to avoid making a poor selection.

How to use

Let’s start by learning how to create a basic design using stained glass gel polish. Next, we will collaborate to create a unique mosaic manicure.

To create stained glass gel polish at home, get a basic toolkit ready:

a buff for removing the lipid layer and a file for filing the shape. For natural nails, the file should be 180-240 grit, for extended nails – 150-180;
degreaser;

base and top, preferably one brand. For durability of the coating and long wear, use products from trusted manufacturers – Kodi, CND;
stained glass gel polish, for example, from TNL.

Perform a hygienic manicure, treating the cuticles and side ridges, and filing the shape, prior to applying the coating. Any trimming method, whether European or classic, is acceptable.

Remove the lipid layer with 2-3 movements of the buff. Do not file the nail plate too much – with classic coating this is not necessary;
Degrease the nail and apply a thin layer of base. If your nails are picky, you can apply an acid-free primer before the base;
After drying the base in the lamp, apply the gel polish of the chosen color. Repeat the application twice to achieve uniformity of color. The glass effect product remains translucent even when applied in several layers;

Secure the coating with a top coat and dry it. If the top coat has a sticky layer, remove it with a cleanser, if not, immediately apply oil to the cuticle.

Mosaic manicure

You can create a straightforward yet unique mosaic manicure on your own using stained glass gel polish. It doesn’t require any artistic ability.

Supplies and equipment:

file and buff;
degreaser;
base and top;

orange stick;
stained glass gel polish;
diamonds for nail design. About 10 colors are presented at Irisk. For decoration, you can use one or several decorative colors.

Do a hygienic manicure and prepare the nail plate for applying the base by filing off the shiny layer with a buff;
Apply a thin layer of base and dry under the lamp;
Now it"s the turn of gel polish. Cover the plate with the chosen color so that there are no stripes or bald spots – dry again in the lamp;

Instead of a second layer of varnish, apply a base or top coat over the dried stained glass. Lay out a pattern of diamonds on the "wet" material. You can combine colors and place the decor as you like or repeat the design shown in the photo;
Dry the base or top with the design in the lamp. Apply another layer of stained glass gel polish over the pattern and dry again. If you want to achieve the effect of an aquarium, first apply a fixing layer of top over the design, then gel polish and top again. But be prepared for the fact that the total thickness of the coating will be impressive.

These instructions state that you can apply any non-voluminous design, such as foil, mica, kamifubuki, or glitter, underneath the stained glass gel polish.

5 best stained glass gel polishes

Irisk

At Irisk, we didn’t find the traditional single-color stained glass gel polishes, but we did find some incredible products that had dried flowers mixed in with the stained glass effect. The manicure has a feminine appearance and is reminiscent of an aquarium thanks to the small flowers. Varnish comes in a limited palette of colors, but they are all characterized by their delicate and airy quality.

RuNail

RuNail offers transparent stained glass gel polishes in a single color with no extra effects, unlike Irisk. stays translucent even after applying two to three layers, enabling you to create a rich manicure that is still glass-like.

Grattol

Grattol offers some of the most vibrant colors in today’s selection. In spite of their abundance, they capture the glass effect flawlessly and let you make unique, vivid designs.

There are twelve tints in the Vitrage line of stained glass gel polishes to suit every mood.

Vogue Nails

At Vogue Nails, a 15-color palette is displayed. All the hues are vivid, yet they are all richer than Grattol. Since all of the gel polishes in the series are evenly pigmented and lie on the nail plate, applying the product in a single layer is sufficient to achieve an even color.

Nayada

The brand originally introduced a collection of 29 shades, but a good number of those have been off the website for a while. However, Nayada’s stained glass gel nail polish is still available in ten or more gorgeous shades, including Titian Ruby, Favorite Corundum, Alexandrite, and others.

The brand’s stained glass gel polish has a design that is durable and doesn’t peel or chip, but it’s crucial to follow the right procedures and choose the right supplies for the base and top coat in this case.

Ideas

The images below are the best representation of how original stained glass gel polish looks:

It is possible to achieve a bright manicure that is still delicate and enigmatic with stained glass gel polishes. Have you tried stained glass before? Please leave a comment with your thoughts and the brand of gel polish you used.

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Step	Description
1. Prepare the nails	Shape and buff the nails, then apply a base coat to protect the natural nails.
2. Apply the stained glass gel polish	Apply a thin layer of the stained glass gel polish, making sure it"s even. Cure under a UV/LED lamp.
3. Layer for desired intensity	Add additional layers of gel polish if you want a deeper color. Cure each layer.
4. Seal with a top coat	Finish with a top coat to protect the color and add shine. Cure under the lamp again.
5. Clean the nails	Wipe off any sticky residue with a cleanser, and your stained glass manicure is ready.

With a translucent, vivid appearance, stained glass gel polishes provide a unique way to spruce up your manicure or pedicure. You can create amazing effects with the correct methods and equipment, from delicate tints to striking, layered designs.

To achieve the desired intensity, apply the gel polish in thin layers and cure each one under a UV or LED lamp. Try out various base color and texture combinations to find the ones that are most personal to you.

Stained glass gel polishes can add an artistic touch to your nail care routine, making your nails stand out with a glossy, glass-like finish—perfect for novice or expert nail artists alike.

Gel polishes with a stained glass look are an excellent way to give your nails a distinctive, translucent hue that looks both elegant and colorful. Apply a thin layer on top of a base coat or another color to use them; add more layers to adjust the intensity. You can be as creative as you want with this technique, whether you want a bold, glass-like finish or a subtle tint.