Rubbing: what is it, how to use it and all methods of application with step-by-step instructions

Rubbing has become one of the most widely used nail art techniques, and it has become an integral part of self-expression. This technique can give your nails a gorgeous, mirror-like shine or a delicate sheen, making an ordinary manicure incredibly striking.

Rubbing powder can look difficult at first, but with the right advice, it’s simple to get salon-quality results at home. Regardless of your level of experience with nail art, mastering the fundamentals of rubbing and the various application techniques will expand the possibilities for your nail designs.

This post will explain what rubbing is, explain how to use it properly, and give you detailed instructions to help you become an expert at it. Prepare to elevate your manicure to a new level!

Types and characteristics of rubbing

It is typically packaged in 1, 2, or 3 gram jars. The powder can be pigmented, colored, or used to just give the varnish’s surface an iridescent or glaring effect. It might also have tiny sparkles or flakes in it.

To obtain the base-substrate, utilize:

• Regular varnish
• Gel polish
• Shellac
• Top coat without color
• Transparent or camouflage gel for extensions

The following categories of nail rubbing exist:

• Chrome or superchrome with a metallic effect (gold, silver)
• Cat"s eye
• Prism (very fine grinding)
• Holographic
• Pearl (with or without pigment): mermaid, unicorn, aurora
• Yuki with small flakes
• May beetle, combining 2-3 saturated colors in a composition
• Chameleon
• Colored pigmented, overlapping the base shade
• With colored glitter
• Small melange

Well-known producers of mirror rubbing gel polish include Patrisa Nail, Lianail, Fox, Irisk, TNL, Bluesky, and Nano Professional.

Let’s examine the most common forms of nail rubbing with accompanying images:

The most common type is mirror rubbing with a metallic effect, also known as chrome or superchrome. It is available in hues other than silver or gold. Its characteristic is a uniformly glossy coating with metallic tints in a single color that doesn’t transition. It works on both light and dark backgrounds, breaking up the base’s color.

Chameleon color changes in response to illumination. The pigments are more saturated the brighter it is. You can create a cohesive nail design by selecting rhinestones that complement the color of the rubbing. The chameleon will display a lighter or deeper shade based on the color of the base.

Pearls come in two varieties: they can be pure white with a distinctive pearly sheen, or they can have light blue, green, or pink pigments that create colored highlights. On a light base, pearl pigment combined with glitter looks great. Both everyday and wedding designs can benefit from rubbing.

Dense pigments in colored mirror rubbing mask the base color’s hue. They can be put directly onto the base rather than over varnish and then covered with a top coat. An even coating of color is produced by the material’s colored pigments.

The pigment’s name comes from the combination of multiple dark, saturated tones that give Maybug its "Northern Lights" effect. It typically has one dominant color that is the most noticeable after application. For evening looks, pairings like pink and green, red and purple, or blue and green work well. On long nails, pigments show off all color transitions and are easily visible. The more saturated the shine and shades of the rubbing "bug," the brighter the lighting and the darker the tone of the background.

Holographic: regarded as one of the hardest to apply, it has an extremely fine grind. It resembles a rubbing prism. The rainbow circles that radiate outward from the central highlight are the pigment’s primary feature.

Yuki flakes produce a foil-casting-like effect. can be applied in two different ways: rubbing (mirror shine effect) and patting movements (foil effect). can either interrupt or highlight the background varnish based on whether they have a transparent base or a two-color one.

Release forms

Two formats of rubbing are available for nail art:

• Loose;
• Pressed.

A tiny jar containing a fine powder is loose rubbing. The most popular format is the traditional one.

Pressed or vigorous rubbing is the second choice. It resembles an eye shadow palette with refills, little sections containing pressed rubbing powder, or the same jar but filled with solid material.

If you adhere to the application technology, there is no fundamental difference between the two formats; the outcome is the same. However, the masters who have already given hard rubbing a try observe that it is more useful because nothing breaks or crumbles.

Materials and tools

There are various methods for applying and fixing mirror pigments to nails. After examining the four most well-liked choices, we’ll list all the requirements for a beginner, amateur, or expert to become proficient with the technology.

• The rubbing itself of the desired color with the desired effect;
• A transparent base, preferably of a liquid consistency, since the design requires a large total number of layers;
• Gel polish, shellac;
• Transparent modeling or camouflage gel (can be used without varnish)
• Top with and without a sticky layer. According to the technology, both options can be used, the product with a sticky layer has its own nuances in application;
• Bond or primer, necessarily acid-free, for sealing the ends of the nails;
• Cleanser, degreaser, lint-free wipes;
• Soft brush for removing powder residue;
• Eyeshadow sponge or silicone brush for working with glitter dust.

4 ways to apply rubbing powder with step-by-step instructions

You can apply powder using your fingers, a silicone brush, an eyeshadow sponge, or a standard flat brush. Experts say that using your finger, with or without a glove, yields the best results. A thin brush can be used to work around corners and along the cuticle.

To ensure that mirror pigment "grabs" well, it must be applied to a top that is still warm and devoid of a dispersion layer. How long should the top be left under a lamp to dry before using mirror powder? It is advised to wait half the amount of time needed for the top or gel polish to completely dry, depending on the lamp’s power. For instance, one minute remains in a UV lamp with a regular two-minute timer; similarly, thirty seconds will be sufficient to dry the top in a strong 48-watt LED lamp.

There are two main reasons why the pigment may not lay well on the nails, form bald spots, or roll off:

1. The top has cooled down a lot and no longer takes the material;
2. The top coat is overdried and has become too smooth for applying pigmented mirror powder.

1. Applying rubbing on gel polish, shellac with a top without a sticky layer

This is the most traditional and widely used method of applying mirror pigment. A hardware manicure or trim is advised prior to applying the design. This is the initial step in the preparation process for all subsequent rubbing techniques.

The nails are stripped of oil and coated with a thin layer of base. Once the base has dried, apply two more layers of shellac or gel polish and let them dry completely.

1. Apply the top without a sticky layer, level the surface of the coating, and send it to dry for half the time recommended for complete drying. For example, 60 seconds in a UV lamp of 38 W and 30-40 seconds in a LED lamp of 36-48 W.
2. It is recommended to apply the top one finger at a time before rubbing, so that it does not have time to cool down, and it is well distributed, without bald spots.
3. Use your finger, sponge or brush to apply mirror powder to your nails and rub it in well, distributing from the center to the edges. Do not skimp on rubbing, it is better to brush off the remains with a brush. Hard-to-reach corners, if the powder is applied with your finger, it is recommended to work with a thin brush. This is important when applying background gel polish under the cuticle. Afterwards, brush off the remains of the rubbing with a soft brush. You cannot use brushes so as not to scratch the mirror texture.
4. The pigment is covered with a top or finish in two layers to fix the result well. The first layer should be distributed very carefully, do not pull.
5. After drying the first layer in the lamp, it is important to process the ends of the nails well, otherwise the powder may chip off, because it does not have a strong bond with the material.
6. The edge of the nails at the bottom and on the sides is completely removed with a file, up to the growth zone. The areas of filing are treated with an acid-free bond so that the primer does not get on the surface of the nail. Usually the bond dries in the open air for 2 minutes. Some brands – from 30 to 60 seconds, you need to look at the recommendations on the packaging.
7. After the bond has dried, a second layer of the top is applied, the ends are sealed and everything is dried in a lamp. Mirror manicure is ready!

Rubbing is a flexible nail art technique that adds different effects, like metallic, holographic, or pearly finishes, to improve the appearance of a manicure or pedicure. This article will explain what rubbing is, how to use it properly, and give you step-by-step instructions for applying it in various ways, so you can get salon-quality results at home.

2. Applying rubbing on a top with dispersion

An expert in nail art who works professionally always carries a variety of tops in his kit, but what should an amateur beginner who only has one top with a sticky layer in his cosmetic bag do? You can successfully navigate out of this predicament.

1. The procedure for preparing nails for applying rubbing is the same as in the first method.
2. After drying two layers of gel polish, apply a top with a dispersion layer to the nails and dry in a lamp for half the standard time.
3. With the top still warm, remove the sticky layer with a napkin, and while the cleanser on the surface has not dried completely, and the top is warm, distribute the powder until the desired uniform shine is obtained.

In order to prevent the nails from drying out after the dispersion is removed and from cooling down after the lamp, it is crucial to process each nail individually in this option. Apply one coat of top coat to the nails after rubbing in the powder, then proceed to process the ends in the same manner as before, sealing them together with a second coat of top coat.

3. Applying mirror or color rubbing directly to the gel polish, without top

This method is different in that it results in fewer layers of top coat, making the manicure appear less dense. This will save professional masters time when dealing with a high volume of clients.

1. Pink rubbing is applied to black gel polish. After drying the second layer of gel polish, remove the dispersion from it and get a matte background.
2. Wet the tip of the finger in alcohol or cleanser, dip it in mirror powder, and rub it into the gel polish or shellac. The finger should always be wet when working with rubbing. The secret of this method is that alcohol or cleanser dries quickly, evaporates, and a beautiful mirror coating is obtained. The rubbing time may be a few seconds longer than usual, but the mirror effect is the same.
3. Seal the mirror layer with two layers of top, filing the tips and ends of the nails after the first, and sealing them with a finish when applying the second.

4. Applying rubbing with the "cat"s eye" effect

The popularity of the rubbing technology itself has contributed significantly to the comeback of the cat’s eye effect. The method for creating lines and highlights with a magnet is the same as that of applying gel polish.

Apply two coats of the chosen shade of gel polish (in this case, red) to the nails to finish the design. Next, cover them with a top coat and dust on the powder. Using a magnet, make a mark on it, and then seal it with two coats of finish, smoothing out the nail tips in accordance with the earlier guidelines.

Two additional methods of applying cat’s eye rubbing exist:

1. Like regular mirror powder, without collecting the line with a magnet;
2. Mixing rubbing with top or base. In this case, it is better to use a black or dark base to get a bright color.

Why is using your finger to apply glitter pigment convenient? It’s beneficial for both parties to rub with your finger if a novice is unable to use a silicone brush or sponge. In this manner, you can detect when the finish is overdried by feeling the sticky top layer of the finish and drying it out. The finger will slide over dried areas in the second scenario, leaving "bald spots."

When using mirror pigments for the first time, it is best for novices to practice first on a small area of skin or the tip of their finger to become familiar with the material’s properties, the ins and outs of drying under a lamp, application timing, and stage transition speed.

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4 comments on “Rubbing: what is it, how to use it and all methods of application with step-by-step instructions”

Svetlana FomenkoEditorial staff

Hi there, Svetlana! You can use any glossy top to hide the rubbing. As an alternative—the same one that served as the foundation for the design.

EkaterinaEditorial staff

What is Rubbing?	Rubbing is a technique used in nail design to create a shiny, reflective effect on nails. It involves applying a fine powder to a tacky layer of gel polish and buffing it to achieve a smooth, mirror-like finish.
How to Use Rubbing	1. Apply a base coat and cure it under a UV/LED lamp. 2. Apply a layer of gel polish and cure it. 3. Apply a second layer of gel polish and cure, but don"t remove the sticky layer. 4. Using an applicator, rub the powder into the nail surface. 5. Seal with a top coat and cure again.
Methods of Application	1. Chrome Rubbing: For a metallic look, use chrome powder. 2. Pearl Rubbing: For a soft, iridescent finish, use pearl powder. 3. Holographic Rubbing: For a rainbow effect, use holographic powder.

Using rubbing powders is a simple way to give your manicure a dash of style and originality. These powders can help you achieve amazing results whether your goal is a pearly glow, holographic shine, or mirror-like finish.

Even novices can learn the application techniques by following the detailed instructions. For a long-lasting effect, it’s crucial to work carefully, apply the powder evenly, and seal it correctly.

You’ll be able to try out various looks and discover the ideal one that fits your taste with a little practice. Savor the procedure and allow your artistic side to show on your nails!

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