“Glass nails” are the new trending manicure that will make you feel just like Cinderella

Manicure trends always come and go. This time, we want to introduce you to the latest “glass nails”.

You might be thinking that “glass nails” utilise a sheer polish like our favourite “blush“, “grape jelly“, and “coffee jelly” nails. However, this new trend has a different twist to it.

You’ll need to add pieces of foil to your nail in order to rock this nail look. So instead of a glass window look, your nails will look more like a disco ball because of the “glass” fragments on your nail.

This nail look started trending after nail artist Park Eunkyung (who is also Blackpink’s manicurist) posted her version of the “glass” manicure on Instagram. As the netizens started to obsess over this idea, variations of this look started going viral.

Most of the variations use pieces of iridescent foil that have been cut up to replicate the original shattered glass look. However, because of the foil’s material, you won’t be getting the same transparent glass look as the original nails. The foil is more translucent, making it look like an enchanted glass slipper.

Here are some variations we found for you to draw inspiration from.

Inspiration for “glass nails”

Classic “glass nails”

Though these are the classic version of “glass” nails, you can easily make a statement with this classic look. Dress your nails in the iridescent foils and seal them in with a layer of clear gel polish. A simple shimmer like this is more than enough to make your nails stand out from the rest.

Mirror, mirror on the wall “glass nails”

All it takes is a simple strip of gold to make your “glass nails” look like the magic mirrors we see in our childhood fairytales. Place the foils on the nails of your pointer and middle finger before sealing them with a layer of clear gel polish.

Next, you can paint the rest of your nails with a glitter polish. Lastly, dip a thin brush in gold polish before outlining your nail. This will help frame your nails nicely to give you a neat nail look. Additionally, the gold will look like the intricate frames magic mirrors usually have.

Feel free to play around with the placement of your foils and gold lining. Go ahead and follow the image above or come up with your own style!

Cinderella’s glass slipper “glass nails”

This nail look paired with long nails reminds us of Cinderella’s glass slipper. Because of the added space you can play around with, you can even add additional bigger charms to your nail on top of the foils needed. This Xiao Hong Shu user did the following steps:

1. Paint one coat of nude pink polish
2. Place one thick piece of iridescent foil closer to your nail bed
3. Glide a glitter polish over the edge of your nail
4. Add a clear heart charm closer to the edge of your nail
5. Seal everything with a clear gel polish

So instead of adding pieces of foil onto your nail for a shattered glass effect, one piece of foil will do the trick to enhance the added space long nails have.

“Glass nails” in springtime

Instead of just placing the foils over your nails, swipe on a pastel pink polish to give them a sweet floral look. Your iridescent foils will nicely complement this added pop of colour.

Follow this Xiao Hong Shu user and use a sheer polish like our favourite “blush nails” to get a reflective shine or use a regular opaque polish for a more starking contrast between the pink and foils.

Disco ball “glass nails”

This disco ball “glass nails” only requires you to cut the foil into small rectangular strips.

Afterwards, you can align all the strips up and place them over your nails. This alignment triggers us to think of a disco ball since they have the same tile formation. A formation like this adds a fun twist to the classic “glass nails” look.

Opal “glass nails”

Similarly to the “glass nails” in springtime look, the opal “glass nails” require you to paint a coloured base coat before placing your foils. To achieve the same look as an opal, you will need to blend two polishes and create an ombre.

Grab any light blue and white polish and paint one shade on each side of your nail. Then you’ll need to take any brush to blend the two colours. This gradient will create an opal-like effect. Lastly, put on some foils to complete the “glass” effect.

We hope you’re inspired enough to try this nail look for yourself. If you don’t have any materials with you on hand, fret not! Here are two options you can add-to-cart.

Products for “glass nails”

MAMA NAIL 1 Roll Glass Sticker Transfer Foil

This roll of iridescent foil is perfect for all the nail looks we have shared with you just now. Whether you want to cut them up into strips for the disco ball “glass nails” or just into irregular shapes for the rest of the looks, this product is easy to handle since it comes in a roll.

There are many types of iridescent finishes to pick from. We recommend options C02 and C04 which both have a blue hue to them for the perfect “glass” effect.

MAMA NAIL 1 Roll Glass Sticker Transfer Foil retails for S$3.12, available at Shopee.

nailmall.sg Nail Foils Aurora Nail Art

If you’re looking for a foil with more transparency, this one’s perfect for you. It is also a roll of iridescent foil that is easy to cut into strips or irregular shapes depending on your preferred look.

This product has five colours for you to pick from and they all have a sheer iridescent finish that will match any “glass nail” look perfectly. While all the options can bring out the “glass” effect, we’d recommend option one, three, and five for that extra icy blue look.

nailmall.sg Nail Foils Aurora Nail Art retails for S$2.29, available at Shopee.