The brush is the key tool used in the art of acrylic nails. It is first dipped into a super-smelly liquid called monomer and then into the acrylic powder. The acrylic is full of macromolecules that are waiting to be bonded together; once they touch the monomer solution, the polymerization, or bonding process, begins.
The cool thing about acrylic is that it cures on its own. You don’t need a UV light to build acrylic nails as you do with something like poly gel. The acrylic quickly dries quickly due to a scientific process called dehydration synthesis, which basically means that the chemical reaction between the acrylic powder and the monomer liquid is causing water to evaporate.
The brush is then tapped down onto the nail form or half-cover nail tip to build a “second nail” over your natural nail bed. The best part is that acrylic is super strong, hard to break, and comes in thousands of different colors across the market.
There are three main kinds of acrylic brushes plus about two dozen sizes. There are round, oval, and flat brushes, and each one has its own purpose and techniques. The round brush is the most commonly used brush for beginners; you can find more information about choosing the right brush if you’re an acrylic nail beginner on our blog.
The oval brush is the professional brush of choice as it perfectly smooths the acrylic down while being precise enough as the round brush to get straight lines.
The flat brush is often sold in very cheap acrylic sets because it is the easiest to mass-produce, but is rarely used in a professional salon setting. If a flat brush is used, it’s for covering large surfaces with acrylic.
Be sure to read our blog, “How to Crimp an Acrylic Nail Brush,” for some cool ways to turn a round brush into an oval one.
Depending on your acrylic technique, you might have a minimally dirty brush after finishing a full set. However, if you’re a beginner or just haven’t quite mastered picking up and laying a bead yet, there’s a great chance that the acrylic is clumping in between the bristles of your brush or clogging the area where the ferrule meets the bristles.
This is problematic because a clumpy brush will create clumpy nails, and nobody wants that! If the acrylic is left to sit in the bristles and the brush is used repeatedly, the fibers of the brush will begin to fall out, and your brush will be ruined.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Steps:
Note: if you wait too long to clean your brush, it might be ruined forever. Sometimes the acrylic has bonded so much that it is impossible to remove.
Keep reading to learn more!
]]>Keep reading to learn more!
Chrome (also sometimes called “mirror”) powder is made of various metals for that infamous metallic sheen, pigments, and potentially even ground-up glass. The powder will be sold as one color or as a collection with multiple other chrome colors for max mani variation.
One of the unique characteristics of chrome powder is that it requires a gel top coat in order to stick to the nail. No gel in your nail art collection? Don’t worry! Be sure to read our guide on doing chrome nails on regular nail polish.
The process of applying chrome powder to your nails is actually a pretty simple one.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Steps:
The process of removing mirror powder is similar to the process of removing nail dip powder, which you can also read about on our blog! However, if you applied the chrome powder over acrylics or dip powder and want to keep it intact, you can by following the below steps…
Here’s what you’ll need:
Steps:
If you want to cut back on waste (those disposable eyeshadow applicators add up quickly), you should try out Fairy Glamor 2-in-1 dip and acrylic chrome powders for a shiny manicure that lasts 3-5 weeks with proper care and application. Our artisan-quality powders are sold right out from our family’s home base in Texas and are vegan, cruelty-free, and MMA-free.
Keep reading to find out!
]]>Keep reading to find out!
Nail dipping powder is a manicure system that uses acrylic-based powder to coat the nails with a hard, cement-like coloring that lasts weeks longer than regular nail polish. The polymers in the powder polymerize (bond) together to create that hard, long-lasting finish that we all know and love.
Dip powder isn’t just a dip and go. You need to take a few before and aftercare steps in order for your manicure to last, most importantly, nail prep.
Although both dip powder and acrylic powder are acrylic resin-based, they aren’t exactly the same thing. Learn more about the difference between dip and acrylic powders.
Fairy Glamor is a family-owned small business located in Texas that creates artisan-quality 2-in-1 acrylic and dip powders for people like you all over the world. Our powders are long-lasting, MMA-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and made with love for everybody.
We currently have over 150 colors available in our dip and acrylic powder catalog. Be sure to check back often as we’re always creating new formulas, and consider becoming a member of our subscription box for two limited-edition dip/acrylic powders every month!
Exactly what it sounds like! Preparing your nails for the dip powder, AKA nail prep for short, is a series of necessary steps that allow the dip powder and liquids to stick to the nail successfully. This reduces potential peeling, chipping, and overall damage to both the natural nail and dip powder.
Need help with the next steps of your dip application? Be sure to view our “How to Apply Dip Powder Nail at Home” blog for top tips and tricks.
French tips are a classic nail look, usually white on top of a nude or pink color. In gel or regular polish, a base color is first painted (nude or light pink). Then, a line of white is painted at the top of the nail, resembling the natural white part of the length of the nail. This line can be thin, thick, curvy, or straight, depending on the length and shape of your nails.
Now that it’s socially acceptable to wear funky nail polish colors and art styles, you can often find nail techs taking homage to their nail looks from French tips by changing the colors (changing white to purple, for example).
Many people get confused when they hear French tips and American tips, but these are not the same. French tips have a very defined smile line, while American tips ombre into the white.
Here’s a guide to doing dip powder in general:
Steps:
Here’s what you’ll need:
Steps:
If you notice that your nails look foggy or cloudy, click here to read an in-depth article as to why.
There are plenty of common mistakes that even the most seasoned nail techs and experts often make, so keep reading to learn how to avoid that annoying foggy nail look that's just somewhere in between matte and glossy.
Before we get to what you SHOULD do, we need to talk about what you SHOULDN'T do. Although our dip and acrylic powders are made to be simple to use, applying dip powder is an art, and for those without tons of practice, a lot can go wrong very quickly.
Our dip powder can be good for up to multiple years; however, some lower-quality dip powders decompose slightly and lose their colors, drying abilities, and hardness, making your nails look cloudy, bulky, or unable to dry. In addition, dip powder becomes older quicker if held in an environment that is too hot or too cold. Therefore, we don't recommend keeping our products in an unregulated garage or any other area where the temperature is higher or lower than room temperature.
Additionally, sometimes ingredients in a dip powder will separate and need to be mixed before using. We recommend simply shaking up the powder before use to prevent this from happening.
Mistakes happen to everybody; if you accidentally put the activator over dip powder and then went to dip your nails again, you could activate the rest of the dip powder in the jar and make it clumpy and unusable. Make sure to keep your hands clean and NEVER touch your nails with your fingers to avoid transferring oil to the powder; this is one of the biggest causes of a dull manicure.
Your shiny gel top coat is what gives your nails that glossy sheen that we all know and love. Similar to the cross-contaminated dip powder, if your gel top coat contains some ingredients that aren’t supposed to be there, your top coat will be cloudy and will ruin your hard work. Sometimes this happens when loose dip powder somehow finds itself on the top coat brush and is then distributed to the rest of the gel when the brush is put back into the bottle, or if you drop the brush on the floor, for example. Make sure to check the top coat brush for debris each time before putting it back into the bottle to avoid this from happening.
Nail prep is an essential step in dip powder apart from the actual dipping. Nail prep will make or break a manicure, so make sure you're taking your time on this step. But, seriously, do not skimp out on this step. With proper care, your mani could last weeks. We’ll check out how to prep your nails in the next section.
Here's how to properly prep your nails for ultimate shine:
Sometimes, even with extreme care, the nail dip powder gods decide to bless you with unsightly acrylic bumps on your nails; this happens to the best of us. Although our nail powder stays glossy after buffing out these bumps, some other brands do not, so stick with us! Also, make sure to wipe away any loose nail powder that you buffed off with a lint-free wipe.
Our top coat is designed for use with our powders and, not to brag or anything, it’s really good. Gel top coats are glossier than dip top coats because they’re thicker. Our gel top coat stays glossy and shiny throughout the entirety of the wear of your nails and helps protect the powder from peeling. Simply apply all over the nail and “cap” the tip of your nail to prevent peel-age and cure with a high-quality UV LED nail lamp for around 30 seconds. As stated above, make sure to keep the brush clean and don’t mix anything into the top coat.
Let’s be real—the more coats of top coat you use, the shinier and glossier it will be. We recommend using at least two gel coats to really bring out that shine.
To get shiny nails using your dip top coat, you’re going to need to add more layers. Dip top coat is different from gel top coats—the liquid is much thinner and typically less glossy.
Be sure not to rush the manicure process; slow and steady wins the race! After lots of practice and repetition, you’ll be able to complete a full set of nails in under 20 minutes. However, if you speed through the prep and application for your nail dip, you might forget a step or not adequately complete it; for example, you might pull your nail out of the powder too quickly or not buff your nail beds enough prior to applying the dehydrator.
Sometimes you get super lucky and end up with a totally opaque color with only one dip into the powder, but, similarly to gel polish, you’ll probably need two dips. Make sure to apply a layer of our Base & Bond before dipping your first layer and before dipping your second layer to get a nice, even helping of nail powder. The color should be fully opaque (unless you’re using a sheer or clear powder). Only use our powder with our Base & Bond; most other acrylic powders require you to apply a base coat and then a bonder, but we’ve combined the two for easy use with our Fairy Glamor dip/acrylic powders.
Read our complete guide on how to apply dip powder to your nails by clicking here. If you follow these steps, you should have a glossy manicure in no time!
P.S. Cover photo color is "Bewildered" ;)
]]>Have you ever seen a photo of somewhere wearing these gorgeous, glittery dip nails and wondered how the heck they manage to apply it? Well, you’re in the right place! We’re going to teach you step by step on how to apply chunky glitter dip nails with a few tips and tricks along the way. We’ll also show you a couple different methods you can use to apply your chunky glitter. Pick your favorite!
Applying chunky glitter with the dip method is an advanced technique. It’s not as simple as applying your base, dipping your finger in the jar, and then calling it a day. You’ll need some proper maneuvering and a few extra tools to get that glittery look you’re after.
We partnered with Youtuber Marla Kris to get you guys these nice photos as she shared with us some of her tips and tricks!
There are multiple options you can choose from to apply your chunky dip nails. We’re going to explain each option and try to help you narrow down the one that’s best for you.
This method is for those that don’t like changing their routine and are using short nail tips that will fit into the jar. You just apply your base liquid and dip your finger into the jar. Hey, I get it! This is the method that I choose to do. However, you can’t expect to apply your dip powder the same as you would a powder without large glitters.
Standard dip instructions: When you’re applying chunky glitter by dipping your finger straight into the jar, you need to apply a very generous (thick) amount of your base liquid to the nail. You cannot apply a thin layer, or the chunky glitters will NOT stick. With this method you can expect to only need to dip twice to fully cover your nail with glitter. Make sure to use a generous amount of activator liquid between each dip—when you’re using a thick layer of base, some of it can squeeze through the glitters to the top layer and you want to make sure it gets cured.
The Cupcake Liner Method is great for those that enjoy long nail tips that don’t quite fit in the jar. If you’ve had trouble getting your chunky glitters to stick with the Standard Dip Method, then the Cupcake Liner Method is a great alternative to try. Not to mention—cupcake liners are cheap! You can buy a hundred of them for a couple bucks and then toss them out when you’re finished.
Cupcake Liner Instructions: Fill your cupcake liner up with at least a centimeter of glitter in depth (don’t worry about excess, you can pour it pack into your jar afterwards! The liner makes this easy.). The trick it to apply your base liquid and then press your nail upside down into the powder. The extra force from pressing the nail directly into the powder helps the chunky glitters stick firmly.
The Spoon Method is pretty simple—you’ll use a spoon to spoon the dip powder over your nail, letting any excess fall into a cup or your powder jar. Using a spoon gives you a little more control and better saturates the nail with powder. It also works great for longer nail tips or any ombre designs you may decide to do.
Spoon Method Instructions: Use a small spoon to pour the powder over your nail (after applying your base liquid). Keep spooning powder over your nail until the base liquid is fully covered. You can do this either over your dip powder jar or over a cupcake liner/cup that will catch any excess powder.
After you’ve chosen your preferred application method, you’ll need to follow these helpful tips and tricks on how to form your chunky glitter nail into a proper masterpiece.
The truth is, after applying your chunky glitter using one of the methods above, your nail color still won’t look right. This is because when you apply chunky glitter using dip liquids, the large glitter flakes tend to poke out away from your nail-bed—they will sit half on your nail, and half off. Obviously, this is not the look you want!
This is where your toothpick or pointy tool comes into play.
Between each chunky glitter application, you need to use your pointed tool to either push the extended glitter onto your nail while the base liquid if still wet or take the piece off entirely. There’s really no way around it. You must do this FAST otherwise your base liquid will dry and then the glitters aren’t easily movable. You can also try using miniature nail scissors to cut away any extended glitter pieces if your base dried too fast.
After you’ve situated your glitters how you want them to look, you’ll need to pat them down to help them stay flat against your nail. You can either use your finger to do this (although your finger may get a little sticky) or a disposable eyeshadow brush. You need to do this step before the base liquid dries all the way, otherwise some of your glitters can stay sticking up at odd angles. Kind of like they’re having a crazy hair day!
This is an extremely important step that some people miss. For chunky glitter dip nails, you absolutely must encapsulate the glitter with your clear dip powder once you’re finished flattening and adjusting the glitters. If you don’t encapsulate your glitters and try to put a top coat over them, you’ll find that your nails look spiky and odd. By encapsulating with clear, you’re essentially covering your dip nails with a solid, smooth coat of powder that protects it from damage and any buffing that you might want to do.
If you don’t know what encapsulating with clear means, it simply means to apply a clear dip powder over your glitters like you would a normal dip powder. So you’ll need to apply your base liquid over your glitters and then dip them in a clear dip powder color.
We hope this tutorial has helped shed some light on how to apply chunky glitter dipped nails correctly. While glitter is beautiful, it can be a little tricky to apply using the dip method.
Do you have a specific way you apply chunky glitter dip nails? How do you do it? Let us know in the comments!
]]>You must have come across the term, and many would be familiar with it too. Acrylic nails are fake nails that are placed on natural nails. Acrylic nails are shaped to match the natural nail and are extended to beautify your look.
These nails are made of powder and liquid monomer that creates a hard layer on your natural nails. These nails are transparent and require nail polish to give it the end look. You may go a little extra and try out the tools to give it a perfect look.
Acrylic nails look amazing when going to a party or a dinner date. However, to remove sometimes removing them may become a hassle. Many people prefer heading towards a salon for professional help for the removal of acrylic nails.
However, if you have the right things with you, there are numerous useful ways for the removal of acrylic nails at home without seeking the help of a professional. Following are some amazing ways for the removal of acrylic nails at home.
There are many tried and tested methods for the removal of acrylic nails at home. Whether you have put on French manicure on your faux nails or indulged in neon colored nail polish, you can now use any of the following methods for the removal of acrylic nail powder while sitting at home. Here are 5 different methods to remove your acrylic nails.
One of the best ways to remove acrylic nails while sitting at home is by soaking your faux nails in acetone. Salons use a similar way for the removal of acrylic nails.
Things you need:
Method:
Cut your faux nails with a nail cutter. Make sure you cut them as short as possible. Start with filing and buffing your fashion nails at the top to take off the nail polish. Apply Vaseline on the cuticles to prepare them to soak in acetone. Soak a small piece of cotton in acetone nail polish and place it on your acrylic nail. Wrap the cotton ball with aluminum foil. Repeat the same method for each finger.
Leave it for twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, remove the aluminum foil from your fingers. Acrylic nails will start to come off. If they do not loosen up, leave the aluminum foil for some more time.
People who are looking for a technique that does not consist of acetone can follow these steps for the removal of acrylic nails.
Things you need:
Clip your nail extensions as short as possible. Using tweezers or cuticle stick, upraise your faux nails’ edges. Fill your bowl with some non-acetone nail polish. Submerge your finger and wait for thirty minutes. Take out your hands when you feel acrylics have loosened. Use tweezers to pull them off. This process is lengthy, but it will not damage your cuticles.
Another great method for the removal of acrylic nails is by using dental floss. This thin string is useful for more things other than strengthening your teeth and gums. This method may damage your natural nails, so you must use it when your acrylics have already loosened.
Things you need:
Using cuticle stick gently upraises your faux nails’ edges. This step would not be necessary if your acrylics have already loosened. You may need someone’s assistance for the rest of the process. Insert the dental floss underneath the acrylic nail once the edges have been lifted. Using the sawing motion, move the floss until it pops off.
This method is easier than the dental floss method. Make sure you have a laminated card that is strong enough to do the job. In addition, you do not need anyone's assistance with this method.
Things you need:
Use the cuticle stick to gently life the edges of the acrylic nails. Use the corner of the laminated card to pry off the edges. Slide the card gently without ripping off your natural nails. Continue sliding until the faux nail is completely removed. Repeat the method for other nails also. Clean your nails. Using a buffer, polish your natural nails. Apply cuticle cream and moisturizer to keep your fingers in good shape.
Although this may seem to be a tedious task since it requires more time as compared to other methods mentioned above, but it is a much-preferred method to dental floss or laminated business card. Using an electric nail file machine may make your work easier.
Things you need:
Cut your faux nails with the help of a nail cutter. Make sure you cut them as short as possible. Start with filing and buffing your nail extension at the top until you can easily trim the acrylic nails and cut through them. Once the trimming is done, file the faux nails using a buffer. Here, you may use an electric nail file machine may make your work easier. Use the cuticle stick to gently life the edges of the acrylic nails. Using cuticle scissors under the acrylic nails, clip the nail away. Lift the edges and trim until the faux nail is completely removed. Clean your nails. Using a buffer, polish your natural nails. Apply cuticle cream and moisturizer to keep your fingers moisturized and in good shape.
The warm water method combines a few of the previous methods to soften the acrylic nail color for easier removal. Here are the tools you will need.
To remove your acrylic nails with warm water, you're going to soak your nails in the water for around 10-20 minutes. You'll need to keep re-heating the water to keep it hot. This won't work if you use luke-warm water--it needs to be "hot tub" hot. After soaking your nails in the warm water, start filing them down with an electric nail buffer. The nails should be softer to the touch and easier to file away. After you've removed them, moisturize with rehydrating oils.
The aforementioned methods are very useful for the removal of acrylic nails at home. Using them will save your waiting time at the salons. It also saves you a huge amount of money that salons charge to remove faux nails! While many of these methods would work for dip nail powder as well, you can check out our additional tips on how to remove dip nail powder.
Have you tried any other methods of removal? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
]]>We’ve created a quick ombre dip nail tutorial video if you’re more of a visual learner. So feel free to watch that or follow along through our photos. We’ve added a few helpful tips and tricks to help you get started, because honestly I had a tough time watching tutorials on Youtube at first. I couldn’t tell what the heck I was doing wrong, because while this method is fast, if you don’t know what you’re doing the ombre won’t come out right and will smudge! Let’s avoid that, shall we?
There are several ways you can do ombre dip nails. I love this method (sometimes called the dip ombre method) because it’s much less messy and less work than the others. One such method is to use a dusting brush, which I don’t particularly like because the powder goes everywhere (and it’s just a lot more work in general).
This is the easy part! Pick any two colors and apply one color, in full, to your nails.
Here we picked purple and pink for our two colors. We used purple as our secondary color. You’re going to dip your finger repeatedly halfway into your secondary color (or however far you’d like the ombre to go) for around 10-20 seconds until the color has saturated the nail. The powder will be loose, so be gentle! And keep in mind once we do step 4, the ombre will end up shorter than where it’s currently at. So if you want a half ombre, dip your powder around 3/5ths of the way up. This will make more sense once you’ve tried step 4.
This should only take around 1 swipe! Make sure to only brush the tip of the ombre, not the entire ombre. You're softening it where the two colors meet to create the ombre effect.
Step 4 is the most difficult part of the process and will take some practice. Because the secondary powder is loose on your nail, you’re essentially using the top coat to seal it to the primary color. You must start at the top and slowly, in long (not short!) motions, gently stroke the top coat over the ombre. If you brush too hard, the ombre will smudge down the nail. You only want to do two strokes, enough to seal the ombre in your top coat.
Tip: Use more topcoat than you normally would. A big dab is best! If you use too thin of an amount, your brush will smudge the secondary color much easier.
Tip 2: I like to use a gel top coat because it’s thicker than a normal polish top coat. The thicker coat will help prevent your ombre from smudging.
I hope this ombre dip powder tutorial was useful in some way. It’s really an easy and quick way to make your nails look super pro! I’d suggest practicing on a swatch first before moving to your actual nails, since messing up the sealing can really mess up the look of the ombre (and it’s quite difficult to fix once it’s screwed up).
Do you have a special method of doing ombre dip nails? Do you like ombre dip powder application better than acrylic? Do you find it easy? Let us know in the comments!
]]>“Mermaid” nail powder comes with a ton of different names, which can easily confuse people as to what the product actually “is”. Mermaid nail powder is commonly referred to as unicorn nail powder, pearl, magical, holographic, chrome, fantasy, and more. Despite the different names, most mermaid nail powders have a similar, common theme: you rub the powder over any nail color and transform it into a beautiful holographic or chrome finish.
No! This is a common misconception. Powders vary greatly because they provide different sheens or “finishing” colors. Some mermaid powders give a more ‘neon’ finish. Some are more pastel. Some are holographic, or rainbow. Some are chrome/mirror. Some can be used as a dipping powder or acrylic powder. Some can only be used as a rub on finish. Some come in small 1g pouches, some in large 15g containers. There’s a ton of different options out there!
The difference between mermaid nail powder and other holo/chrome powders is that mermaid nail powder alters the original nail color and can be used on a wide variety (pretty much any!) nail color. Many normal holographic and chrome nail colors can only be used over a dark nail color base, like black. If you like versatility, mermaid nail powder is a great color to add to your collection!
We’ve filmed this video for you to follow along and created an easy step by step photo tutorial to follow, just in case you’re more of a visual learner.
You can use gel, dip powder, acrylic powder, nail polish, any type of nail color you want. Mermaid powder can go over any color you can think of, including pinks, reds, blues, dark colors, light colors.. even mixed colors. You can even apply it over glitters (yes, that’s a thing! We’ll make a tutorial for that, too).
Make sure it’s a no-wipe top coat! It won’t work otherwise. The tricky step here is to cure the gel so that it’s slightly sticky still, and not completely smooth. If you cure the gel too much, the mermaid powder won’t properly stick and give you that gorgeous shiny finish you’re looking for.
Take your powder and gently rub it over your nail color. It should go on immediately and you’ll see the effect happen instantaneously. Wipe off any excess powder with a soft brush.
After you’ve rubbed the powder on, you have to seal it with a top coat if you want it to stay. I prefer a gel top coat because I find it’s thick enough to not “wipe” away the powder. You want to apply your top coat gently so that you don’t rub the powder away.
Below we've added a few color examples. See how the powder can be used on all different colors.
And you’re done! It’s really easy to create stunning nail designs with mermaid nail powder. It really adds a fancy, shimmery touch to any manicure. And it’s so versatile, too!
Are you looking for your own mermaid nail powder? Fairy Glamor sells mermaid powder in a hugeee jar! You can find it here: Mermaid Magic Nail Powder. Have you tried mermaid or unicorn nail powder? How did it go? Let us know in the comments!
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Chrome and holographic nail powders are such versatile color tools. You can use the powder as a dip, as an acrylic, or for a super cool rub-on mirror effect. We’re going to teach you the third effect: how to do rub-on chrome nails.
At first, rub on nail powder can look super easy. Maybe you watched a video and thought “wow, that looks so cool!” and then tried to do it yourself and had trouble. There are few mistakes you can make when applying mirror powder that can completely mess up your nail color. Maybe it won’t stick right, it looks blotchy, you can’t get the mirror effect. You must make sure you’re doing the steps correctly and using the right products because the tinniest of details can really throw you off! We’re going to go over the steps and products we used to apply chrome powder the easy way and also go over the mistakes you might be making and how to fix them.
Chrome nail powder gives you a smooth mirror finish while holographic powder has a more rainbow/color changing sheen to it. I personally enjoy holographic over chrome because it’s super fun to look at.
Holographic powders can usually be used over different nail colors to create unique new color effects. For instance, you can use a purple holographic powder over a green base color to create a blue-ish holo effect.
One more unique type of holographic powder you’ve maybe heard mentioned before is “unicorn” or “mermaid” powder. This powder is a special type of holo nail powder that can be used over any color base to create a beautiful holo effect. It works on both light and dark colors while typical holo powders only work on darker base colors.
This probably goes without saying, but powder brands are vastly different from one another. Some mirror nail powder has 0 glitter in it. These nail powders cannot be used for dip/acrylic nails and are made to only be used as a rub-on top coat. The “only rub-on” powders usually sell in tiny 1g jars.
Other powder brands (like Fairy Glamor) include glitter and can be used as both a dip, acrylic, and rub on powder and come in large jars (15-30g).
We’ve created a video on how to apply holographic nail powder that works for both chrome and holo colors. You can either follow along with the video or just follow the pictures. Whichever is easiest for you!
Please keep in mind that Fairy Glamor has a unique formula and our application process may differ from other rub on powder brands. Our powders can be used with many colors other than a black base while other brands require a black nail color base. This makes doing chrome nails easy!
If you’re using a chrome powder, apply a dark base color. If you’re using a holographic powder, you can use any color as a base. It doesn’t matter if you use polish, gel, or dip powder. Anything will work! Fairy Glamor offers base nail polish colors you can use specifically for holo and chrome nails.
This step is especially important because if you use a gel top coat that needs to be wiped down after curing, then your powder will not rub on.
Cure your top coat for around 15 seconds (time may vary) under a UV/LED light. You need to cure until the top coat is smooth but still (very slightly) sticky. If you cure for too long the top coat will be far too glossy to apply your powder. The powder will not stick to a glossy surface.
If you accidentally cure your no-wipe gel top coat for too long, you can use nail polish remover on your nails for a minute to “soften” them. Wipe dry and then you can try applying the powder.
You want to be relatively quick with this step so that your top coat doesn’t cure all the way. Rub your powder over your base nail color firmly (but also gently, you do not want to scratch the effect!). It should rub on easily and only take a few seconds to apply.
The moment of truth! You’ll know here if you applied the powder correctly. If you apply the top coat over the powder and it “smears”, then you cured your top coat for too long and the powder didn’t stick right.
Don’t put too much force when sealing your powder in. You want to be careful not to smudge it.
And your finished! Once you get the hang of it, you can seriously enhance the look of your nails and really glam them up with holo and chrome powder. There’s a lot of people out there that don’t even know holo and chrome nails exist so when they see yours, they’ll say HOLY MOLY and want to know where you got them!
We hope the videos and pictures helped as well. Do you have any questions? What are your favorite chrome and holographic nail colors? We love to mix it up and see what cool combinations we can create. Thanks for reading faeries and have a glamorous day!
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Acrylic powder was designed as a professional solution to longer lasting nail polish. Which is why it’s no surprise that it’s super hard to remove once you’ve got it applied! We’re going to go over a few different methods you can use to remove your dip powder nails at home (these methods work the same for acrylic powder applied by both the dip method and the monomer method), with and without using harsh chemicals such as acetone. I’ll explain the drawbacks and benefits of each method so you can choose for yourself which method will work best for you.
Acetone is a type of chemical solvent that is frequently used to breakdown organic materials. Acetone is by far the easiest and fastest method of removing your dip powder nails at home. It can be bought at pretty much any drug store or your local Walmart. Many nail salons use acetone to remove leftover acrylic powder because it’s extremely efficient. The drawback is this harsh chemical can damage your nails if used too often, so use it sparingly.
Acetone takes around 10-15 minutes to completely breakdown your acrylic nails.
Steps to remove your dip powder nails with acetone and a bowl:
Total time: 25 minutes.
This method is great because you can still move around freely while removing your nail polish. You may not be able to use your hands for much, but at least you can move! This method is a little slower than the bowl method because the acetone isn't saturating your nail powder as easily, so it takes longer to complete.
Total Time: 30 minutes.
Isopropyl alcohol is another popular choice as an acrylic powder remover. You may be wondering “well, what’s the difference between Isopropyl alcohol and acetone?”. Acetone is a chemical solvent and isopropyl alcohol is an alcohol (duh) and they are two completely different compounds. Simply put, acetone dissolves a lot more stuff than isopropyl (acetone is commonly used in labs to disinfect test tubes).
Isopropyl alcohol helps soften the nails so that they can be filed down or wiped away easier. Acrylic nails are much thicker than normal nail polish, so you’ll need to leave your nails in the alcohol for quite a long time if you want them to soften all the way (around 30 minutes). While acetone will make your polish "peel-able", isopropyl will just soften it enough for buffing away. Most people don’t want to wait this long however, so they usually spend around 10 minutes soaking their nails, then file them down the rest of the way.
We don’t particularly recommend this method, but if you can’t find any isopropyl alcohol or acetone lying around at home you could use an alcohol substitution to soften your nail color. Things like mouthwash and hand sanitizer will work (or possibly even... wine?), but they aren't nearly as quick. But sometimes desperate situations call for desperate measures, am-I-right?
Total time: 40 minutes.
Removing dip or acrylic nails without using any chemicals can be a bit tricky! Acrylic powder is made to be tough, so naturally you’re going to have a “tough” time (harhar).
You can microwave a bowl of water or get hot water from the tap. The hotter the better! Soak your nails for around 5 minutes. Make sure your water is still warm during the process, because if it cools off too much, it won’t work right.
After your nails have softened a bit, you’re going to want to use nail clippers and cut your nails down. This is especially needed if you glues falsies on. Cutting them down will help loosen the powder hold and make step 3 a lot easier.
This part isn’t especially fun. You’re going to need a nail file or an electric buffer (the electric will be much faster). File down your nails until the color has been thinned out or removed completely. You can also soak your nails in hot water again once the color has been thinned. Repeat this process until all your color is gone!
I actually got this method from my nail salon and like it a lot more than filing my nails down.
Use warm water to soften the nails (as explained in the previous method).
Now use a thin fake nail and run it under your nail color, all along the sides of the nail you just filed. The goal is to give each nail color a bit of “lift” away from the nail bed. Once you’ve done all the sides, you can pinch the nail color together and pop it away from its hold on the middle of your nail. With this method, your nails will come off in entire chunks (they look kinda like falsies).
And that’s it! We hope this helped you remove your nail color so you can apply a new set of beautiful nails. Do you have a special method you use to remove your nails? Or a favorite method? Share with us in the comments!
]]>Have you ever wondered how people get their dip nails looking so “perfect” at home? Maybe you’ve tried dip powder before and struggled with lumps, shine, shape… and a host of other issues! I still remember my first time doing my own dip nails… the nail technician had made it look so easy and perfect that I HAD to try it for myself. It ended up looking like a child had painted my nails (no offense to children… I guarantee there are many more capable than me).
My first experience with dip nails sent me back to regular polish for a few months. I thought the dip system was just too difficult for me and didn’t understand it how to use it properly. It wasn’t until a watched a tutorial video and did a bit more reading that I tried dipping powder again. And it worked! I fell in love with dipping powder and never used regular polish again. You just can’t beat how long it lasts and how quick and easy it is to apply (once you get the hang of it, of course!).
I’ll be going step by step how to apply dip nail powder (the right way!) using our own Fairy Glamor dip system and discuss some of the mistakes you might be making (I feel as though I am qualified to walk you through mistakes, as I make plenty). I really hope this tutorial helps you on your new dipping journey and you fall in love with acrylic powder as much as I did.
If you’re more of a visual person (as I am) this photo dip nail application tutorial should help immensely. If you need a little more guidance, keep reading below!
Time it takes for a full dip manicure: 20 minutes.
If you want a more detailed tutorial, read below! We go over many of the mistakes people make when applying dip nails for the first time and how to avoid them. Getting the perfect dipped nails the first time you try it at home is very unlikely (unless you're just a skilled perfectionist. If so, I envy you!) so don't be discouraged if your nails come out looking a bit sloppy the first time.
This step may seem redundant (because, well duh) but it’s extremely important when applying dip nail powder. Acrylic powder is heavier and more “solid” than regular polish, so you really need to push your cuticles out of the way, or it could really bring you discomfort or even pain if you ever decide to remove your nail powder. I want to emphasis… this stuff is STRONG. It will NOT chip or break like regular polish. More than likely it will just pop off your nail in a big chunk. So be sure to push your cuticles all the way back and do not apply the powder over your cuticles.
You also need to buff your nails. You don’t need to go crazy with it, but your nails should feel “rough” to the touch. Just buff up the surface a little. The better you buff, the longer your nails will stay on. I’m not kidding when I tell you I’ve had nail powder last 2 months on my nails. Yes, they had grown out quite a lot (you could see large “moons” on my nails) and they weren’t exactly pretty at that point. If you want your nails to last a long time (like I do, I’m lazy!) then you need to buff, buff, buff. Did I say buff? You need to buff, lady! Powder nails are prone to “popping” off due to the smooth-ness (is that a word?) of your nail bed. If you roughen up the surface, the bonding liquid will sort-of seep into all the rough cracks you made and REALLY stick the powder to your nail.
After you've buffed, wipe away any dust particles and then apply your nail dehydrator. This step is important if you want your nails to last a long time and not pop off! If there's any moisture left on your nails the powder won't stick as well. If you don't have any nail dehydrator at home, you can substitute acetone or isopropyl alcohol for it. Just make sure you dry your nail really well afterwards.
Of course, we recommend using our own Fairy Glamor Base & Bond as our powder is a bit different from other brands (we can’t promise how well our powder will work with other systems because we designed our dipping liquids to chemically react to a certain formula). Most dip systems have two separate liquids, Base, and Bond, but we created a new product that does both to speed up the application process.
Apply Base & Bond directly to your nail, leaving a small 3mm space AWAY from your cuticles. This is usually where people new to dip powder mess up. If you apply the glue-like liquid too close to your skin or cuticles, the powder will bubble-up too high and end up looking messy. Remember, dip powder is much thicker than normal polish. If you want a smooth finish you need to chant “smooth” 5 times out-loud and spin in a circle 3 times.
The fun part of dip nail powder is that if you mess up, it’s REALLY hard to remove… Wait… That’s not what I meant. The fun part is dipping your nail and getting the super perfect finish you’ve always dreamed of! That’s right. That’s what we’re going for.
Our Base & Bond liquid is specially formulated to react to our acrylic powder, so no need to rush!
Dip your finger at an angle into the powder. You don’t want to go straight up and down, otherwise the pressure from the powder can “push up” the powder already on your nail and create those ugly bumps you’re trying to avoid.
Leave your finger in the powder for about 3 seconds. You want to give it enough time to fully bond to your nail. If you move out too early you risk “pushing” the powder down and creating a lumpy mess.
Once you’ve removed your finger, wait around 3 more seconds for it to fully dry and then brush any excess powder off with a brush.
Applying activator is probably one of the easiest steps, but a lot of people don’t understand or know what activator is in the dip nail application process, so we’re going to cover that.
We get this question a lot! People don’t understand what activator does, or why is used. Technically you could skip the activator step… but you probably don’t want to.
Activator contains a chemical hardens the nail powder when they come in contact. Simply put, a chemical reaction occurs. If you touch the surface of your nail right after applying activator, you can feel the warmth of the reaction.
So, what’s the point of this step? Well, activator helps fully seal the powder together into one large mass. It also removes any excess powder that may be left after brushing so that when you apply your top coat, it doesn’t pick up any powder.
Activator is as simple as brushing it over your nails. You don’t need a lot of it, and you don’t really have to worry about “missing” your nail, because it won’t leave any residue behind like gel or matte top coats would.
After applying, wait around 5 seconds for it to dry (it’s fast!). You can wave your hands around like a crazy person to speed up the process.
Follow step 2 and 3 all over again to create more vibrant color and longer lasting nails. Sometimes one dip coat is enough, but usually you’ll need two full dips.
While it’s better to “seal” your powder in, a top coat isn’t necessarily necessary, so you can skip this step if you’d like!
We have three options for you to choose from. One method requires a UV light, and the other method does not. There are benefits to each method and we'll go over those in a second.
You can either apply a no-wipe gel top coat, or a matte top coat. Both our gel top coat and matte top coat require a UV light to cure.
A no-wipe top coat is nice because you don’t need to wipe it down with alcohol after curing it (regular gel top coats leave a sticky surface behind that you need to remove).
Brush your top coat over all your nails as you would applying regular polish. Be sure not to get any on your skin (if you do, you’ll feel a slight burn when you use a UV/LED lamp!). Seal the ends of your nails as well. This will help keep your color intact.
Put your nails under a UV/LED light for around 30 seconds. Some lamps are stronger than others, so your time may vary. For us, it’s around 15-30 seconds.
Note: Gel top coats are a little tricky to use with dip powder, because if you don't apply it correctly, the top coat can peel off. A little trick we've found is to apply a thin layer of dip base before applying your gel top coat. This will help it stick better and last longer!
Most dip nail liquid systems use this method of application. It does not require a UV light to apply and is frequently referred to as the "dip top coat" application method. What many people don't realize is that the base dip liquid step (commonly referred to as step 1) is the same exact liquid as a dip top coat. Our Fairy Glamor system does not have a dip top coat because you can use the dip base as a top coat if you do not want to use the UV method.
What you will need:
Dip top coat and gel top coat both have their pros and cons. Gel top coats tend to be glossier and shinier than dip top coats and take less layers (and therefore, time) to look pretty. Dip top coats tend to take around 2-3 layers to get a glossy effect. However, dip tip coats are great if you are worried about exposing your skin to UV rays. Dip top coats also tend to stick better to dip powder, and last longer than gel top coats.
Congratulations! You’ve applied your (hopefully perfect) new dip nails. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Dip nail powder takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, I guarantee you won’t return to regular polish. We hope you enjoy your long lasting nail color (up to five weeks!) and really hope this dip nail tutorial helped you with the process. Don't forget to read up on how to remove your dip nails or how to apply chunky glitter dip nails. If you have any questions or would like us to cover another topic, let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading, Fairies!
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Dip powder nails are a quick, long lasting method of applying nail color that is commonly used by professionals such as nail salons and technicians. Dipping powder can be applied either directly to the nail or a fake nail by using dip glue on the nail-bed then dipping the nail into the powder. The powder then sticks to the glue and forms a thick coat of color over your nail. The biggest difference in appearance between dipping powder and normal polish or gel is that dip powder looks and feels thicker on your nail, similar to acrylic systems.
Dip nail powder was invented around 1990 by a popular nail company called SNS. It quickly grew in popularity for its long-lasting properties. It was much easier to apply than acrylic but lasted just as long. Dip nail powder was originally released for “professionals only” but was later released as a professional system that could be used by consumers.
Modern acrylic nails were invented in the late 1970s, much earlier than dip nail powder. Oddly enough, dentistry had a lot to do with the invention of acrylic powder. Dentists used a similar powder concoction to fix their patient’s teeth, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when a dentist patented the first ever acrylic nail system brand, Patti Nails.
Consumers and nail technicians fell in love with dip powder nails because of how affordable, easy, and long lasting they were. Dipping powder lasts as much as 10x longer than regular polish and 3x longer than gel. People loved that they could apply dip nails without needing to use harsh UV lights on their skin.
People that enjoy using acrylic nail powder at their nail salon typically love dip powder because it’s much easier for them to apply then trying to apply acrylic nails on their own hands. While acrylic nails are currently more popular than dipping powder, dip powder is picking up significant speed on the popularity charts.
Dip powder nails typically follow a simple step by step process. You start by applying your base liquid like you would a nail polish (glue), and then dip your finger in the powder. The powder bonds to the glue and hardens into even color. Brush off any excess powder that didn’t harden. Then apply activator liquid. Activator hardens the powder and helps quickly dry it out for the next coat. Wait a few seconds between each step. Once activator dries you can choose any top-coat you’d like to go over your dip nails, whether it be gel or matte. For a much more detailed tutorial you can follow our dip nail powder tutorial.
Dip nail powder comes in an infinite number of colors, finishes, and textures because of how it’s made. Different glitter shapes, sizes, and textures can also be added. Special dipping powders like chrome, holographic, color changing, and glow in the dark are also available. There’s a large variety of fun options to choose from. You can even mix two different dip powder colors to create an entirely new color. It’s popular to mix two different glitter colors to create a wild new powder.
Any dipping powder brands that use FDA approved ingredients are considered safe to use. Acrylic powder has been rigorously tested and is used all over the world. Many dipping powders also have anti-bacterial properties that prevent infection from sharing dip powder jars at nail salons and is non-toxic. It is recommended that you wear a mask over your nose and mouth when applying dip powder as the tiny particles, although safe, can be accidentally inhaled and bring discomfort such as coughing.
This is a common worry and misconceptions about acrylic powder and dip nails. The substances you apply to your nails do not damage the nail bed. What damages your nails is how strong a hold the glue or monomer has on your nail. The process of removing these strong, long lasting nails is what damages your nails. You can reduce nail damage by minimizing excess buffing and using safer method of removal such as warm water over acetone. Try to only use one nail set of dip powder a month and be safe and methodical when removing your nail color. If you need more help removing your nail powder, check our our tutorial on removing dip nails safely.
Do you want longer lasting, frustration-free nails? Tired of your new nails chipping? Then you’d absolutely love dip nail powder! While dip nail powder is not as cheap as regular polish, in the long run you’ll be saving money by not having to apply new nail color every few days and save a lot of time. Once you have your liquid application set you can pick a 1 oz jar of dip nail color to try for only $13.95 and see how you like it. Application does take a bit of practice but after a few tries you’ll fall in love with the system and practicality of it.
We hope this helped you understand what dip powder nails are, where they come from, and help you decide if you should try them. We always encourage first time users to go to your favorite nail tech or nail salon and have the professionals apply your nail color, that way you can see how it’s done (the right way!) up close and in person.
What else do you know about dip powder that we didn't cover? Share in the comments! Thanks for reading and have a glamorous day.
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