What is a broken glass manicure? Technique features, bright ideas for beautiful and original nails. How to make your fingers spectacular?
Broken glass manicure is a trend that has been on the crest of popularity for several years. The technique speaks about its peculiarity by its name: the impression is as if the nails are strewn with small multi-colored fragments. However, it is not necessary to make it bright and pretentious: any experiments with such a manicure are interesting, from daring, expressly extraordinary, to calm, harmonious.
What is a broken glass manicure?
On the photo manicure "broken glass"
It is believed that the authors of the technique are girls from South Korea who worked in the Unistella salon. It was they who invented the broken glass manicure, and it reached its peak in 2017. However, over time, women of fashion in different parts of the world do not cease to love him. And this is not surprising: nails in this design are attractive, exciting. They excite the imagination, and also transform the female image.
In the nail industry, this trend is called Shattered Glass Nails. Looking at the fingers from the side, there is a feeling as if the nails are strewn with shards of glass. This awakens different associations. Surely many remember children's "secrets": a real treasure for a child, which certainly included multi-colored pieces of glass. You can also draw an analogy with a toy kaleidoscope.
Broken glass manicure on nails resembles a dish of the same name. This is a cake interspersed with pieces of jelly of different colors. And he is also associated with the summer season, full of colors and bright saturated tastes.
A great advantage of this technique is that it is unrealistic to repeat the same design one-to-one. So even if someone is inspired by other people's ideas, they always bring something of their own, unique to them. But this is not the only advantage that a "broken glass" manicure with gel polish has.
Advantages of nail design:
- It is safe: all familiar materials and tools are used in the work. Foil specially created for nail art, films do not harm the nail plate and health in general.
- This is a universal type of decorative coating: if you wish, you can choose a harmonious color combination for any style in the image. Moreover, there are performance options that will be "worn" with both a classic dress and an evening dress.
- Despite the sophistication of the manicure, it is not at all difficult to perform. Basic nail dyeing skills are enough to cope with such a task.
Materials and tools for manicure
Broken glass design manicure is a technique that involves the use of a specific set of materials. First of all, you need shiny films, foil or mica to achieve the very desired effect.
If we talk about the classics of execution, then a special rainbow film was invented for manicure. It is very thin, almost translucent. A layer of gel polish is applied under it, and the film is glued without drying. Such material is sold in different forms: ready-made elements for gluing or a long and narrow strip that you have to cut into pieces yourself.
If you use such a film, you can boldly do both dark and light manicure "broken glass". Iridescent overflows allow to emphasize the sophistication of design, to harmonize the image as a whole.
If you have foil on hand, then you can safely use it. However, not the best option is the translated form of this material. Difficulties arise at the gluing stage, since the foil is slightly thicker than the special film.
In addition, for work you need:
- tools for performing manicure;
- primer;
- bonder;
- gel varnishes;
- tweezers;
- thinnest brush;
- top-end coverage.
Like any other type of nail art, a manicure with a broken glass effect requires compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules. It is necessary to exclude infection. Since it is unlikely that a bright and non-standard design will please if inflammation begins.
Broken glass nails turn out to be very beautiful, even when completely unusual materials are used to create such an effect. For example, you can buy scotch tape. It is glued randomly, and a coating is applied on top. But in this case, varnish will be needed with a metallic shade. After removing the tape, you will get an interesting pattern that resembles broken pieces of glass.
If there are rhinestones, you can use them in the experiment. Only irregularly shaped shining particles will do.
Preparing nails for a manicure
In any case, you must first put the handles in order. Therefore, you need to process the nails, giving them the desired shape and length. In this regard, there are practically no exceptions. However, it is worth listening to the recommendations of the masters and studying different photos, understanding how differently the effect of broken glass “sounds” on nails, depending on the shape and length of the plate.
The fingers are quite cute when the nails are trimmed short. The fact is that such nail art itself does not weigh down, does not overload the image. You can safely do with this effect at least all the fingers on both hands. File up the plate in the form of an oval and pulling it out to a narrow, refined stylet.
It is imperative to make a comfortable warm bath during preparation. Remove the cuticle by choosing any convenient method. Next, it remains to degrease the nail plates, work on the materials. The most painstaking moment is cutting film or foil.
How to make a broken glass manicure?
To reproduce broken glass on nails, you can go not one, but two paths to choose from.
For example, the following method is relevant and has proven its worth:
- After preparing the nails, a primer is applied to them.
- When the product dries in the fresh air, the surface is covered with a bonder.
- After drying the nails in a lamp, apply the selected gel polish. The fingers are exposed to ultraviolet light again, if necessary, painted in one more layer and dried.
- After applying a top coating, prepared pieces of foil or film are glued to it.
- The drawing is dried, covered with a top again.
- Final drying is carried out.
To make the design sophisticated, harmonious, you should not lay out pieces of foil or film too densely and evenly. The “broken glass” manicure technique differs in that the chaotically scattered “fragments” look especially interesting. Of course, this does not mean that you can distribute them however you like. It is worth looking at your fingers with a detached glance, what impression the composition makes.
The second method differs slightly. The fundamental difference is that neither foil nor special film is used in the process.
How to make a broken glass manicure when there are no such special materials at hand:
- Apply a primer, after drying in air - a bonder, after which the fingers are sent under ultraviolet light into the lamp.
- Nails are painted over with gel polish - you need a product with a mirror or holographic effect.
- After drying, you can apply another layer when you want to achieve expressiveness and saturation.
- With a thinnest brush, a mesh is drawn on the nails to break the surface into "fragments".
- Thorough drying is required after drawing. When there is a need, the mesh is re-delineated, in this case, not forgetting about the processing in the lamp.
- The procedure is completed by applying a top coat with drying.
It is quite possible to make a beautiful manicure "broken glass", even when there is no gel polish at home. Although many girls no longer know how to work with conventional acetone formulations, this science is easy to master if desired.
How to make a manicure with regular varnish:
- They act on the same principle, starting with the preparation of the nails.
- Next, a base is applied to them, when it dries - a varnish of the selected shade.
- Immediately you need to quickly and accurately lay out the drawing from the "fragments". In this case, it is best to work with the thinnest holographic film. Some other materials will be too complicated in the process of creating broken glass for short nails or for long plates, but with ordinary varnish.
- Now you have to wait for the acetone composition to dry completely. Then the surface is covered with a top. To get it perfectly smooth, you can apply it twice. Wait until it is completely dry between layers!
- If everything is clear and simple with drying gel polish, there are rules for acetone compositions. It is best to sit in an area with good ventilation. However, it is important to avoid direct draft! On average, the polymerization of such a product occurs within 15 minutes, no less. It is better to wait even with a margin, otherwise all the work will be down the drain.
It must be remembered that the polymerization of the acetone composition actually takes much longer. It is fully completed within approximately 12 hours. Therefore, in order to preserve a red manicure with broken glass, it will take about that much time to be very careful with the nails. Temperature effects should be limited: both cold and hot water can damage. Any contact with abrasives must be avoided.
The best ideas for manicure "broken glass"
Having once tried such nail art, it is unlikely that you will be able to stop. You will want to experiment over and over again, and therefore it is worth saving your favorite manicure ideas with broken glass. Moreover, this is the widest field for any fantasy.
The best manicure options:
- Contrast … A game with such a decision will almost inevitably end with an interesting ending. For example, you can apply a red, black or white background, and glue translucent foil on top. Since the base will be saturated, the drawing will be outlined very expressively, even a 3-D effect will be obtained.
- The original jacket … Despite the fact that the classic jacket never loses its relevance, it does not hurt to refresh it, add variety. And what, if not glass shards, will this manicure bloom in the literal sense of the word! Nude will become incredibly attractive. On the one hand, while still gentle and harmonious, he will cease to be too modest.
- Tandem with mother-of-pearl rub … Lovers of glamor can publicly declare their addiction, if, in addition to the "glass", they bring shine - use mother-of-pearl rub. Such marigolds will not leave anyone indifferent. Magnetic, they look incredibly charming.
- Dark colors … If you wish, you can add drama to the image. To do this, you can do a black manicure with broken glass or play with shades such as Marsala, Bordeaux.
- Mono manicure … For him, you still need a certain level of skill. Without having the skills to lay out the pattern on the nails, you may not be able to achieve an excellent result. The bottom line is to make most of the fingers the same by painting in one shade. The emphasis is on 1-2 nails, choosing a contrasting varnish for them. Next, a pattern is laid out on it. With the help of film or foil, "broken glass" for nails creates the most unexpected patterns: butterflies, flowers, silhouettes of people.
- Cosmic motives … If you buy a film with a holographic effect, thanks to which some incredible, fantastic and even cosmic motifs are obtained, the nail design "broken glass" will turn out to be exactly unbroken and inimitable. Naturally, such a solution is very extraordinary, therefore it will not suit every image.
- Gradient … Broken glass manicure in pink, turquoise, delicate powdery color will never get bored, will not look ordinary, if you use an additionally popular technique called a gradient. Of course, in this case, you will have to be especially sensitive about the combination of shades so that the picture turns out to be very harmonious. At the same time, you can experiment not only with soft, but also bold, expressive, rich colors.
Before making broken glass on your nails, you need to decide on the style and the desired effect. If the lifestyle and style do not allow you to go beyond certain standards, you can afford fashionable nail art, only limiting yourself to a restrained base.
How to make a broken glass manicure - watch the video:
It is worth remembering that a manicure with a broken glass foil is a little more vulnerable than a one-piece gel polish. Therefore, it is necessary to handle the handles more carefully.
