VELVET NAILS!
Are velvet nails the new glazed donut nails?! I’m honestly thinking yes!!! This post will be a quick and dirty overview of the Velvet Nails trend that’s sweeping the nation (or at least occupying my mind because it’s so beautiful!!) and I’ve been loving recently!
What are velvet nails?
It’s a nail art effect that uses magnetic glitter polish that literally looks like crushed velvet and reflects the light so amazingly! I currently have it on my nails and whenever I’m in the sun I’m staring at my nails and moving them around to see how it changes in the light! Check out this tutorial video here.
What products do you use?
OK first off, this is done with gel polish. I haven’t tried any regular polish versions of this trend so if you know of any, leave a comment so I can investigate! If you're new to gel polish and manicures, I have a ton of resources on my blog and a course that teaches you exactly how to use the products. No more excuses for not being able to do them at home! I'll link everything at the end :)
I used mostly Kokoist products, don’t forget to use my code KARA10 for 10% off your entire purchase!
I tried a new collection from Kokoist called Down Under Planet which features five neutral magnetic glitter shades! I’ve seen the velvet nails done with bright colors which is fun but I’m just lusting over these neutrals for fall. They are soooo pretty and you can change the look of the glitter by changing the base color too!
These polishes have a bunch of micro glitters in them that shift and create the velvet effect when you use a magnet. It’s SO fun to watch in real time.
So one of the reasons I’m loving these polishes also is that they’re pretty sheer/subtle themselves, so you can truly customize what your final mani looks like by doing two coats of the glitter, or doing a base coat and then one coat of the glitter so the base color shines through!
The two that I’ve tried so far (and LOVED) are the Down Under Universal Rose, which is a silvery mauvey color.
And Down Under Space Mountain, which is a neutral chocolatey glitter. If you loved the chocolate glazed donut, then you will LOVE this one.
What are the steps?
- Prep your nails for a gel manicure using my prep course
- Paint with your nails a base coat using my Gel Application Course. I used the Nail Thoughts x Kokoist Tinted Base Gels
- If you need more info on these, read this post!
- I specifically used the Iced Latte Base with the Space Mountain glitter
- I used Mauve Base with the Universal Rose glitter on my friend!
- I painted two layers of the base coat for a more opaque color base so I could do a more sheer glitter!
- Time to add the glitter! So these gels come in a pot vs. a bottle, which means you need to use an application brush. This is the one I used HERE. I’ll also link some other options below.
- Work on one nail at a time (I did this so the glitter wouldn’t shift after I used the magnet to get it where I liked.)
- Apply one even coat of the glitter polish, use the magnet in 1-3 places on your nail to get it to move around where you like it! I kind of played around with this to see what texture I like. See the video below for an example.
- Cure for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on all of your nails!
- Top coat all of your nails. I used my FAVE top coat The Ultra Glossy Non-Wipe Top Coat
- Then you’re done and I promise you you won’t be able to stop starting at your nails!!! :)
That’s pretty much it! If you try this, send me a pic or tag me on instagram! I’d love to see!!!
Product Links:
Kokoist (my favorite gel brand!), use my code KARA10 for 10% off everything
Kokoist Down Under Planet Magnetic Polishes
Amazon Gel Application Brushes
Resources:
Gel Manicure Application & Removal Process
Base Gels, Builder Gels & Types of Gel Blog Post
ps. links might be affiliate links which means I make a small commission on your sale at no cost to you!
Looks so cool! I’d be interested to see how the Mooncat magnetic polishes compare.
This is so gorgeous! Cirque Colors has a bunch of regular polish colors and they sell the magnet. I’ve been experimenting with it and it’s stunning!