“Glass Nails” Are Going To Be Everywhere — Here Are 8 Ideas To Inspire You

I’m calling it: 2024 is the year of the manicure. Whether you’re into minimalist nail tints or fresh twists on old classics à la the double French, you certainly won’t have been short on inspiration. Despite the end of the year being very much in sight, our obsession with nails shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, my social feeds are full of cool autumn nail ideas and playful Halloween manicure looks right now. But there’s one emerging micro trend that has really captured my imagination.

Enter: “glass nails”. 

What are glass nails?

With glass skin and glass hair both huge beauty trends currently, it’s no surprise that the obsession with a high-gloss finish has come for our nails, too. “Glass nails are a gel-based manicure created by layering products to achieve an extremely high-shine and glasslike depth and translucency,” explains session manicurist Ami Streets. The intensely reflective finish is undoubtedly the hallmark of this manicure and gives the nails an “expensive” look but the popularity of this trend definitely lies in its versatility.

There are a few steps to achieving the glass nail manicure in salons. The key? A magnetic gel polish. “To start, there’s usually a base gel colour, like black for a darker manicure, or white or a sheer nude colour,” explains Streets. Following the base coat, it’s time for a layer of magnetic gel polish in the colour of your choice. Streets rates silver as a great accent for most colourways. “While it’s still wet, a magnetic wand is held above the nail and pulled to one side,” says Streets. “The iron powder fragments in the polish are attracted to the magnet, which gathers and shifts them all to one side of the nail for that signature reflective look.”

To finish, the manicure requires one coat of your chosen sheer jelly nail colour and a high-shine top coat to give that glassy effect. Streets points out that unlike other nail art looks, which can be easy to “dupe”, the very best glass nail manicures that she has seen online tend to use polishes from specific Asian nail brands like Rolita, which manufactures polishes with an ultra-fine iridescent finish.

What’s the difference between glass nails and cat-eye nails?

Characterised by an intensely high-shine effect, experts are referring to glass nails as the new take on the cat-eye manicure: a magnetic gel manicure that has taken over nail salons in the last couple of years. Like cat-eye nails, a magnet is used to shift the polish but it’s concentrated to one side of the nail to create the illusion of light reflecting off a shard of glass. Glass nails also enlist sheer, jelly polish rather than opaque shades.

“Glass nails work in so many colourways,” explains Streets. “I think nudes and sheer pinks will be super popular shades, even at this time of year, as it gives the most naturally stunning, glasslike effect.” As we move into winter, Streets predicts we’ll be seeing more glass nail manicures in seasonal colours like burgundy, forest green, navy blue and various reds.

How much do glass nails cost?

The cost of a manicure is very much dependent on where you live, with prices in big cities like London often exceeding the average. “You can expect to pay a similar price to other gel-based nail art manicures,” says Streets. “The cost usually reflects the time and products used to create the look.” A ballpark figure for the service would be between £50 and £75. 

The best glass nails inspiration

If TikTok is anything to go by, glass nails are about to take off, so here’s all the inspiration you need for your next salon appointment.

Grey Out

This moody blend of grey and jet black on San Sung Kim makes for a surprisingly sophisticated combination and the perfect autumnal glass nail look.

Cherry Gloss

Glass nails work all year round but the dramatic, high-shine finish does lend itself particularly well to Halloween nails. Take inspiration from this set by NYC nail artist Jennifer Steese based at Vanity Projects.

Chocolate Treacle

Chocolate browns and rich caramels are going to be hugely popular in nail salons this autumn and winter — no surprise, given how good this glassy treacle manicure looks.

Wicked Winter

Brat summer might be over but we’re in for a Wicked winter as we prepare for a multitude of green manicures inspired by the Hollywood blockbuster. This set by nail artist Sarah Haidar is top of our wish list. 

Pearlescent Glass

Dip your toe into the glass nail trend by opting for pearlescent textures and neutral shades, like this elegant set by London-based nail artist Jane Lee using Korean gel.

Deep Ocean

This fun two-tone manicure by nail artist Mutsa teams a zesty apple green with a deep azure blue for a refreshing and playful take on the glass nail trend.

Smoked Glass

An ultra-fine golden shimmer adds instant autumnal warmth to this mahogany manicure, which looks so expensive on the nails thanks to the smoked glass effect.

On Fire

Red nails will never go out of style but why not give them an update with a fiery reflective finish like this set by Nail Society?