Manicure trends ebb and flow as the seasons change. Recently, two-toned aura nails and “dark coquette” adornments like black ribbon decals have been in the spotlight, along with particular polish shades like dark espresso, deep purple, and icy white with a cool girl chrome finish.
Come winter 2025, one multidimensional design is set to dominate: meet the “glass nail” trend.
What Are “Glass Nails,” Anyway?
If you’re on NailTok, you’ve likely seen one of the nearly 8,000 mani videos under the hashtag #GlassNails. And yes, they look as cool as they sound.
“Glass nails essentially mimic the appearance of glass — they’re shiny, translucent, and have a glass-like depth thanks to the various layers of polishes applied to create this look,” Sarah Haidar, a Chicago-based manicurist and nailfluencer, tells Bustle. “They give off dreamy, ethereal vibes, and are perfect for anyone wanting a manicure that’s both minimalistic and eye-catching.”
Nail-loving girlies on TikTok agree that the dimensional look has total it girl quality — and it happens to be perfect for the upcoming holiday season. What’s more, there are also endless color options to choose from, including “cherry mocha girl” burgundy, jet black, and more neutral hues like champagne or milk chocolate.
Haidar also points to rich, jewel-toned shades, especially for the wintertime — think deep reds, blues, and greens. However, you can rock the look in lighter colors like pale pink or even silver.
Whichever color you go with, it’s all about your base and top coats.
How To Create Colorfully Glassy Tips
The stunning, stained glass aesthetic is created using a combination of two equally buzzy manicure trends: mesmerizing cat-eye details topped with a sheer jelly polish in whatever color you’d like.
“Start by applying one coat of black polish. Then, apply a layer of silver cat eye polish over the top and use a magnet to pull the particles to one side to give it that reflective look,” says Haidar. For a silvery magnetic hue, both the KBShimmer Magnetic Nail Polish in Love At Frost Sight and the Cirque Colors Magnetic Polish in Chemistry are gorgeous options.
For a lighter glass nail look, she recommends skipping the first black coat.
Top your nails with a layer of jelly polish in whatever color you’d like. “The last layer needs to be sheer to allow the cat eye polish to show through and give it that glassy depth,” she says. The Lights Lacquer Polish in Michelangelo is a translucent caramel jelly color, while the Starrily Nail Lacquer in Bluefire Jelly is a sheer sapphire blue.
Time to elevate your mani routine, besties.
