People Have Moved on From Glazed Donut Manis—Now It’s All About “Glass Nails”

We’ve had nail trends aplenty this year, from butter nails and fruity nail art and the continued reign of neutrals and glazed chrome nails. But, a new nail trend is on the horizon in the form of glass nails.

With Google searches for glass nails up 5,000%, it’s clear that there is a new chrome look that’s about to take over from glazed nails. But what exactly are glass nails, and how are they different from chrome nails? Celebrity nail technician, Karolina Zuk (who has tended to the nails of the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whitley) fills us in on the new nail trend.

What Are Glass Nails?

Like glazed nails, which we’ve seen on the likes of Hailey Bieber, glass nails offer a next-level shine with chrome powder. While the glazed manicure trend often features milky white bases (such as OPI’s Funny Bunny) before the application of chrome powder, glass nails feature a sheerer, neutral base that allows the chrome powder to—quite literally—shine, with a glassy, reflective finish. Glass nails are a continuation of the chrome powder trend we’ve seen in recent years.

“It all started many years ago when chrome powders were introduced, but because of the trends at the time, they’ve been forgotten,” says Zuk. “The first global come back was when Hailey Bieber Showed her glazed manicure, so I would say this brought it back to life and it is still with us today,” she says, explaining that depending on the type of chrome powder your nail tech uses, you can get different effects.

How to Get Glass Nails

There is an art to achieving glass nails, says Zuk. “When working with gel, the technique is very precise and based on counting the time of curing top coat which is the key to achieve perfectly rubbed powder,” she says, which will leave you with a flawless glass finish.

“Once you have applied your ideal base colour on the nails, apply a top coat and cure it for 20-25s in UV/LED Lamp. Make sure your lamp is still working on its highest strength. Then, using eyeshadow sponge, rub the powder on the surface of the top coat, buff the free edge and seal it with non-acid primer. Remove the dust with using soft brush and apply a layer of top coat, capping free edge,” she says.

Can You Do Glass Nails at Home?

Chrome powder typically needs a non-wipe gel polish to adhere to in order to get a glass-like finish, but you can find plenty of chrome effect nail polishes that will give you a similar look if you want to get the look at home. “What I always recommend is for my clients to use a Japanese manicure kit (you can buy the kit online). After this, your nails will be glass shiny and additionally super healthy,” says Zuk.