Are Glass Nails the Next Hot Nail Trend of Fall 2022?

The craze began with Korean manicurist Eunkyung Park.

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Glass nails are taking over social media. The newest nail art phenomenon started as using finely-cut holographic foil to mimic the appearance of shards of glass. The trend has evolved to mean a number of different nail looks, from a clear polish with an eccentric design or a transparent, jelly-like colored polish. Because of their ability to be minimalist and sheer, glass nail manicures often experiment with funky shapes and lengths.

The #glassnails hashtag has more than 208,000 posts on Instagram and three million views on TikTok.

Who started the glass nails trend?

Korean skincare is known across the globe for being minimal, effective and aesthetic. Who knew Korean nails were also a point of inspiration? Manicurist Eunkyung Park coined the term and began a sensation that I’m sure nail techs are already sick of hearing.

How to create glass nails?

The trick with a glass manicure is that it has to be a gel manicure, not regular polish, because artists are often sticking objects (foil, glass, gems...etc.) onto the nail. The curing process of a gel manicure also adds to the shiny “glass” effect. You begin with removing any old polish or gel and then shape and file your nails to your liking. Then a gel base needs to be applied with a brush and cured until it hardens. Depending on if rhinestones, glitter, foil or any other pieces for the “glass” effect are added, multiple gel coats need to be put on and cured. Finally, a top coat should always be applied.

Here are a few variations of glass nails designs to show your nail tech if you want to hop on this trend.

Orange Jelly Glass Nails with Glitter and Rhinestones

Glass Daggers

Purple Butterfly Glass Nails

Icy Girl Nails Inspired by Saweeti

Stained Glass Window Nails

Hailey Bieber Nails Meet Glass Nails