5 Products to Remove Your Glitter Manicure Fast
Now that the holiday season has come and gone, it's time to put away your party dresses and get that glitter manicure off. If you're already frustrated by just the prospect of polish removal, we completely understand. Glitter may be fabulous, but its cleanup is a notorious struggle. We shudder to think of how many months of our lives have been wasted by trying to take off sparkly lacquer. Before you resort to drastic measures (say, chipping it off with a chisel), take a deep breath. These products were specifically made to make your glitter application and removal process as quick and painless as possible. Read on to discover the products that will make your cleanup take a matter of seconds — seriously! Source: Shutterstock
Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover
While we've tried many different removers that claim to whisk away polish after dipping your finger in an acetone-soaked sponge-filled jar, none of them works nearly as well as this one. It's designed for glitter formulas (removing sparkly lacquer in 10 seconds from each nail!) and has a special scrubber in the cap to get each talon squeaky clean. It even leaves your fingers smelling like vanilla, instead of the standard noxious fumes.
Glitter Nail Polish Removal Gel
This remover/scrub hybrid is delivered to your nails via a gel formula similar in texture to a thick hand sanitizer. Leave it on for two minutes (don't worry, it won't ooze off), and wipe it away with a cotton ball. The remover will have eaten away at most of your glitter, while the scrubbing beads will buff off the remaining flecks. Bonus: it contains coconut oil so your nails will be left nourished and smooth.
Glitter Nail Polish Removal Gel ($3), available at Walmart stores nationwide
OPI Glitter Off Natural Base Coat
Another legendary glitter manicure method is applying white school glue instead of base coat to ensure easy removal, but it works too well: it often causes the polish's free edge to lift up and peel off after just a few hours of wear. This base coat works off the same concept but is easier to paint on, leaving you with fabulous fingers that won't take you hours to clean up.
Julep Party's Over Glitter Nail Polish Removal Kit
You may have heard of the tinfoil method of removing glitter manicure — it involves applying acetone-saturated cotton balls to each finger, then securing them with a makeshift tinfoil sleeve for 10 minutes or more. The tinfoil prevents the acetone from evaporating, so your nails really get a good solid soak. Julep's kit is a chicer, speedier take on this technique. It comes with presoaked remover towelettes that you put on your claws, then cover with rubberized caps that fit snugly against your nail bed so every fleck gets removed. The best part? It only takes three minutes to soak off the sparkles.
SensatioNail Nail Shields
While these stickers are meant to be applied pre-gel manicure, they are just as effective when used before glitter polish. In lieu of a base coat, apply a shield to each nail like you would lacquer strips (stick down, press into corners, and file off the edges), cure with your at-home UV light, then apply your polish of choice. When you're ready to change up your manicure, use a manicure stick to lift up the edge of the nail shield and peel it off, taking the color along with it.
SensatioNail Nail Shields ($8), available at drugstores nationwide