Stunningly reflective and lushiously glossy, the glass-nail trend is one of the latest fashions emerging in the world of manicures. As the name suggests, the process behind it leaves nails looking like they’re a glass surface, catching the light on a bed of clean and healthy-looking nails.
The trend has by no means come out of the blue, though: back in autumn 2023, we wrote about how the glazed-doughnut nail trend had been taking over TikTok. This trend, however, reverses the technique.
In the glazed-doughnut nails, powered chrome was used to finish off the nails, but in the glass-nail manicure, powdered chrome is used as a base on which a thick apex of clear gel is applied. This is what helps catch and reflect the light, leaving the nails looking particularly healthy, glossy, and clean.
The trend is believed to have originated in Korea, and requires a certain level of skill to achieve, which is why it’s probably best to speak to a nail technician if you’d like to get yours done in this style.
Even so, speaking to Vogue, celebrity nail technician Harriet Westmoreland explained that anyone looking to achieve this at home should start with a base, apply the chrome, follow this with an apex of clear gel, and finish it all off with a top coat.
