You’ve already seen champagne chrome, glazed doughnut and fombré manicures on the rise this year, and now, there’s yet another new nail look to get to know. Behold: the glass manicure. A perhaps inevitable evolution of our obsession with glass skin, glass nails tick many of the same boxes – the look is healthy, clean and glossy, exactly the sort of words we like to see associated with our nails.
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“The idea around glass nails has come from manicurists chasing techniques to achieve the most glossy, reflective finish they can create for a nail,” explains celebrity nail technician Harriet Westmoreland. “The glass manicure is more subtle than a classic chrome, and the light reflects like glass rather than how a chrome effect looks, this is the next step on from chrome.”
Thought to have originated in Korea, the effect requires more technical prowess than you might think. “The key to a glass nail is correct application,” Westmoreland points out. “You apply the chrome as a base and then a fairly thick apex [nail enhancement] on top – this reflects the light catching the chrome but it’s more subtle, because the chrome is underneath the clear gel, instead of on top.”
Read everything else you need to know about glass nails, below.
What are glass nails?
“Glass nails are ultra-sheer, high-shine nails that look clean, fresh, and almost see-through,” explains manicurist Julia Diogo. “While glazed nails have that pearly chrome finish and soap nails give a soft, milky, diffused effect, glass nails are all about simplicity. No shimmer, no pearlescence—just pure, glossy clarity.” If in doubt, think crisp rather than creamy.
The rise of glass nails—and why they stuck
It takes more than a passing fancy to constitute a nail trend. The style has to appear more often than not, often on famous fingers and be backed by the biggest names in the game. Glass nails tick all of these boxes. Why are we so keen for something pared-back and minimal, though? Townhouse founder Juanita Huber-Millet explains.
“Skin looks like skin again, hair feels more natural, and nails are following the same trend,” she says. “Sheer, see-through designs give a sense of lightness and honesty—they don’t hide the natural nail, they celebrate it. I think that’s very much an evolution of the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, but with more sophistication and longevity.”
Huber-Millet rejects the idea that glass nails are solely a summer style, observing that heavier, deeper-coloured clothing contrasts well against a glossy glass nail. “It’s like wearing delicate jewelery,” she describes.
How to make glass nails look intentional
Like most nail trends, the key to ensuring a sleek, seamless finish is perfect prep work. “Prep is everything,” Diogo explains. “The cleaner the base, the better the final result—especially with a sheer look.”
Her best advice is to start with a cuticle remover to tidy up the nail bed, and then go in with some cuticle clippers to get that crisp, clean border. After that, gently buff the nail to create a smooth, even surface. Repeat this process as many times as you need for the nail to look clean and manicured before swiping on a base coat or color.
How to get glass nails at home
To achieve the effect at home, Westmoreland recommends the following layering system: base, chrome, apex clear gel (the smoothing and strengthening layer you apply on top of or underneath a color or nail design to help it last), and then finally, a top coat.
Huber-Millet recommends not going totally sheer, though the word “glass” may suggest otherwise. This added depth gives a little more oomph to the nail than a transparent polish. Most of all, the finish needs to be hyper-glossy. “The shine needs to be almost mirror-like,” she emphasises. “This is what creates the light-catching illusion.”