Ready to nail the shiny new look that’s keeping hands glam on runways and red carpets this season? If you want your nails to sparkle in the spotlight, then glitter is the answer. If you want something more subtly shiny, then adding chrome powder to your manicure will turn your nails into ten tiny mirrors. Either way, you’re guaranteed to have a more upscale look than what traditional metallic polishes provides.

Your favourite salon will always be able to give you a great look, but any creative lady should be able to give her hands a treat all by herself. All you need is some glitter or chrome, and a little know-how!

Know the look you want and what your capabilities are

Chrome nails are definitely eye catching, but if you want a look that’s positively popping, glitter is the way to go! Both reflect light, but the surfaces of glitter pieces are larger, and therefore a bit flashier. Glitter also offers a few more opportunities for adding patterns to your manicure. That’s because the two are actually applied very differently. Chrome powders are rubbed onto your nail after your basecoat is dry, then sealed with a top coat, making an easy and beautiful way to have a color that is uniformly breath-taking. If you want glitter, you’ll want to paint a second coat of polish on and then add glitter in before it dries. That means you can glitter tips, stripes, or split your nails up any other way that you want. If you’re not sure where to start, try an all over chrome or glitter look, and experiment more the second time around.

Between glitter and chrome, you can match your nails to almost any outfit! Silver chrome on a black basecoat is a recipe for vampy glam; if you want to let your inner party girl out, use the same silver over a bright pink. On the other hand, try applying gold glitter to a dark blue base – your hand will look like a starry sky!

Make sure you have the right tools

Neither glitter nor chrome should be applied with a brush. So once your base coat is on, you’re going to be switching it up! Use a sponge-tip applicator to spread the color evenly over your nails – it’s a little bit like putting eyeshadow on! For glitter, you have a few options. If you want an even coat over your whole nail, you can pick up the glitter in a soft bristle brush and then shake the particles out over your hand. If you are trying to make more precise lines, you can use a syringe to draw them out.

There are a few other household items you can use to help get your look just right! If you only want glitter on the tips of your nails, or on one half, use a piece of clear tape to cover anything that you want to stay matte. Also, do your manicure over a piece of scrap paper – it will save you time on clean-up and will help you catch and conserve any excess glitter!

Don’t forget the basics

The trick to getting any manicure right is a good base coat, a gel finish top coat, and letting every layer dry thoroughly before you add on more. This goes double for chromes and glitters. The appeal of chrome lies is in how it can perfectly imitate a metal surface. That means that even the slightest chip or wrinkle will ruin the illusion. Glitter, on the other hand, can be prone to chipping, and the chunkier pieces can snag clothes. So make sure you are using a chip-resistant finish to hold everything in place and keep your look smooth.

So get going and try a shiny style today. It’s the perfecting finishing touch for any night on the town outfit!