For the Longest Lasting Rhinestone Nail Design

GEMGEL Adhesive and Crystals For Nails

The trend of gorgeous rhinestone nail design is here to stay and our rhinestones come in all different colors, styles, and shapes to jazz up your nail art creations. What’s more complicated is actually getting those rhinestone crystals to “stay” on your nails with everything you put your hands through. With the right techniques it’s easy to make rhinestones go the distance in wear for you. We’ve put together our recommended tips to help your rhinestones stay on your nails even longer!

What’s the Average Amount of Time Rhinestones Stay on Fingernails?

When you go to the salon to have your nail tech do your nails, crystal nail art should last at least two weeks. The best way to apply MAXIMA Crystals by Preciosa® - the highest quality brand of crystal available for nail art and the closest comparison to Swarovski - or any other rhinestone you desire is with GEMGEL Adhesive™ which has a strong resin adhesive that cures like a gel. Gently buff the nail before applying the GEMGEL Adhesive. The gel cures under a UV/LED light to a glossy finish and a super strong hold. Ask your nail tech for only the best rhinestones with the strongest hold of GEMGEL Adhesive. You’ll love your new crystal manicure!

Gel vs. Regular Polish Under Your Rhinestone Nail Art

When looking at long wearing gel-based nail polish or regular polish, it’s best to go with gel for long-lasting wear. What is even better is to have a hard acrylic or hard builder gel surface under the gel polish. The stronger and less flexible the nail is, the longer the crystal manicure will last. You can crystallize your natural nail manicure but it will not last as long as a hard nail base.

The gel process requires a gel base coat that is cured with UV light. Each new coat also gets cured with UV light to dry the polish between coats. This process helps with the wear of the gel polish. Then a special top coat is applied. The wear of gel polish will last about two weeks.

Regular polish even with a normal base and top coat might only last about a week before you start to see some chips. If you do decide to use regular polish as a base for your crystal manicure, make sure the top coat is completely dry before placing the crystals on top.

Do You Put a Top Coat Over Rhinestones?

Good question! You’ll definitely want to use a top coat over gel or regular polish and under the rhinestones that are applied to your nails. If you were to apply a top coat over your crystals for nails it could dull the sparkle of the rhinestone, which you don’t want. That’s the whole point of having gorgeous rhinestone crystals applied on your nails. Our GEMGEL Adhesive is super strong and does not require a top coat for the crystals to stay on the nail. The bling and shine of the rhinestone is the appeal - don't cover it up!

Tips For Making Rhinestones Last Longer On Your Nails

- Pick the Right Adhesive. The key to lasting crystal nail art is figuring out how to secure crystals on nails. We have the answer for you and it’s called GEMGEL Adhesive. Believe it or not, GEMGEL Adhesive was designed with the strongest resin adhesive - the same adhesive they use on the space shuttles!

- Use the Right Amount of Adhesive. You want to make sure there is enough GEMGEL Adhesive for the rhinestones to sit slightly into the gel without the gel covering too much of crystal. You do not want the rhinestone to be buried in gel. We recommend using a bead about half the size of the crystal you’re about to place.

- Consider Your Rhinestone Placement. The placement of the rhinestone also matters as well—you want them to be closer to the center of your nail bed or near the cuticle so that they last longer. If they are close to the tips, they run the risk of being knocked off easier.

- Try a Top Coat Around the Rhinestone. As we mentioned earlier, adding a top coat over your rhinestone will cause it to lose clarity and sparkle. But adding a top coat on your nail and around the sides of your rhinestone helps lock the design in place for longer. Of course if your entire nail is covered with rhinestones, skip this step!

- Wear Gloves to Protect Your Nails. If you wash dishes on a daily basis in your household, it’s going to affect the wear of your polish and nail art, unless you invest in some cleaning gloves to protect your hands. In fact, if you are going to have your hands immersed in water for any length of time it’s always a good idea to wear gloves for protection. This also keeps your hands from drying out as much. You can also protect your hands when washing your hair and not soaking your nails when bathing. Water is especially hard on manicures done on your natural and flexible nail bed.

Be sure to read our blog How to Do Simple Crystal Nail Art at Home for an even more detailed breakdown of tools and techniques.

Nail Your Next Crystal Manicure

We hope these tips help create sparkling nails that last! For more tips and tricks when it comes to rhinestones, stay tuned to our Rhinestones Unlimited blog. We’ll continue to offer up thoughts to help you make the most out of rhinestones.

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