MYTH BUSTER: why is glitter nail polish so hard to remove?

Everyone knows that glitter nail polish is a bitch and a half to remove, right? The reason glitter lacquers are a pain in the ass to remove is to do with contact area – the larger a piece of glitter is, the more acreage it covers on the nail. More coverage means that there’s more lacquer adhering to your nail under the glitter piece, so snug and tight that it is more or less impermeable to nail polish remover seeping underneath and dissolving that lacquer bond.

So how do you remove glitter nail polish?

There are two ways to remove glitter nail polish: the patient and gentle way, and the naughty and quick way.

The gentle and patient way to remove glitter polish is to soak it off. Pro nail bloggers swear by soaking cotton wool in nail polish remover, then popping the remover-soaked cotton on your nails and wrapping your digits in foil to let them soak. I cheat by using the lid of my nail polish remover bottle like a tiny cup and pouring a little remover into it, and soaking each nail for a minute or two. It works the same way as the cotton wool wrap but without a lot of preparation. Just make sure you hydrate your cuticles and nails afterwards!

The naughty way to remove glitter nail polish is super naughty. If you’re in a hurry and you’re willing to run the risk of doing a little damage to the top layers of your nail, glittery nail polish tends to be very rigid and can be cracked and lifted away in one neat piece. Not that I would ever do this myself. Cough, cough. Ahem.

Good luck with your glitter polishes!