Our Guide To The Different Nail Polish Finishes
With so many nail polish options on the market, it’s worth having a well-rounded understanding of not only the types of polish products, but also the varying types of nail polish finishes. The finish can impact how the polish works for you including the fashion it will go with and what kind of occasions it’ll be best for. Learn from our guide to the different nail polish finishes by reading below.
Crème Finish
A crème nail polish finish is one of the most common types that gets used. These finishes are known for leaving a gloss finish. They require usually one to two coats. Crèmes come in a white-base, solid, opaque, and have a variety of shades. This gives a simple but clean look to your nail color.
Sheer
A sheer finish is perfect if you want a glossy look for your nails. If you’re looking to get a French manicure, using a sheer nail polish finish will give you the perfect final product. You can use this to have glammed up nails without having to use any color tints.
Jelly
For a quality nail polish with a unique wet looking surface finish, you’ll want to try jelly. This polish gets its look from being translucent with a hint of color. The almost candy-like look is a great option if you want extremely shiny and colorful nails.
Textured
A textured finished nail polish is meant to give your nails a 3-dimensional quality. This look is enhanced from a combination of the polish drying with a grainy finish and the sparkles within the polish that catch the light. A textured nail polish will give you sparkling nails perfect for a special evening.
Matte
Matte finish nail polishes always have a solid finish without any shine. If you’d prefer to not have any shine on your nails but still want a bold color, try this polish. You’ll need to do your best to get it applied in a uniform manner, as matte polish tends to dry quickly.
Holo Polish
Our guide to different nail polish finishes wouldn’t be complete without this unique polish. One of the new trends on the market is this holographic (Holo) nail polish. The polish is designed to contain glitter that creates the color effects of a rainbow when hit by sunlight. There can be a variance of the holographic effect. The application process also will vary depending on the manufacturer. Some may require you to use a good amount of pressure when applying the coats to get it to scatter properly.
Metallic
If you want to get a metal-like finish that includes a realistic shine, try out this metallic-finish nail polish. There are different types of metallic looks it can imitate including silver, gold, bronze, and copper finishes.
Glitter
Make yourself look dazzling for a special event with some glitter nail polish. This polish contains high amounts of cosmetic glitter within a clear or tinted base. Before you begin to open the bottle, shake the polish well as the glitter might settle. Apply a thick coat of gloss on top to get the best shiny, sparkling finish.
Duochrome
This nail polish has the wild effect of appearing in two different colors based on how the light hits it. For instance, if the polish appears red in certain lighting, it could appear purple in others. Duochrome polish can come in a variety of shades.
Pearl
Get a luxurious look going for yourself with a pearl nail polish. A pearl finish has a softly-reflective, iridescent quality. The overall look resembles exactly what it sounds like—a pearl. This is great if you want something a bit blingy but not so intense as something sparkly like glitter.
Foil
Nail polish with a foil finish can be a fun option since there are several looks you can get with it. You can create a look similar to metallic polish but with a foil twist, but there are unique options like gold foil finish polishes that can create a look similar to gold leaf.
Shimmer
Shimmer polishes use a similar base to crème polishes, except that they include a certain amount of bits of glitter. The glitter can be silver or gold, which will give the shimmer its tint. Shimmers are great if you want to have a bit of glitz without being too overwhelming.
Suede
Suedes can be described as a cross between a matte and shimmer. The result is a nail polish with a solid, smooth texture, but also a bit of shine. Suede polishes are great if you want a polish that’s similar to a matte but offers a little more texture with more variety of color.
Glass Flecked
If you enjoy the idea of glitter in your nail polish but want something more distinctive, consider a glass flecked nail polish. This involves nail polish containing small flakes of glass or glitter. With a jelly base, you end up with a finish that sparkles like glitter but has a special smoothness.
Neon
Neon nail polishes give your nails a popping quality. Neon polishes look like a thick, creamy polish when first out of the bottle. Once they dry, though, they’ll have a matte finish. This works well with the neon colors which have the right amount of intensity.
Satin
A satin finish is generally described as having a similarity to a matte finish polish, but it’s a bit shinier. You can look at a satin nail polish finish as a mixture of crème and matte. This nail polish can be useful for a variety of looks, from anything such as a formal event to a professional look for the office.
Iridescent
To give your nails a look similar to duochrome, but with more of a color blend, you could use this iridescent finish nail polish. The polish features the same shine, but when the light hits it, you won’t see a specific change of color. You tend to see the base color in the middle of the nail.
If you’re looking for quality products to get a professional look for your nails, visit Kiara Sky Nails. Here you’ll find everything from gel polish for professionals to dip powder products.
