Leave it to ‘It Girl’ Gigi Hadid to single-handedly launch a manicure revolution with her hologram nails. While Gigi’s Met Gala nails may set you back a few bucks ($2,000, to be exact), you easily can replicate the look at home with just a few tools and a precise hand. Inspired by beauty blogger Kandee Johnson’s hologram nail tutorial, here is a quick guide to getting hologram nails at home.
what you need
• Sally Hensen Salon Gel Polish Base Coat
• Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polish
• Essie Gel Setter
• Ocean Nail Supply Hologram Powder
• Eye Shadow Sponge
1. Once you’ve filed and buffed your nails (hologram powder works on both) to their desired shape, apply a base coat of Sally Hensen Salon Gel Polish Base Coat and two layers of gel nail polish. Any color and brand will work. The color of your nails won’t show through, so whether you want to stick with a neutral tone or prefer a neon, it won’t affect your hologram finish.
2. Apply Essie’s hard gel topcoat (a favorite of mine and Kandee Johnson’s!). You will be adding a powder to achieve the hologram effect, and the gel topcoat will allow the powder to stick to your nails. Check out the hologram nail powder sold online at Ocean Nail Supply.
3. Now apply the hologram powder using the eye shadow sponge. Any eye shadow sponge will do. If you want to go the extra step and check out a nail or beauty supply store, look for a rubber-tipped wand. It will give you that much more precision.
4. Make sure you seal everything and cover each corner. Hologram nails are not forgiving when it comes to missing a spot. And there you have it! Your psychedelic look is complete.
pro tip: Keep in mind that removing the gel polish and powder is just like removing any other gel manicure. If you don’t want to have it professionally removed by a nail technician, you easily can remove the polish at home. You’ll need to scrape the top of your polish with a nail file and wrap your nails with aluminum foil and cotton balls soaked in nail polish remover.