How to Take off Glitter Nail Polish

What do you wear on your nails when you want a fun but really different look? Glitter nail polish. It looks awesome on its own, to enhance an outfit for a party. Or as a topper over another color polish.

But what about when you need to remove it? Whether you have natural nails, acrylics, or artificial tips, there’s a method to suit you. And we explain them all in detail in our guide below.

We have explained the easiest, the healthiest, and the best ways to remove your glitter polish. So if you are not sure how to take off glitter nail polish, keep reading.

What This Article Covers

How To Get Glitter Nail Polish Off

For many people, glitter or sparkly nail polish is a must-have nail polish. Wearing glitter nail polish is a quick and easy way to make a statement. But removing it is not always so quick and easy.

Don’t let that put you off wearing our stunning Gossip Girl sparkly polish, though. It’s easy once you know how to do it. Let’s examine the three most common removal methods.

How To Remove Glitter Nail Polish Easily

You painted your nails with beautiful glitter nail polish, and it was fun at a party. But now you’d like to remove it before you return to work, and your friends have told you it’s a little difficult to remove. What do you do?

There are several ways to remove it, from quick and easy to not so quick but effective. This is the quickest and easiest method.

Acetone is an extremely powerful chemical solvent. It is also an effective and affordable option when it comes to removing nail polish.

When applied to nail polish, the acetone’s molecules force through the polymer molecules of the polish and cause it to disintegrate.

Acetone

For ordinary, lacquer, shellac, or gel glitter nail polish on natural nails, this is by far the easiest and fastest way to remove it.

It does take a while longer, though, to dissolve gel and other UV-cured nail polishes. And it is not recommended for removing glitter nail polish from acrylics. The acetone will dissolve the acrylics.

Acetone can also be very harsh, stripping natural oils from the skin and nails. But you don’t have to use acetone if you don’t want to. Here are the alternatives.

How To Remove Glitter Nail Polish Without Acetone

Not everyone wants to, or can, use acetone. While acetone does a good job of removing nail polish, it can be very drying.

But there are acetone-free options and alternative methods you can use to remove your glitter nail polish.

Acetone-Free Polish Remover

Are you looking for an acetone-free product for removing glitter polish? Something that can also be used on acrylic & artificial nails?

OrlyBeauty understands that you see your nail polish as an expression of your personal style. Have you mastered the art of how to blend nail polish colors?

Or perhaps you’ve just learned how to Ombre nail polish? Better yet, how about learning how to do French Ombre nails with gel polish?

We admire your dedication to nail art and beauty. But it’s just as important to learn how to properly remove your nail polish and nail art, without causing damage to your nails.

Use this as an alternative to acetone to remove your glitter nail polish. Acetone-free nail polish remover is quite effective at removing nail polish, including the glittery kind. Use in the same way that you would use acetone.

Most acetone-free removers take a bit more effort, and may not be able to remove UV-cured gel glitter polish. Unless you use our innovative Genius Remover, specially formulated to gently remove gel polish and lacquer.

Filing & Buffing

This is a highly effective method for removing gel polish from natural, acrylic, or any other artificial nail products.

Acetone-free nail polish remover is very effective at removing ordinary nail polish, but not so much for gel polish. This is because the ingredients used in gel polish make removal more difficult.

You may be familiar with how to apply gel nail polish. But do you know how to safely remove it? You could use our gentle gel-polish remover of course. It is specially created to remove gel polish.

But there is also the buffing method:

Use the 100-grit part of a nail file to file away the colored part of your gel manicure.
Then use the 180 grit part of the file to buff and smooth out your nails.
Dab a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol over the nails.

The key to proper nail care is having the right tools. We have an assortment of nail care tools, including various files, buffers, and file/ buffer duos that are perfectly suited for this task.

The Best Way To Remove Any Glitter Nail Polish

Wearing sparkly glitter nail polish allows you to introduce an element of fun into your look. It even makes a cute toenail polish, either on its own or over another color.

But when you want to change your look, be sure that you can remove every trace of glitter from your nails. This is not only so that you don’t see the glitter anymore. You will need a smooth base for applying your new coat of nail polish.

If you want a fool-proof way to remove all your glitter nail polish, try this 3-step method. It takes a bit longer but gives the best results. And it is a suitable method for all types of nails.

Step 1: Apply A Topcoat Over The Glitter Polish

This first step may seem counter-productive, but it is an essential step in the removal process.

Applying a top coat over your glitter nail polish, and then removing it before it dries, will make the glitter stick to it and come off along with the top coat. Can you put regular nail polish over gel polish? Yes, for this purpose you can just use any ordinary topcoat.

Step 2: Use A Cotton Ball Soaked In Polish Remover

While the top coat is still wet, start to remove it with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover.

If you are wearing gel or other UV-cured polish on natural nails, you will need to use acetone or our specially designed gel polish remover. But for ordinary nail polish or artificial nails, you may use any acetone-free product.

Step 3: Gently Buff Your Nails

If a few stubborn particles of glitter remain, gently buff them away using a mild buffer.

And give your nails one last swipe with a cotton ball soaked in the remover, to remove the last traces of polish and buffing dust.

When you decide to wear glitter polish again, the best way to apply glitter nail polish is in thin, separate coats. If you apply it in one very thick coat, it will be very hard to remove.

How To Take Off Glitter Nail Polish (FAQs)

Why is glitter nail polish so hard to remove?

Glitter nail polish can be notoriously hard to remove, because it contains particles of non-porous materials, like mylar or aluminum.

Because these shiny particles are suspended in a polish base, they adhere to the nail when it dries. This makes glitter nail polish slightly more difficult to remove than non-glitter polish.

Is non-acetone nail polish remover as effective as acetone at removing glitter polish?

Yes, acetone-free nail polish remover is every bit as effective at removing nail polish, even the sparkly and glitter ones.

The only caveat is that it is often not able to remove gel nail polish. But acetone-free nail polish remover that is specifically formulated to remove gel polish is available.

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