Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between glitter and reflective glitter?
An ordinary glitter scatters light in all directions and reads as sparkle. A reflective glitter carries particles that bounce light straight back at its source, so under a camera flash it flares into a halo of light while looking like a soft shimmer in daylight. That is why reflective sets are booked from photographs and why a client who has seen one online will not accept a standard glitter instead. The Diamond Reflective group on this page is that product, and it should be displayed with a flash photograph.
How do I keep glitter from going patchy?
Lay a solid base colour first, because most glitters read best over a coat of a similar tone rather than over the natural nail. Load the brush lightly so flake is not dumped at the cuticle, work in one direction rather than back and forth, and press rather than stroke for heavy flake. Cure fully between coats, and finish with two thin top coats floated over the surface, capping the free edge, so the top fills the texture instead of dragging the flake out of place.
Why is glitter gel harder to remove?
Because the flake itself resists acetone. The removal that works is mechanical first: file the shine and the top layer off properly so the acetone can reach the gel underneath, then wrap for a full ten to fifteen minutes and push the softened product away rather than scraping. If it is not moving, wrap again instead of forcing it. One bad glitter removal will put a client off glitter for a year, so book the time rather than borrowing it from the next appointment.
How many glitters does a salon need?
Three or four, because the everyday business is the accent nail rather than the full set. A gold or champagne covers nudes, browns, and reds and carries the party season; a silver or icy shimmer serves clients who do not wear gold; a multi-tone or holographic photographs best; and one reflective is worth stocking if the salon promotes on social media. Add a fine shimmer for clients who want subtle, which is more of the book than most salons expect.
What is in the glitter gel collection
199 glitter and effect gels at wholesale from three lines: LAVIS with 123 listings, LDS with 39, and DND with 37. Twenty are out of stock as this page was written. The page gathers the LAVIS glitter groups G01 to G05, the Diamond Reflective and Holiday Stardust collections, the LDS Blinky Bling and Shimming Elegance ranges, and the DND Super Glitter duos, which are sold as a gel and lacquer pair, a gel alone, or a lacquer alone.
The groups on this page
| Group | Listings | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| LAVIS glitter G01 to G05 | Around 110 across the groups | The core glitter chart, from fine shimmer to heavy flake |
| Diamond Reflective | 13 | Reflective glitter that flares under a camera flash |
| Holiday Stardust | 13 | The party-season group |
| LDS Blinky Bling and Shimming Elegance | 20 each | Two LDS glitter ranges, also sold as 18-colour sets |
| DND Super Glitter | 37 | Glitter duos with a matching lacquer, sold by style |
Reflective glitter is a different product
An ordinary glitter reflects light in all directions and reads as sparkle. A reflective glitter carries particles that bounce light straight back at its source, so under a flash it flares into a solid halo of light while looking like a soft shimmer in daylight. That is why reflective sets are booked from photographs and why a client who has seen one online will not accept a standard glitter as a substitute. The Diamond Reflective group here is that product, and it should be displayed with a photograph taken with a flash rather than with a swatch stick alone.
Applying glitter gel so it lies flat
- Start with a base colour. Most glitters read best over a solid coat of a similar tone rather than straight over the natural nail.
- Load the brush lightly. A heavy load dumps flake at the cuticle and leaves the tip bare.
- Work in one direction. Brushing back and forth drags flake into ridges.
- Press, do not stroke, for heavy flake. Dabbing places the particles where they are wanted.
- Cure fully between coats. A soft layer under a fresh one lets flake sink and cloud.
- Float the top coat. Two thin coats, capping the free edge, so the top fills the texture instead of dragging it.
Where a glitter set goes wrong
- Bare patches at the tip. The brush was unloaded on the cuticle end first.
- A rough surface after the top coat. Only one top coat was used on a heavy flake; two thin coats level it.
- Flake lifting at the free edge. The edge was not capped, and glitter lifts there before flat colour does.
- A cloudy finish. Coats were laid too thick or cured for too short a time.
- Difficult removal. Glitter blocks acetone; file the surface thoroughly before wrapping.
Removal is the part clients complain about
Glitter gel does not soak like a cream, because the flake itself resists acetone. The removal that works is mechanical first: file the shine and the top layer off properly so the acetone can reach the gel underneath, then wrap for a full ten to fifteen minutes and push the softened product away rather than scraping. If it is not moving, wrap again instead of forcing it. A client who has had one bad glitter removal will refuse glitter for a year, so the time is worth booking into the appointment rather than borrowing from the next one.
Where glitter earns its place
Mostly on one finger. The accent nail is the highest-margin part of a colour service: it adds a few minutes, it is what gets photographed, and it gives a client a reason to book again for a different look. A full glitter set sells too, particularly in the party season and for occasions, but the everyday business is the accent, which is why a salon needs three or four glitters that work with the colours already on the wall rather than a large glitter chart.
The DND Super Glitter duos have a second use: the matching lacquer means a client can have the same sparkle on her toes without a lamp, which sells well in summer and for events.
Choosing three or four glitters
- A gold or champagne, which works over nudes, browns, and reds and carries the whole party season.
- A silver or icy shimmer for clients who do not wear gold and for winter work.
- A multi-tone or holographic for the accent that photographs best.
- One reflective if the salon promotes on social media, because that is the effect clients arrive asking for.
- A fine shimmer rather than a heavy flake for clients who want subtle, which is more of the book than most salons expect.
Buying sets or singles
The LDS ranges here are also listed as 18-colour and 36-colour sets, which is a display decision rather than a restock: a set arrives as a group, merchandises together, and gives the salon a season of accents in one order. Singles are the sensible purchase once the salon knows which two or three glitters actually get used, which is usually a small number whatever the wall holds. A page like this rewards editing more than accumulation, because an unused glitter is a bottle that will be thick before it is empty.
Photographing glitter so it sells
Glitter is the one category where the photograph does most of the selling, and the photograph is easy to get wrong. Flat salon light makes a reflective shade look like a plain shimmer, and a phone flash makes an ordinary glitter look like a reflective one, which sets up a disappointed client. The honest approach is to shoot both: one image in daylight showing what the client will see day to day, and one with a flash showing what the camera will do at a party. Clients who see both book the right shade for the right reason.
The same applies to the display. A swatch stick under a lamp tells a client very little about a reflective or a multi-tone glitter, so a printed photograph beside the display does more work than three more sticks.
Glitter on toes and on tips
Two services that use the same bottles differently. On toes a glitter set lasts far longer than on hands, because the film is not meeting keyboards and washing up, which makes it a natural summer and holiday sale, and the DND duos here allow the same shade in air-dry lacquer for a client who will not sit for a lamp. On tips and extensions, glitter is usually applied as a gradient towards the free edge rather than over the whole nail, which uses less product, files back more easily at the rebalance, and is what most clients mean when they ask for a sparkle French.
Storage
Glitter gel settles more than cream gel, so roll the bottle between the palms before use rather than shaking it, which puts bubbles into the coat and leaves the flake unevenly distributed anyway. Keep the bottles out of daylight and away from heat, cap them between clients, and wipe the necks, because dried glitter on a thread is what stops a cap seating. A bottle that has separated in storage usually comes back with a minute of rolling; one that has thickened does not.
Pricing the accent
An accent nail is the easiest line to add to a menu and the easiest to give away by accident. A glitter finger takes a few minutes, uses a fraction of a bottle, and is the nail the client photographs, which makes it worth a small fixed charge rather than a favour. Two lines are enough: an accent on one or two nails, and a full glitter set, which takes longer to apply and considerably longer to remove. Written on the board, both stop being a negotiation at the chair, and the removal time is accounted for when the next appointment is booked. Where a client wants glitter on every nail every visit, it is worth building the longer removal into her standing appointment length rather than finding it again at every visit and running late.
Glitter over an enhancement
On acrylic, dip, or a gel extension the same bottles behave slightly differently, because the surface underneath is harder and flatter than a natural nail. Flake sits more evenly, which is an advantage, but any unevenness in the enhancement shows through a sparkle finish rather than being hidden by it, so the surface has to be filed genuinely level first. Encapsulating glitter inside an enhancement is the alternative: the flake goes onto the set surface and is covered with clear, which cannot wear off and does not have to be removed when the colour changes.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every bottle and set on this page ships at wholesale pricing for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. Free shipping on orders $100+, and in-stock bottles ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.