Frequently asked questions
What is LDS glitter acrylic and dip powder?
A 2-in-1 powder with glitter mixed through it: it dips with the LDS liquids like any LDS color and sculpts with monomer like an acrylic. This page holds 40 jars in three runs, the Holographic CG and GL numbers, the Irregular Flakes IG run, and the Diamond Flash DF run, in 1 oz and 1.5 oz. The powder is fine, so a glitter set files smooth, and it sits over any LDS color as a base.
What is the difference between the three runs?
Holographic is a rainbow-shift glitter in fine and chunky grades for full-nail sparkle and ombre; Irregular Flakes is a shard-and-foil flake for shattered-glass and geode looks, best encapsulated under clear; Diamond Flash is a highly reflective glitter that reads as a fine sparkle in daylight and lights up fully under a camera flash, which is why it books for prom and party photos.
Do I need a lamp for a glitter dip set?
No. A glitter dip is finished with the LDS liquids: base, dip, a dip of Clear to seal the texture, Sealer Dry, shape, a second Sealer Dry, and Top Coat, all air dry. The same jar sculpts with EMA monomer and a brush for extensions, and is capped under a bead of Clear before filing.
Why does my glitter set feel gritty after top coat?
The clear seal was skipped or too thin. One dip of LDS Clear over the glitter fills the texture so the surface files flat; without it the file drags flakes out and the top coat sits on a rough surface. Two glitter dips and one clear are enough; a fourth layer adds thickness without sparkle.
Are there glitter sets or bundles on this page?
No, every jar is bought by number, and none of the 40 were out of stock at the time of writing. Most glitter sets use one or two dips of glitter over a color base rather than three dips of glitter alone, so a 1.5 oz jar goes further than a color jar of the same size; hold the flash numbers two deep from October through New Year's Eve.
LDS glitter acrylic and dip powder: three glitter families in one 2-in-1 jar
This page holds every LDS glitter powder at ND Nails Supply: 40 jars across three runs, the Holographic glitters numbered CG and GL, the Irregular Flakes numbered IG, and the Diamond Flash glitters numbered DF, in 1 oz and 1.5 oz. Each jar is a 2-in-1 powder: it dips with the LDS liquids like any LDS color and it sculpts with monomer like an acrylic, so one jar serves the dip station and the acrylic station. The powder is fine, which means a glitter set files smooth instead of dragging flakes out of the surface, and it works over any LDS color, gel, or lacquer as a base. The Diamond Flash run is the one that lights up under a camera flash, the reason it is booked for prom and party sets. Everything is wholesale-priced for everyone, no license and no minimum.
What is on this page
| Run | Numbers | Size | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holographic Glitter | CG20 to CG23, GL03 to GL06 | 1.5 oz (GL05 also in 1 oz) | Rainbow-shift holographic glitter in fine and chunky grades |
| Irregular Flakes Glitter | IG04 to IG24 | 1.5 oz | Irregular flake glitter mixed through the powder for a shard and foil look |
| Diamond Flash Glitter | DF02 to DF12 | 1 oz | Highly reflective glitter, a normal sparkle in daylight and a full flash under a camera flash |
The sidebar splits the page into the IG, DF, and Chunky Glitter tags; 28 of the 40 jars are 1.5 oz and 12 are 1 oz. None of the 40 are out of stock at the time of writing, which is unusual for a glitter run and worth using before the holiday season empties the flash numbers.
Glitter powder versus loose glitter
- It is the structure, not a topper. A glitter powder is acrylic or dip powder with the glitter mixed through, so it builds the nail while it sparkles. Loose glitter has to be pressed onto wet gel or encapsulated under clear; a glitter powder is applied like any other jar.
- Even coverage. Because the glitter is suspended in powder, every dip or bead carries the same density; there are no bald patches or clumps the way a hand-sprinkled glitter leaves.
- Less filing. The LDS powder is fine, so a glitter set files smooth without dragging flakes out of the surface, and the finish needs only a clear seal and a top coat.
- No lamp on the dip side. Dip base, dip, activator, top: the glitter set is finished without curing, which matters on a holiday day when the lamp is the bottleneck.
How to dip a glitter set
- Prep. Push back, remove shine, dehydrate; glitter sets are heavier than plain color and lift first at poor prep.
- Base coat of color. One dip of the LDS color the glitter should sit over; glitter reads deeper over a dark base and brighter over a light one, and Diamond Flash reads brightest over black.
- Glitter dip. LDS base, dip into the glitter jar, tap, brush off. Two dips for a dense flash, one for a scattered look over the base color.
- Clear seal. A dip of LDS Clear over the glitter fills the texture so the surface files flat; skipping it leaves a gritty finish, and it is the step that keeps the Irregular Flakes from pulling out under the file.
- Activate, shape, activate, top. As for any dip set: LDS Sealer Dry, shape and buff, a second coat of Sealer Dry, wipe, then two coats of LDS Top Coat. A second top over the chunky holographics gives the glass finish.
How to sculpt with glitter powder
The same jar sculpts with EMA monomer and an acrylic brush. Pick up a slightly wetter bead than for a plain color, because glitter powder absorbs a little more liquid, place it on the form or tip, and press it out before it sets; the flakes stay where the bead is pressed, so shape with the brush rather than pushing the bead around. Cap the glitter under a bead of LDS Clear before filing so the file works the clear and not the flakes, then finish with gel top for shine. A glitter powder is the easiest way to give a sculpted extension a full-nail sparkle, since encapsulating loose glitter in clear acrylic takes two extra beads and an eye for even spread.
Designs by run
| Run | Best use | Base under it |
|---|---|---|
| Holographic CG and GL | Full-nail sparkle, ombre from a color into glitter, the accent nail on a plain set | A pale LDS nude for a daytime shift, black for a holiday one |
| Irregular Flakes IG | Shattered-glass and foil looks, encapsulated under clear, geode and marble accents | A mid-tone color so the flakes show their edges |
| Diamond Flash DF | Prom, wedding, and party sets photographed with a flash; the reflective French tip | Black or a deep color for the biggest flash, white for a soft one |
The reflective run has one habit worth knowing before the client asks: in daylight and under salon lights it reads as a normal fine glitter, and the full flash only shows in a photo taken with a camera flash. Show the client a swatch under the phone flash at the desk so she knows what she is booking.
A glitter calendar for the dip and acrylic station
- Prom, March to May. Diamond Flash on the whole nail or as a French tip, over a color that matches the dress; the flash photos are the reason it books.
- Summer weddings. A fine holographic GL over a nude for the bride, the chunky CG on the party.
- Halloween. Irregular Flakes IG over black or deep purple for the shattered look.
- November to New Year's Eve. The whole page: holographic over red and green, Diamond Flash over black for the New Year's set, flakes over a wine for the office party. This is the season that empties the jars, so the October order should be two deep on the flash numbers.
Troubleshooting glitter sets
- Gritty surface after top coat: the clear seal was skipped or too thin. One more dip of Clear before activator, and file flat before the top.
- Flakes pulling out during filing: the Irregular Flakes were worn as the surface rather than encapsulated. Seal them under Clear and file the clear, not the flakes.
- Glitter looks patchy: the base coat was too thin to hold the glitter, or the jar was low and the flakes had settled. Stir the jar, lay a fuller base, and dip twice.
- Set feels heavy: too many dips. Two glitter dips and one clear are enough; a fourth layer adds thickness without sparkle.
- Flash does not show in photos: the phone flash was off, or the base under the Diamond Flash was too light. Reshoot with the flash on over a darker base.
Pairing the glitter jars with the LDS color chart
The glitter runs are numbered on their own, CG, GL, IG, and DF, rather than on the 001 to 179 color numbering, so they do not have a matching gel or lacquer. That is by design: a glitter powder is meant to sit over an LDS color, and the color under it is what matches the client's gel fingers or lacquer toes. A salon pairs each glitter jar with two or three color numbers on the swatch stick, one pale, one mid, one dark, so the tech can show how the same jar reads over each base, and the front desk sells the glitter as an add-on to the color service rather than as a separate chart.
Stocking and storage
A glitter jar goes further than a color jar, because most glitter sets use one or two dips of glitter over a color base rather than three dips of the glitter alone, so a salon buys the 1.5 oz jars where the run offers them and holds two of the flash numbers through the holidays. Keep the lid on between dips and work from a tray, since a wet base brush in the stock jar is what clumps a glitter powder, and stir a jar that has sat so the heavier flakes lift back through the powder. The jars keep indefinitely closed and dry.
Wholesale pricing at ND Nails Supply
Every LDS glitter powder jar is wholesale-priced for everyone, with no business license, no minimum order, and no membership fee. The 1.5 oz Holographic and Irregular Flakes jars sit at one tier, the 1 oz Diamond Flash jars a step above it for the reflective pigment, and the one GL in 1 oz below; there are no sets on this page, so every jar is bought by number. Free shipping on orders $100+, and in-stock jars ordered before 2pm PT on weekdays leave the same day.