Can You Put Rhinestone On Shellac?
You can put rhinestones on shellac because shellac has strong holding power so rhinestones will fix on it perfectly and since shellac will give shine to your nails so adding rhinestone over it, will look make your nails gorgeous. You can put rhinestones on shellac without any worries.
Primary Uses Of Shellac
Shellac has got used on wooden furniture for years together, due to the following:
Gets used as high gloss varnish on wood surfaces.
It blocks stain and odor to get permeated on to the wooden surface.
You can derive tight sealant along joints and as a beautiful wood primer.
Shellac replaced oil and wax for the wooden shine.
These days, nitrocellulose lacquer has replaced shellac for high-grade wood polish. However, in case of touch-ups on damaged wooden surfaces, shellac blends quickly with the earlier coating, bringing back the original finish. Lacquer, on the other hand, does not mix and has to be applied on the entire surface to get the required shine.
Other Application Of Shellac
As a natural adhesive, shellac gets generally stored in dry form. As per requirement, it is mixed with ethyl alcohol, for application into the thin coating to preserve the surfaces from moisture, stain, and odor. In addition to wood, shellac has use as follows:
Earlier gramophone records were made from this natural plastic until vinyl replaced shellac.
Ballet shoes, even today, use shellac, especially at the front tip, to provide that firmness and balance, to the same extent.
Paintings and braille scripts have shellac coatings to preserve and protect them from wear and tear.
Shellac has got used for long for molding items like photo frames, boxes, jewelry, and even dentures. These days, synthetic plastic and resins have taken over these industries.
Since shellac is a good conductor of electricity, has extensive application in this field, even today.
Current applications
Shellac gets used as “French polish” on traditional furniture, pianos, and other string instruments.
It gets still used as glazing or coating agents on food, medical pills, and fruits, like the apples, pears, and limes.
“Nail art” and manicure extensively use shellac in the fashion industry, and we shall discuss in detail below.
Rhinestone
Currently, artificially created crystals with metal coating are branded under various trademarks, providing similar brilliance and luster of rhinestones in the past. These stones get widely used in jewelry, dresses, and various other forms in the fashion industry.
Rhinestone And Shellac
Among the various rhinestone applications in fashion and beauty, it has wide-ranging use with shellac in the world of nail art! As we know, shellac is natural, thin enough to keep the bottom surface visible, but tough enough to give the surface protection. It widely gets used in the manufacture of nail polish for its shine and brilliance. Its binding and transparent properties make it an ideal adhesive for those bling nail art.
Another property of shellac is that it does not dry quickly. This allows you enough time to arrange the rhinestone designs on your nail and then prime it. We shall now look at some application of shellac and rhinestone on your nails and the process which needs to get followed.
Nail Art
Before you venture on your journey to acquire the bling look for your nails, you need to check that your finger and toenails are healthy. If your cuticles and nail bed are peeling, then you have to address them first. Ensure that the nails are well-nourished, and your hand and feet fingers get adequately moistened.
Manicure or nail art remains intact for a few weeks if you look after and care for your fingers and nails during this period. You can redo the process with another design when your nails have grown, as per your requirement.
Background
Depending upon the designs planned for your nails, apply a thin coat of shellac based or gel nail polish. Cure it with a UV or LED lamp, so that it gets set correctly. If you wish to add any design element along with the rhinestone, now is the time. Draw these designs using a pointed brush. Again cure the design before you move to the next stage.
Choosing Your Rhinestones
You have to be very clear, what are the types of crystals you plan to add to the design. There could be one large Swarovski crystal, with other medium and small stones to complement the design. The stones could be sparkling white imitation diamonds or colored inexpensive resin crystals.
Shellac Gel
Apply a thin coat of shellac gel on each of your nails. Use a top coat polish over this gel. We do not want you to apply anything more after setting your rhinestone to this base; hence the topcoat needs to be used now.
Setting The Rhinestone
Keep in mind that the stones do not protrude too much from the nail surface. Use a fine pincer to place the rhinestones, and apply appropriate pressure so that the gel takes hold of these crystals.
You can cure the nails for a few seconds mid-way so that the bigger stones do not move away from the design. Once you have all your desired rhinestone on the nails, cure the fingers under UV or LED for some time until the gel hardens and stones get set. Now you have dazzling art on your hand and feet, which would complement your attire and the occasion on hand.
Taking Care
Since the shellac nail polish, the gel, and topcoat have now set, you can wash your hand and feet with soap and water. Be careful with your fingers during washing, cooking, or gardening. Wear thick gloves to protect your creation. The more you care, the longer you can expect the design to stay intact.
Touch-ups
In case, after a few days, you find any crystals have dropped off, and polish had chipped off, you could get the touch-up done under expert supervision. If not addressed professionally, you may end up with ruined outcomes. Shellac has this unique property to blend with the previous coatings and give you a fresh look again!
Removal
You must gently buff edges of your nails so that the bond between the nail and hardened shellac gel gets loosened. Next, soak a pad of wool with acetone nail polish remover, and cover the nail. Cover this with a tin foil and let the solution soak through the porous shellac coating for around 15 minutes. Repeat this process for all your nails.
When the acetone has soaked through your gels, remove the foil, and using the cuticle stick, remove the polish, the gel, and the crystals. Each of these crystals can get cleaned with the acetone and soft cotton swabs for future reuse.
Precautions
Choose good quality shellac nail polish, gel, and top cover. Otherwise, chipping and peeling may occur after a few days. Also, during the removal period, you may not be able to thoroughly clean up the remnant polish. The chemicals added to these liquids should not harm the health of your nail, nor the skin around the nail and the cuticle.
The acetone nail remover must be of decent quality so that you can quickly remove the nail gels without harming the nail cover or the surrounding skin. Spurious remover would make the nail surface and make it rough. This could also create skin rashes and allergies.
The UV and LED rays must be of good quality so that the curing gets completed with the set time frame and must not damage your fingers’ nerves and tissues. If you do not feel confident in implementing nail art on your own, or during the removal process, seek expert help. Ensure they use genuine materials, and conduct the entire process with due caution.
Conclusion
Rhinestones are lead glass crystals, with a metal coating at its base. These stones have luminance and brilliance similar to diamonds or could be just look-alikes made of chemicals and resins. Shellac is a naturally occurring substance, which provides excellent protective cover, along with robust holding power.
Hence, rhinestones can easily get fixed onto a coating of shellac, which is extensively used in the manicure and nail art fashion industry. Good quality rhinestone, shellac nail gel, and additives would lead to the excellent quality of the outcome. The UV and LED light must be similar high quality to hold the nail art together over time.
Similarly, the acetone nail polish remover must be from a reputed brand, to help you remove the nail art design, without damaging your nail or the skin around them. The rhinestones also get cleaned adequately with such a remover. The crystals, which get found damaged, must be kept aside for alternate use.
You must always ensure that the rhinestone that gets used on your nail must be of high quality, to give the effort, due credence. The shellac gels perform the activity of giving your nail a great look and hold the rhinestones together. However, this coating will not strengthen your nail or provide any nourishment.
You get advised to use good quality cuticle oil every alternate day to keep the skin around the nail, supple and soft, along with the nail bed. Buff the edges of your nail properly, to release the hardened shellac covering from the nail surface. When you apply the polish remover and soak the nail surface for some time, the acetone would loosen the polish from underneath and help you remove the nail design properly.