Mica: a natural mineral and decorative material
Have you ever seen mica in nature? This mineral has a beautiful silvery pearlescent luster and a textured layered surface. The structure of the mineral is lamellar. Mica exfoliates into thin sheets that have jagged edges.
The scope of application of the natural mineral is very wide. For example, mica is successfully used in construction. Thanks to its beautiful appearance, it has been used in interior design, painting, stained glass, and even in jewelry. Manicure mica is an artificial material that maximally replicates the features of natural material: layering, pearlescent shine. It consists of thin films resembling foil with torn edges. In the rays of sunlight (or under artificial lighting), mica sparkles beautifully, creating a magnificent 3D effect.
What is mica
Mica is a natural material with a layered texture. Mica can create fun holographic effects. The cost of such material is low.
Currently, mica is often used in the manufacture of:
- Accessories for clothing.
- Semi-precious jewelry.
- Nail design.
- Bags, stand-up collars, straps.
- Some cosmetics.
- Architectural objects.
Dry mica
Dry (loose) mica is small plates that look like foil or shiny shavings and have a relatively dense structure. The material is packaged in small bags or jars. It can have different colors, so it can be easily matched to any design.
Loose mica is often used for building and aquarium design. You need a thick enough topcoat so that the mica pieces are not visible above the surface of the record. Otherwise, the manicure will become unsightly bumpy and sloppy. Since the particles of dry mica are relatively large, they look better on long nails.
Sparkling Mica Nail Art Ideas
The design with mica is light and elegant. It looks great on nails of any length. You can use mica to decorate the ends, making a kind of jacket, or complement various patterns and designs with sparkling elements. A luxurious manicure will undoubtedly attract everyone's attention to its owner. Make sure of this by looking at a few photos of the sparkling design.
Nail art with mica will perfectly complete the festive look of any girl. The photo gallery will help you bring your ideas to life, and in order to clearly demonstrate an interesting design, we bring to your attention an educational video lesson from Svetlana Sokolova. Express your inner world through manicure, and those around you will certainly appreciate it!
How to use dry mica for extensions?
There are several ways to do a manicure with loose mica, but we will tell you about the most common and simplest method. The technology for acrylic and gel extensions is slightly different. Let's hope that you already know the main stages of the work.
Let us pay attention directly to the use of mica in nail extensions.
- Install special forms for extensions. Use acrylic or gel to form the free edge.
- After the acrylic has dried or the gel has polymerized, apply a colored coating (according to your idea).
- Without waiting for the acrylic to dry completely, apply pieces of mica with an orange stick (or dots) and smooth them over the surface. When working with gel, attach the mica to the sticky layer, after drying the coating. Some craftsmen prefer to lay mica on a layer of non-polymerized gel. Only after this dry the composition in a lamp.
- Cover the nail with a transparent finish and dry. If necessary, apply another layer of topcoat.
What are the advantages of this material
The main advantages of mica include the following:
- Radiant shades, subtle shine.
- Great layering. Thanks to this quality, you can create the effect of voluminous nail art.
- The ability to create a unique and original design, the “broken glass” effect.
- This material is absolutely harmless, that is, it cannot harm the nail plate at all.
- A manicure with mica is suitable for both an evening and a business look.
It is worth noting that manufacturers create this artificial material from super-thin, pliable plastic particles. In this regard, both the designs and the material itself are accessible even to beginners. It is worth noting that the article contains quite a lot of photos of nail designs with mica.
Liquid mica
Small particles of the material are more reminiscent of sparkling powder, so liquid mica received another name - wet glitter or liquid foil. A manicure done with gel or acrylic, gel polish or even regular polish can be improved with mica. This material is more docile and easier to use. The surface of the nail will be perfectly smooth and not rough.
It is liquid mica that is recommended for beginners to do at home. Wet glitter is excellent for decorating short nails because small particles of material on the surface look very neat.
On natural nails, do a manicure using gel polish.
Performing a manicure with liquid mica step by step
- Cover the plate with a thin layer of gel polish.
- Using a flat brush, we pick up mica particles and transfer them to the nails.
- We level them with a bone on the surface. Liquid mica adheres fairly evenly and tightly to the sticky layer.
- Dry the surface in the lamp for no more than 20 seconds.
- We apply the fixative. In most cases, there is no need to re-coat with a topcoat, because the base of the plate becomes smooth after the first application of the top.
Liquid mica of different shades is available for sale, packaged in small containers. If pieces of mica are already mixed into the varnish, then the technology for working with such material is even easier: just coat the colored or transparent base with mica 1-2 times, and the original manicure is ready! You can also facilitate the technology of manicure with mica on natural nails by mixing sparkling particles with gel.
Mica and gel polish
You can decorate with mica not only nails coated with regular varnish. The combination of gel polish and shimmering mica will be no less impressive, and this design will last quite a long time. But here you need to use exclusively crumbly, dry mica.
Instructions on how to apply mica to gel polish:
- Treat your nails with a medium-soft buff, brush off the dust with a brush;
- Apply primer to all nail plates;
- Cover your nails with a base layer of gel and dry in a lamp;
- Apply the first layer of colored gel polish, dry in a lamp;
- Apply a second layer of color and use a toothpick, pusher or orange stick to transfer the desired amount of mica onto your nails. Dry in a lamp.
- Apply a final top coat of gel and dry all nails thoroughly. Manicure with mica and gel polish is ready.
The most successful color solutions in designs with mica are the following combinations: black varnish and blue, lilac or green mica; red varnish and golden, yellow or orange mica; Blue varnish and crimson or red mica. Light mica looks very gentle on a transparent or light varnish of a natural shade.
See photos of the best manicure options with mica:
This design does not require any difficulties and any girl can do it on her own, with a little free time and just a little patience. The effect of a mica manicure significantly exceeds the effort spent on it. After all, such pens look very elegant and feminine. And the sparkling particles will cheer up not only the owner of the marigolds, but also everyone who notices them.
Video about the use of mica in nail design
Types of mica for manicure - in the world of mineral textures
According to social surveys, almost every third girl in Europe regularly gets a manicure at home or in a salon. Every fourth person regularly experiments with design and tries out innovations created by enterprising businessmen. Often these experiments end unsuccessfully, but with mica for nails such an outcome is simply impossible. The uniqueness of this material is that it does not harm the nail plates and is incredibly easy to use. Globally, several varieties of mica are distinguished:
- wet mica or liquid mica;
- dry mica.
Below we will look at each of the subspecies in more detail, but first we will weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of such decor.
| Advantages | Flaws |
| Variability of combinations. Holographic mica, thanks to its unique ability to reflect and break the sun's rays, can look appropriate with any varnish. So, for example, if you add a red manicure with shiny elements, you will get an intricate decor worthy of a true lady | Due to its “large caliber”, mica can crumble and stain clothes, as well as the desktop, so use special protective pads or regular office paper to prevent contamination |
| Relevance of decor. Many conservative young ladies consider rhinestones or modeling to be too pretentious and flashy, and sometimes even vulgar, which cannot be said about mica. If you use the material on your nails correctly, in doses and carefully, you can achieve a very universal coating, relevant for both a strict office lady and a perky student | Strictly regulate the amount of mica, otherwise it can create excess volume on your nails, “heaviening” the design |
| Excellent durability. As a rule, if you carefully follow the application technology and also “seal” the free edge well, the mica coating will last for a record long period of time without chipping or tarnishing | Soft mica requires extremely careful handling, otherwise it can literally break. Therefore, experts recommend using tweezers with long, flat edges that can easily pick up thin strips of foil |
| Correction. It's no secret that a shiny manicure can correct the shape of the nail bed and hide minor imperfections. Use this advantage wisely | |
| Public availability. Mica for nail extensions and their decoration is sold in any cosmetic chain store, so you don’t need to spend days searching for the coveted glitter | |
| Diversity. Due to its enormous popularity among admirers of chic and brilliance, the variety of mica breaks all records. Large and small, round and diamond-shaped, holographic and mirror - the main thing is not to get lost in this wealth | |
| Application. The ease of use of decorative mica is simply amazing, because if you follow life hacks and tips from the pros, even a novice manicurist can implement such a design. Don't believe me? Then hurry up and see for yourself |
Don't be afraid to experiment and feel free to realize your cherished fantasies on a manicure canvas.
Liquid mica for nails
Liquid mica for nails is essentially an ordinary gel polish or shellac with glitter. The moderately thick, viscous consistency is evenly distributed over the nail plates, has good adhesive ability and stays securely on the nails for a long time. It’s easy to work with such mica if you decide to cover the entire surface of your nails with shimmering particles; things are somewhat more complicated with partial decoration. In this case, use a special synthetic brush for drawing flat shapes or a thin hair brush that creates graceful monograms and straight lines.
Dry mica for nails
Dry mica for nails consists of many light, small shiny pieces that are obtained as a result of specialized processing of the layered structure of the mineral. Not sure how to make finer mica? Just take nail scissors and get it to the size you need. In addition, dry mica is easily layered to achieve the desired volume, and also naturally strengthens and compacts excessively thin plates. Aquarium nail design with mica is another area of application for such a functional material, which creates the effect of shimmering pebbles lying on the seabed, under the water column.
Mica for nails in a roll
Designs with mica are very common among modern beauties due to their versatility and trendiness. Therefore, it is much more profitable for practicing craftsmen to buy mica in whole rolls than to waste money on individual jars. If you purchase a large roll, you just need to separate the layers of material immediately before the procedure and cut it with tweezers.
Gel polish with mica
Gel polish with mica has been a find of the last few years. You simply choose the pigment shade you like, or take a clear varnish with glitter flecks and apply it over a standard gel, creating an unusual, but stylish broken glass effect. Gel nails are also “friends” with such a universal coating, so such varnishes are often recommended after the extension procedure.
Win-win manicure options
Such interesting options for nail designs with mica include the following:
- Broken glass effect. This design will look great for the warmer seasons, for example, spring and summer. Quite often, representatives of the fair sex use the rainbow effect for mica nail designs. The photo posted in this article confirms this.
- French. The application technique is similar to a classic French jacket, but, unlike it, it will look much more impressive. A girl with such a manicure will definitely be the center of attention. For a more contrasting shade, you can use either liquid or dry mica.
- Honeycomb effect. This year this design is very relevant and in demand. The only thing that is required for its high-quality execution is the use of high-quality materials and the experience of the craftsman.
- Glitter. This effect is mainly used in wedding manicure.
- "New Year's manicure." Mica is very often used in this manicure; according to statistics, it is 90%. In this version of manicure, even the most incredible ideas can be realized. Combinations of such shades as:
- dark blue and silver;
- fiery red and elven green;
- lilac and mustard;
- golden and burgundy.
6. “Abstract” design. This manicure can add aristocracy and nobility to any image.
