Nails

Have you ever wanted to book a manicure while also hoping to achieve a more neutral nail look? To some, this can seem counterproductive, given professional nail artists are experts at creating beautiful, bold nail art—why let that go to waste? Well, because you want natural nail art, of course. See, so often, manicures (especially those shared on Instagram) seem synonymous with vibrant, eye-catching nail art. However, if you look hard enough, you’ll find that there are some pretty stunning natural nail designs on the web, too—and no, they’re not just solid neutral swatches. We scrolled and scrolled and scrolled some more to deliver you 25 natural nail art designs. Check them out below.

We love the look of a chic glitter manicure just as much as the next person. But when it comes time to actually remove your favorite glitter polish, it’s a different story. The heterogeneous texture of glitter polish makes it significantly more difficult to remove than regular nail lacquer, which means you can accidentally damage your nails when you’re trying to remove those stubborn flecks of glitter.

Thanks to how commonly difficult it is to remove glitter nail polish, we thought it’d be helpful to chat with a nail expert for their tips on taking it off. So ahead, we chatted with Olive & June’s founder, Sarah Gibson Tuttle. After all, who better to ask than someone who formulates polish (including glitter polish) for a living?

Keep reading for Tuttle’s step-by-step approach to removing glitter nail polish—all without stripping your nails in the process. 

While it’s always best to refresh a gel manicure at the nail salon, sometimes you’re left with no choice but to take matters into your own hands. (Pun intended.) If you have the gel on top of an acrylic set, swapping out your hue can be extra daunting. Luckily, there are methods of removal that won’t totally wreck your nails—you just need the right supplies at home.

We have one crucial piece of advice before diving into which tools to use: Resist the urge to peel or bite your gel polish, which—let’s be honest—occasionally seems like the easiest solution to your manicure woes. It’s never a good idea. If you have acrylics underneath, biting and picking can damage the its surface, making for an uneven canvas for future polish. (It’s even worse if your natural nails are the next layer, as picking will take a layer of your nail with it—causing your natural nails to get dry, brittle, weak, and even cracked.)

The good news is, we talked to the pros to get some tried-and-true methods for removing gel polish from acrylic nails at home—no salon visit necessary. Read on to get their best tips.