The Hottest Trend: What is Cat Eye Gel Polish?
The "cat eye nails" trend has absolutely swept social media, captivating nail art enthusiasts everywhere! Have you ever been drawn to those stunning cat eye effects of shimmer that move with the light? It mimics the mysterious, slitted pupil of a feline, giving your manicure an instantly galactic and luxurious feel.
So, what makes it magic?
It's all thanks to magnetic gel polish (the official name for cat eye gel!). This polish contains colorful, magnetized micro-particles. When you hover a special magnet over the wet gel, these tiny particles instantly gather and create those unique, dimensional shimmer patterns.
🌈 Find Your Vibe: 5 Types of Magnetic Cat Eye Gels
Choosing the right cat eye gel polish can be overwhelming! Think of magnetic gel as an upgraded, super-dynamic version of glitter polish. So how to choose a cat eye gel that suits you best? To help you navigate the options and find the perfect match for your style, we've broken down the 5 main types. After knowing more about them, your difficulty in choosing magnetic gels can be easily solved. Let's dive in! You can also get everything about the cat eye gel polish here quickly.
1. Magnetic gel with a silver effect
2. Magnetic gel with a holographic effect
3. Magnetic gel with glitters or opal flakes
4. Magnetic gel with multiple colors in one gel
5. Magnetic gel with super fine magnetic powders
🛠️ Get Started: Essential Tools for the Perfect Cat Eye Manicure
Before diving into the application, you need the right gear! Don't let your efforts go to waste with a weak magnet.
Here's your essential toolkit:
- Base Coat
- Color Gel Polish (For your base color, usually black or a dark shade works best!)
- Your Chosen Cat Eye Gel Polish
- Gel Top Coat
- UV/LED Lamp (Curing power is key!)
- The Right Magnet! (A regular refrigerator magnet won't work—you need a strong nail art magnet.)
💅How to Apply Cat Eye Gel Polish (Step-by-Step Guide)
Ready to create that mesmerizing look? Follow these detailed steps to master the cat eye effect at home.
Step 1: Clean, file, and buff your natural nails. Remove the cuticles.
Step 2: Apply a layer of base coat and cure for 60 seconds under your lamp.
Step 3: Apply your chosen base color (if desired) and cure. (A dark base helps the shimmer pop!)
Step 4: Fully shake the cat eye gel. Apply a medium-thick coat to one nail. DO NOT CURE YET!
Step 5: Immediately hold your chosen magnet as close as possible to the nail surface (without touching it!) and move it to create a cat eye effect. Watch the magic effect appear!
Step 6: Then cure the nail under the UV/LED lamp to lock the particles in place. Pro-Tip: Do one nail at a time to prevent the magnetic particles from dissipating.
Step 7: Seal your stunning design with a gel top coat and cure fully.
How to use different cat eye magnets for different effects?
Different magnets can create various cat eye effects. And it depends on how you use the magnets. The magnet for cat eye gel polish has many shapes, including flowers, round, square, cylindrical, and so on. Keep reading, and you will find the magnet and design you like best!
1. Magnetic Cylinder Wand
This small stub magnet is the most versatile one. You can gain classic and oblique French patterns, wide cat eye, and ombre patterns with it. If you want to take just one magnet with you, this one is your best choice.
2. Magnetic Bar
This magnet is very similar to the rod magnet stick in terms of function, size, and usage, so the patterns they can make are also very similar. The difference between them is that the rectangular shape makes it less likely to slip out of the hand and easier to control.
3. Double-Head Magn
Almost all cat eye lovers have this double-head cat eye magnet because it is the most convenient tool to create a classic straight-line pattern. The wide rectangular end can cover your entire nail and gather all the magnetic powder quickly, while the other end can be used to make curves. It's very friendly to cat eye nail art beginners.
4. Multi-function Magnet
This multi-function double-head magnet is an ideal tool for attracting magnetic powders anywhere you want on the nails. It can not only create S-curves, and straight lines, but also create cross, French, and wide cat eye effects.
5. Flower & Stripe Magnetic Pen
If you like flowers on the nail, you will absolutely love this specially designed magnet. Just gently place the chic flower head on your nails, and a sparkling flower will appear on your nails. The other end can create random waves. You can create an innovative pattern according to your imagination on your nail.
💡Tips for getting better cat eye nail effects
There is no doubt that we all want it to have the best effect and be long-lasting when we are creating a stunning cat eye nail design. So here are some helpful tips for you!
• Before applying, remove cuticles, trim the edge, and polish your nails well.
• Applying a thicker coat of cat eye gel can bring you a better effect.
• Hold the magnet as close as possible to the nail for a defined effect.
• Do one nail at a time and cure straight away – that way the magnetic particles are cured into place and don't get a chance to dissipate while working with other nails.
FAQ
1. Can a regular magnet achieve the cat eye effect?
No, unfortunately not. The effect requires specific, powerful magnets designed for nail art. Regular magnets don't have enough pull to gather the fine magnetic powder into a defined line.
2. Is magnetic gel polish safe?
Yes. All of Vettsy's cat eye gels are 100% safe, and they can be used both on nail tips and natural nails. The only thing we need to do is to see if it contains ingredients that we are allergic to before using it.
3. Do I need a base color?
For clear-based cat eye gels (like Rainbow or Super Cat Eye), yes, we highly recommend a base color (usually dark) to make the magnetic effect visible. For colored cat eye gels, a base color is optional, but a dark one will always maximize the drama!
4. How do I remove magnetic cat eye gel?
The easiest method is the soak-off technique:
- Lightly file the top coat layer.
- Soak the nails in a glass bowl filled with a small amount of acetone, or wrap each nail in a cotton pad soaked with acetone for around 5 to 10 minutes.
- Gently scrape the remaining polish off with a metal pusher or removal tool.
After exploring the stunning variety of cat eye gels and mastering the application steps, which mesmerizing effect will you try first?
