How to Remove Glitter Nail Polish with Aluminum Foil

Glitter nail polish is easy to love, hard to remove.
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So shiny, so sparkly, so awesome on your fingernails and toenails, glittery nail polish adds twinkling, feminine, playful yet seductive light to your nails -- until you have to take it off, and it turns into the polish that will not die, clinging with unbelievable tenacity to your nails. If you love glitter polish, but swore off wearing it after one-too-many struggles with a bottle of acetone and some cotton balls, take heart. You can have your glitter and remove it, too. It just takes a little extra time and -- who knew? -- aluminum foil.

Cut 10 pieces of aluminum foil large enough to fit over your nail and the tip of your toe or finger.

Soak ten cotton balls or cotton rounds in nail-polish remover.

Place a soaked cotton ball on top of a glitter-polished nail.

Cover the cotton ball with a strip of aluminum foil. Wrap the foil tightly around the entire end of your toe or finger to hold the cotton ball firmly in place.

Continue until each polished nail has a soaked cotton ball held in place with aluminum foil.

Leave the foil in place for several minutes. A thin coat of glitter polish might dissolve in a minute or two; a heavy coat could take up to ten minutes.

Twist each cotton ball from side to side while sliding the cotton and foil off your fingers or toes.

Remove any last traces of glitter polish from your nails with a clean cotton ball soaked in nail-polish remover.

Apply hand moisturizer if the nail-polish remover left your skin or cuticles feeling dry.

  • Use nail-polish remover in a well-ventilated room to avoid breathing the fumes.
  • If it's difficult to apply the cotton balls and foil with your non-dominant hand, have a friend help you.
  • Don't rub excessively while removing glitter polish, as the metal flakes can damage your nails.

Living in California, Michelle Ullman is a professional writer with particular expertise in home, garden and pet/nature topics. Her work is published on many websites. She loves crafts and has a deep interest in design and DIY projects.

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