Trouble With Swarovski Crystals

How to keep Swarovski elements on!

Gel polish manicure, in the shade Haven by Luxio, and Swarovski elements.

Adding Swarovski elements to your manicure, pedicure, or set of nails is absolutely luxurious! It can make you feel and look like a million bucks! It's a very popular service add-on, but some of my clients are reluctant to add Swarovski crystals because they don't seem to last very long. After many trials and errors, I've come up with a list of adhesive products that have worked well.

First things first, please make sure the products you use are safe to use on people, and that the products are non-toxic. This is SUPER important! There are so many products available, but they're not always safe to use on people. Whether you're a licensed professional or not, please take safety measures and do your research!!

Swarovski takes pride in the quality of their crystals, so they prefer professionals to use a gel-based substance to avoid damage. I would recommend professionals to use Gel Play Bling On, by Akzentz. Bling On has a thick consistency that's easy to work with. This product will need to cure under a LED/UV lamp. The original formula requires you to cap the outer lining of the crystals with a sturdy gel top coat in order to secure them in place. Akzentz just came out this year with a new Bling On formula that's non-wipe and cures to a shine! I'll have to grab some soon! A second gel product I would highly recommend is Gem Gel. It also requires a LED/UV lamp to cure, and it cures to a shine with no extra tack. I feel like Gem Gel has a thicker viscosity than Bling On, which is great, but you have to work a little quicker! Your Swarovski elements can start to slip and slide if you take too long placing them. Both these gels are great for flat back crystals, precious stones, chatons, and Crystalpixie! The gels are also soak-off and won't damage the crystals. You may reuse the Swarovski crystals on yourself if you wish!

If you're a DIYer and do not have access to an LED/UV lamp, you can use a resin nail glue. My favorite is by ASP. You can find it at Sally's! It works great for flat back crystals, and a little goes a long way. You won't be able to reuse the Swarovski crystals but it works! I've recently purchased Ninja SuperFlex glue from Crystal Ninja, and I have yet to try it! I'll let you all know how that goes. I hope these suggestions inspire you to add Swarovski crystals to your next service ❤