What’s the Attraction? A Look Into Magnetic Nail Polish – Discover The Best One!

What is Magnetic Nail Polish?

When I first heard about magnetic nail polish, also known as cat’s eye polish, I was intrigued. I mean, who wouldn’t be? I imagined sticking myself, magnetically, to the car, or being able to find my keys via a magnetic pull. However, when I discovered that my imagination overdrive was wrong, rather than being disappointed, I was overcome with excitement!

The amazing effects achieved by this polish are caused by the reaction between iron filings and magnets – really! Whoever thought of that should be crowned manicure royalty!

How to Get Magnetic Nails

With such a great final result, the steps to get there are remarkably simple:

• Remove any old polish with polish remover
• Trim and file your nails
• Buff the nail bed to provide a slight surface for the polish to adhere onto
• Wipe over with the polish remover to take off any oils and filing debris
• Allow time for the remover to evaporate
• If you wish, apply your acrylic tips, cover-alls, or wraps as normal
• Brush on a base coat
• Cure thoroughly
• Take your magnetic polish and roll the bottle gently between your palms to spread the filings throughout the liquid
• Apply one coat as with standard polish
• Let that coat dry completely
• With the second application of magnetic polish, apply more than you would normally as it needs to be a thicker layer to allow the magnet to do its magic. However, be careful not to let the polish drip or pool
• Before it has any chance to dry, take your magnet and hold it close to your nail, but not touching it, for 10 – 15 seconds. You need to try and keep the hand holding the magnet as still as possible during this process. I used my other hand to hold it steady. The iron filings in the polish will react to the magnet, creating gorgeous effects.
• Repeat this process on all your nails. If you want a uniform look across your nails, hold the magnet in the same way for all of them. If, however, you’re after a more random look, you can vary the time you hold the magnet close.
• You’ll have to wait longer for the polish to dry due to the thicker than normal application.
• But once it has, either under a lamp, or naturally, apply two top coats, allowing each to dry completely before adding the next.
• Lightly wipe off any sticky residue with polish remover.

Some polishes come with the magnet set into the cap, but you can buy the magnetic wands separately, and there are a variety of magnet shapes available – stars, chevrons, stripes, and so on. Also, many polishes have a ridge molded into the cap, which makes holding the magnet still much easier.

Experiment with the angle you hold the magnet at, how close you hold it, and for how long. I managed to create a checked pattern by using a series of horizontal lines held diagonally. It took some work, but the effect was awesome. Have fun and play around – anything goes!

The following is my very favorite magnetic polish!

Homost Magnetic Gel Nail Polish

What Makes it Great

This set of six magnetic polishes from Homost comes in a great range of colors, all with awesome sparkle effects. They went on easily, and despite the thicker second coat, didn’t run or pool, and cured quickly. The magnetic wand was easy to use, with the iron filings having quite a powerful reaction to its application. I could’ve watched them slip and slide around on my nails all day! Once I’d found a pattern I was happy with, my nails went under the curing lamp to dry, before I added a couple of top coats. The polish kept its immaculate appearance for just over two weeks.

Where it Could be Improved

For such a well-designed set, I was surprised not to see instructions on how to apply the polish and use the wand, but as with all things, experiment and find what works for you.