How to Apply Nail Foils

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If you’re longing for bright, metallic nails with lots of bling, nail foils might just be the product for you. These thin strips of foil might look intimidating, but they’re actually easier to apply than you’d think. We’ve detailed a couple of different methods you can use to apply nail foils at home for a professional-looking manicure in no time!

Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Nail Foil FAQs

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  1. There are 2 main types of nail foils: the foils that come in a sheet and the foils that come in a pot. Sheet foils typically cover your whole nail, while pot foils can be placed with tweezers in specific spots on your nails. The products that you use are virtually the same, but the application method is slightly different. [1]
    • There are also stamped foils, which is foil that looks like an image, and foil strips, which look like decoupage.
    • Kitchen foil is not the same thing as nail foil. You can find nail foil at most drug stores or beauty supply stores, and they come in a variety of fun colors and patterns.
  2. The main difference is how much coverage you want your nail foil to give you. If you don’t use any glue at all, the foil will still stick to your nails, but it might be slightly spottier. If you use glue, you can get closer to full coverage, but still not a totally covered nail. If you use gel, you can cover your entire nail in foils if you’d like to. Plus, gel nail foil goes on a little smoother. [2]
    • Nail foil glue is different from typical nail glue. It’s thinner and slightly less tacky, so it dries faster. You can find nail foil glue at most drug stores or beauty supply stores.
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  3. Remove all of your old polish with nail polish remover, then push back your cuticles. Apply a clear base coat and wait for it to dry, then pick out a nail polish that matches the color of the foil you’ll be using. [3]
  4. Yes, a top coat is very important—without it, your nail foils might not stay on. You can use a regular clear nail polish top coat, or you can go for a gel one for longer lasting coverage. Whichever top coat you choose, it’s important to swipe it over the edges of your nails, too. That way, the foil won’t peel up at the edges. [4]
    • Shellac top coat is the same as a gel top coat, they’re just different names.
  5. Typically, only a few days. Since nail foils are so thin, they tend to peel off your fingers after only a few days. Professionals generally recommend that you save nail foils for special events or photo shoots so you can get the most out of your nails while they last. [5]
  6. Soak your nails in pure acetone, and the foils will come right off. Removing nail foils is pretty much exactly like removing nail polish, so there’s no special procedure. They’ll slide right off your nails, and you can get ready for your next nail polish look! [6]
  7. Nail foils can sometimes have a steep learning curve, and you may need to do some trial and error before getting them right. Make sure you place your foils precisely on each nail to avoid any crinkling or tearing of the sheet. With most foil, less is more—overdoing it can make your foil flake off faster. [7]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

With Glue

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  1. You can pick any nail polish color you’d like—even a clear coat will do! Apply it all over your nails, then let it dry completely. If you have a UV nail dryer, use that to speed up the drying process. [8]
    • If you don’t have a nail dryer, that’s fine, too. Try using fast-drying nail polish to make your application a little faster.
    • If you use a gel polish, use rubbing alcohol to take off the top sticky layer of your polish. Otherwise, the nail adhesive won’t work.
  2. Grab your bottle of nail foil glue and gently swipe on a thin layer all over your nails. Nail foil glue dries clear, so you won’t be able to see it on your top coat. Give the adhesive a couple of minutes to dry before you move on. [9]
  3. If you’re using a nail foil sheet, grab a sheet and press the matte side (not the shiny side) onto your nail. When you pick it up, some of the foil will adhere to your nail, and you can add more or move onto the next nail. [10]
    • In general, nail foil in a sheet will provide almost full coverage, but not quite.
  4. If you’re grabbing nail foils out of a small pot, use tweezers to pick up one piece at a time and place them on your nails. Go slowly, and don’t be afraid to move the foil around until it looks perfect. Once you’re satisfied with one nail, you can move onto the next nail. [11]
    • You can also cut up large pieces of sheet foil and use tweezers to apply smaller pieces.
  5. Once you’re satisfied with your nail foils, simply grab a bottle of clear top coat and apply a thin layer to all of your nails. Be sure to apply the top coat to the top edge of your nails, too—otherwise, the foils might peel up. [12]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Without Glue

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  1. You can use a colored nail polish or a clear one, depending on the look you’re going for. Add a base coat all over your nails, then let it dry. If you need to, you can add a second layer of polish for more coverage—just make sure it dries first before you add nail foils. [13]
    • Using clear polish is a great way to make your nail foils stand out.
    • Black nail polish is also a great neutral option, and it makes bright colors pop!
  2. Grab your nail foil sheet and gently press the matte side onto your nails. Lift the sheet up to reveal the foil on your nail polish. If you’d like to, you can press the sheet onto the same nail again for more coverage. Once you’re satisfied with your nail, you can move onto the rest of your hand. [14]
    • Nail foil will stick to your nail polish, but it might cover slightly less of your nail than if you use a glue or a gel. If you’d like a full coverage look, pick up a bottle of nail glue or nail gel.
    • If you’re using small pieces of nail foil that you pick up with tweezers, you’ll need to use nail glue or gel to make them stick.
  3. When you’re happy with your nail foil look, grab a clear top coat and swipe it all over your nails. Be sure to apply it on the top edge of your nails, too, so the foils don’t peel up. In general, nail foils will last for a couple of days on your fingers, but they might peel off slightly faster without a glue or a gel. [15]
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Gel

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  1. You can use a gel nail polish or a regular nail polish. Pick out the color that you’d like to have behind your nail foil, then apply it to all your nails. Wait a couple of minutes for your nail polish to dry before you move on. [16]
  2. Nail foil gel is slightly different from nail glue—it’s slightly thicker and a bit stickier. Add a thin layer to all of your nails, then wait a couple of minutes for it to dry. [17]
    • Nail foil gel is called “foil gel.” It will say that somewhere on the bottle, and you can find it at most beauty supply stores.
    • If your foil gel says “UV” on it, you’ll need to cure it under a UV light. Otherwise, you can just let it air dry.
  3. While the adhesive is slightly different, the nail foil application is the same. Grab your sheet of nail foil and gently press it onto your nails. Lift the foil up to reveal the color left on your nails. If you’d like to, you can add more foil to your nail, or you can move on to the rest of your hand. [18]
    • Gel adhesive provides a lot more coverage than using glue. You can cover your entire nail in nail foil if you’d like to.
    • Gel adhesive works best for sheet nail foils, not small pieces that you pick up with tweezers.
  4. Protect your nail foil with a clear top coat. You can stick with the gel theme by using a gel top coat, or you can use regular clear polish. Swipe it onto your nails to cover the nail foil and protect it. [19]
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Foil Strips

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  1. You can make cute vertical stripes on your nails by cutting your foil into pieces. Grab a pair of scissors and snip your foil into thin strips, about 1 ⁄ 4  in (0.64 cm) wide. If you want to cover all your nails, keep cutting until you have enough for all 10 fingers. [20]
    • You can make your strips as wide or as thin as you’d like. The thinner they are, the more you’ll be able to fit on one nail.
  2. For a more full coverage look, pick a color that’s similar to the color of the nail foil strips you’ll be using. Add a couple of coats on each nail for a good amount of coverage, then let the polish dry completely. [21]
  3. Foil strips adhere best to nail gel, not nail glue. Add a layer to the nail you’re working on, but don’t let it dry completely. Try to work with your foil strips while the gel is still tacky. [22]
  4. Grab a strip of foil with a pair of tweezers and gently lay it on your nail vertically. Keep adding strips of foil until you’ve covered your entire nail. Let the nail foil sit on your nail for about 1 minute to set. [23]
    • The nail foil will stick off your nail a little bit right now, which is fine.
  5. Get your tweezers again and gently grab one strip of foil. Peel it off slowly to reveal the nail foil on your nails underneath. Pull off the rest of the foils to check out your new nail design! [24]
  6. You can use a normal clear nail polish or a gel top coat. Be sure to seal the edge of your nail, too, so the nail foils don’t peel off. Once you’re done with one nail, you can move on to the rest of your fingers. [25]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I remove polish and nail foils when I'm allergic to acetone?
    Morgan Brandr
    Community Answer
    You really only want to use things that don't have to be soaked off then. Don't use nail glue at all or gels/acrylics, etc. There are non-acetone polish removers available at CVS, Walmart, etc. You can use them similar to how you'd use acetone. Be careful about selecting polish remover as unless it explicitly says non-acetone it almost always has acetone in it. Do a small test swatch on your skin to make sure you're not allergic/sensitive to any of the ingredients.
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      References

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