With thousands of different glitter combinations, this creative outlet is not only fun, but also very addicting! Creating your own franken polish is all about experimenting.  It’s a learning process so don’t get discouraged if your first few attempts do not turn out.   Lets get started…

Franken Supplies

Using the right tools to create your franken polish is very important.  The right supplies will help eliminate time, mess, money and a lot of frustration.

The first tool you will need is an empty jar.  This is where all of your trial and error and creative ideas will come together.   Mix and match any combination of glitter colors and sizes together until you achieve the look you are going for.  No rules apply when mixing your own glitter combinations, but for those of you that don’t know where to start, try using the color wheel rules.  Colors that are next to other on the color wheel or complimentary colors is always a fun safe way to achieve a great franken glitter polish.

When creating your glitter combination, always make sure you use solvent resistant glitters. With over 85 different colors, shapes, and sizes to choose from. Glitties has the largest selection of solvent resistant glitters anywhere!

If you’re asking yourself “Why do I need to use solvent resistant glitter?”  Here is the answer:

Solvent resistant glitters are made entirely from strong polyester material to withstand harsh solvents (nail polish). Non solvent resistant glitters are acrylic pieces coated with an outside layer of polyester material.  Even though the outside layer of these glitters is solvent resistant, the solvent is able to seep through the sides of the glitter and dissolve the color and plastic acrylic core, causing your glitter to melt or loose it’s color.  Just like acetone dissolving acrylic nails.  The results of using non solvent resistant glitters in your franken glitter polish…“HOT MESS!”

New frankeners’ will use any nail polish to create their franken glitter polish.  This is not the best idea. Here’s why?  When you first get done mixing your polish and glitter, everything looks nice and applies great.  Give it less then an hour and all of your beautiful glitters will have sunk to the very bottom of your polish.  You think you will be able to shake it up, but the glitter will never evenly apply again.  Waste of time and money!   The best polish used is a suspended base polish made specifically for glitter.  Glitties Franken Formula is a long lasting base that will suspend glitters (glitters won’t sink).  Our Franken Formula is “3-Free”. This means it does not contain the Toxic Trio of chemicals: Toluene, Formaldehyde and Dibutyl Phthalate.

Other tools needed are an orange stick, paper plate/art tray, and a funnel.  Orange sticks are great for mixing you’re your “test polish” and pushing the glitter down into your final franken polish.  You can get several uses out of one orange stick by cleaning it with acetone when finished.  A paper plate is needed to mix your “test polish” on, and a funnel is needed to eliminate the mess of pouring the glitter into your polish.  Quick Tip: Make a small funnel out of paper.  Simple roll up a small square of paper (approx. 3 x 3 inches works well) into a funnel shape and tape together.  Make sure the hole at the end is slightly smaller than the opening to the polish bottle, but not too tiny.

Last but not the least, Franken Ballz!  These tiny zinc plated balls are put in the bottle last to help mix together your polish and glitter.  Using Franken Ballz will save you a headache and muscle strength from all the shaking you would have done without them!

All right! You’re ready to franken!

Step 1

Place some drops of polish on to your paper plate or art tray.  Don’t be afraid to use the polish to test.  The glitter needs a little room anyway!

Step 2

Shake in a bit of the glitter combination you have already created.  Remember to start small.  You can always add more.

Step 3

Use your orange stick to mix the glitter and polish together.  After mixing, do a test swatch on a piece of paper.  If you are satisfied with the appearance of your franken mixture, go on to step 4. Otherwise, experiment until you get the look you desire.

Step 4

Set aside the cap/brush and place your funnel into the top of your Franken Formula or polish bottle.  Slowly add glitter into the bottle. Same rule applies here…add a little at a time!

Step 5

Last, add a couple of Franken Ballz , and shake, shake, shake!  Test you’re newly mixed franken glitter polish on a nail.  Need more glitter?  Always!  Add more glitter and shake some more.

Congratulations! Once you have created a franken polish you love, you’ll never want to stop!