Our Nail Polish base has been such a popular item at Bramble Berry but it can be a little tricky to use. So I made this Soap Queen Short video to show how easy it is to make your own custom nail polish. I’m excited to point out that we now have mini nail polish bottles at Bramble Berry so you can create a full spectrum of color options from one little 4 oz can of base!
To make the nail polish in this video you will need:
- Nail Polish Base
- Heavy Metal Gold Mica
- Super Pearly White Mica
- Nail Polish Bottle
- Nail Polish Mixing Balls
- Tiny Funnels
- Mini Scoops
Click Here to add everything you need to make this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart.
I have a question and I know it seems silly but in this video it shows using 2 nail polish mixing balls but in your tutorials it only says to use one.I am wondering does it matter?I have only bought 5 bottles of nail polish in my life and I honestly didn’t know they had them til I started researching for our girls night out party we are having soon.I have 3 daughters and want to be sure I get plenty of everything. Also if you have any suggestions for what I should get besides color? I am just buying most of the color from one of your above links.Thanks in advance.
Hi Brandi!
You can add one or two mixing balls to your nail polish. Both will get it mixed up well!
Also, to make nail polish all you need are bottles, Suspending Nail Polish Base, mixing balls and color. If you’d like, you can get Tiny Funnels or .15 CC Scoops. They help you scoop that color into your base with a little less mess.
Also, we have some awesome glitter you might like. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Tiny Funnel: https://www.brambleberry.com/Tiny-Funnel-18-mm-P5457.aspx
.15 CC Scoops: https://www.brambleberry.com/15-CC-Scoop-P4088.aspx
Nail Polish Glitter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Glitter-C365.aspx
I just received the nail polish kit in the mail. My daughter and I had a great time making it! I just have one question: the base was very think and I had time pouring it without making a mess! Any suggestions?
Hi Jennifer!
I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed the kit, it’s a great girly project to do together :). I wonder if the thickness could have been due to temperature? We have found this polish to be a consistency that is easy to work with. I might recommend warming it up slightly before use. Wrapping a warm towel around the bottle for a few minutes might help! 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
Thanks, Amanda! I will try that.
Is it possible to make cream (not frosted or glittered) nail polish with the bases? The oxides just seem to lump up and never mix in completely.
Hi Jill!
We haven’t made a cream color with our nail polishes quite yet, but we do encourage you to mix and match with the micas that we’ve tested. You can find a full list of the colorants that have worked for us on the Suspending Nail Polish product page here:
Suspending Nail Polish Base: https://www.brambleberry.com/Suspending-Nail-Polish-Base-P5261.aspx
-Becky with Bramble Berry
P.S. Here are a couple other nail polish tutorials that can give you some inspiration:
Peacock Glitter Nail Polish: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/peacock-glitter-nail-polish/
Matte Finish Nail Polish Tutorial: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/matte-finish-nail-polish-tutorial/
Making Scented Nail Polish: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/scented-nail-polish/
can you mix lab colors in the nail polish to get a jelly effect? have you tried it
Hi Brittany!
We’ve actually tested all our colorants in the suspending nail polish base and have found that the micas work the best. LabColors have actually separated in the base and don’t work that great! For a list of colorants that we have tried and know to work great, click here:
https://www.brambleberry.com/Suspending-Nail-Polish-Base-P5261.aspx?Options=8802
I hope that this helps! =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Dear Becky/Kristen from Bramble Berry,
I’m so grateful that I found this excellent site, it has provided me with loads of information.
The thing is I’m currently planning on making bulk of nail polish as well as indie polishes to sell for charity purposes.
I need glitter suspension base and also any lacquer base that can hold up the glitters and mica from sinking.
However, I couldn’t find a site that sell these base with worldwide shipping.
Hence, if your company do sell the products that I desperately need or you know any other site please reply me.
Your assistance is highly appreciated.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Thanks again.
Best wishes,
Annee
Hi Annee!
Currently we can only ship our suspending nail polish base (which does hold glitters + mica) to the lower 48 states as stated by law. What area are you in and I can see if I can suggest something for you! =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Hi, thanks so much for the video.
I have a few questions.
Does the nail polish separate after a while with the supplies you used in this video?
What would you use to make a very creamy color?
How could one create a color that would be like a pantone color?
Also, is this how the indie polish makers make their lines?
Thank you so much for your insights!
Good morning, Tracy!
We are so excited that you are interested in trying our our nail polish base and can’t wait to hear all about what you end up making.
The nail polish doesn’t actually separate at all in the bottles and we’ve found it to work really well for us. In fact, in fact, I have a color from last year that I am still using and it hasn’t separated. If you are looking at making a creamy color, I would suggest starting out with the Super Pearly White Mica and adding other colorants from the list that you think would work for the hue you are going for. For more matte Pantone colors, try some oxides or micas that don’t have any sparkle. You can view all the colorants that we found have worked well for us here:
https://www.brambleberry.com/Suspending-Nail-Polish-Base-P5261.aspx
This is typically how most indie polish makers start their lines and you can do it too! We’d love to hear more about what you are wanting to make and if you get any pictures of your custom nail polish, you can share it with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page.
-Becky with Bramble Berry
P.S. Here are a couple other nail polish tutorials that you might like to take a look at:
Peacock Glitter Nail Polish: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/peacock-glitter-nail-polish/
Making Scented Nail Polish: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/scented-nail-polish/
Matte Finish Nail Polish Tutorial: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/matte-finish-nail-polish-tutorial/
I was wondering how sheer does the polish go on? Would I just need to add more mica to get a richer more opaque color? Or is there another product I would have to use? About how many bottles could I make with a 4oz can. Thanks!
Hi Nema,
We typically recommend 5-8 scoops depending on the color. If you’d want a more opaque color, try adding a few extra scoops and see what that gets you! As for now many bottles you can make, our nail polish containers can hold about 15 mL of polish, which is roughly half an ounce. So 4 ounces of base would give you about 8 bottles of polish 🙂
Nail Polish bottles: https://www.brambleberry.com/Nail-Polish-Bottle-15ml-P5414.aspx?Options=8770
Hope that helps!
-Kirsten
Great video! I’ll have to try this.
I do, however, have an unrelated question:
In your opinion, what are the most effective more natural preservatives in the cosmetic industry?
If I was to use potassium sorbate, what would you include to go along with it?
Good morning, Gabi!
Currently there isn’t a good quality, affordable, all-natural preservative on the market for home crafters. Some people try to use anti-oxidants like Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE), Rosemary Oleoresin (ROE) or Vitamin E in their products, but these aren’t actually preservatives and will not prevent mold and bacteria from growing in your products.
For more information on preservatives, here is a blog post we put out last year that goes over them:
Talk It Out Tuesday: Preservatives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
Potassium Sorbate is typically used as a food preservative and we’ve never used it in our bath & body products and don’t know how it would react with them. Potassium Sorbate typically has a pH level that is below 5, which is way lower than what you would be using in a typical lotion.
I hope this helps! =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
how long does it last if used on nails?
thanks
It’s regular nail polish so it lasts as long as a typical polish will. On natural nails, 5-7 days; on synthetic (fake) nails, up to 14-21 days.
I die to try it, but can’t be shipped to Puerto Rico 🙁
We’d love for you to be able to try it Sharlene, but unfortunately we can’t air ship it. But, if it ever becomes available to do that, we will definitely announce it. 🙂
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Hi Sharlene and Becky, You can shipped to Miami, Fl. and from there is very easy to send it to Puerto Rico. It might be a little extra or expensive, but it´s worth trying.
Hope this info is helpful.
Mari Boyd-Lewis