Frosted Snowflake Nails: Purple Encapsulated Glitter Winter Nail Art Tutorial

This wintry tutorial shows you how to create purple frosted snowflake nails with sparkly glitter that looks trapped inside snow. Rooftop Vibes glitter gel is softly encapsulated in white acrylic for a smooth ombré, then finished with a detailed white snowflake.

Encapsulated designs have a lovely sense of depth, and this one captures the feeling of a frosty winter's morning. The purple sparkle glows out from the centre of the nail, fading into soft white at the edges, with a crisp snowflake sitting on top like the finishing touch on a festive card.

These frosted snowflake nails are all about that soft, encapsulated ombré. Rather than a hard-edged circle of glitter, the edges are frayed with a fine liner brush and then wrapped in tiny beads of Mega White acrylic, so the purple sparkle melts gently into the white. The result looks smooth, frosty and beautifully seasonal.

The snowflake is easy to master too. It's built from a simple pattern of dots, then the lines are dragged out with a liner brush using only the product already on the nail. It's a technique you'll come back to again and again throughout winter.

Pick up a bead of Mega White Acrylic Powder with Max Adhesion Liquid and wait for it to polymerise, which is when the powder and monomer react and the bead turns shiny. Apply a thin layer of white all over the nail and let it dry. Alternatively, you can use Snow White gel for the white background.

Place Rooftop Vibes in the centre of the nail and push the product up and down to where you want it to stop. Use a fine liner brush to disturb and fray the edges so it doesn't look like a harsh circle.

Apply a second coat of Rooftop Vibes in the centre and disturb the outer edges again to create a slight ombré effect. Cure.

Using very small beads of Mega White Acrylic Powder, wrap around the edges of the glitter gel. This gives a frosty, encapsulated ombré effect. Avoid harsh lines; everything should be flush and smooth. Let the acrylic dry, as it doesn't cure.

While the acrylic dries, add a tiny bit more Rooftop Vibes to the centre to make it pop, and cure.

Once the nail is dry, top coat the whole nail. Then use a buffing block to smooth out any bumps from the glitter, giving a smooth base for the snowflake.

With Snow White and a dotting tool, place one main dot in the middle, two slightly smaller dots above, two below and two on each side. Then add another dot in each corner of the cross.

With a liner brush, drag the product from the middle dot out to each end dot without adding extra product. Cure the snowflakes, then finish with top coat to complete your frosted snowflake nails.

• Save time with white acrylics. If your client is having acrylics, doing them in white creates the background in one go.
• No harsh lines. Use very small acrylic beads and take your time so the frosted edge blends smoothly.
• Top coat before buffing. This protects the design while you buff away the glitter texture.
• Try other colours. Any coloured glitter works, and a red glitter would also look stunning.
• Fray the glitter edges. Disturbing the edges with a fine liner brush stops the glitter looking like a harsh circle.

These frosted snowflake nails are ideal for nail techs who already work with acrylic, as the encapsulated white edge relies on placing very small, smooth beads. If your client is having acrylics anyway, doing the set in white creates the background in one go, making this an efficient winter design to add to your menu.

If you prefer gel, you can use Snow White for the background instead, which makes the glitter and snowflake steps accessible to home nail artists too. The dotted snowflake itself is beginner-friendly and a great one to practise.

Keep the same techniques and try these ideas on your frosted snowflake nails:

• Swap Rooftop Vibes for another coloured glitter – red would look stunning.
• Use Snow White gel instead of white acrylic for the background.
• Add the snowflake to just one or two feature nails.
• Make the purple centre larger or smaller to change the ombré.

A little aftercare goes a long way through the colder months. Apply cuticle oil regularly to keep the skin around your nails hydrated, and wear gloves when cleaning or washing up. Avoid using your nails as tools, as knocks can chip the free edge.

If an edge starts to lift, don't pick or peel at the product, as this can damage the natural nail. When you're ready for a new set, have it removed properly or book in for maintenance.

Fray the edges of the Rooftop Vibes glitter with a fine liner brush, then wrap very small beads of Mega White Acrylic Powder around the edges, keeping everything flush and smooth.

Yes. Snow White gel can be used for the white background instead of Mega White acrylic.

Top coating first protects the design, then buffing smooths out any bumps from the glitter so you have a smooth base for the snowflake.

Place a main dot of Snow White in the middle, two smaller dots above, below and on each side, and a dot in each corner. Drag the product from the middle dot out to each end dot with a liner brush, then cure.

With sparkling Rooftop Vibes glitter, a soft encapsulated white ombré and a crisp dotted snowflake, these frosted snowflake nails are a beautiful choice for winter. Watch the full video tutorial above, gather the products listed, and give this frosty design a try.