The Nail Glossary ✦ every term, decoded
Aura to squoval — every technique, product and anatomy term explained in plain language and linked to galleries that show it.
Aura Nails
Soft, airbrushed halos of color diffused from the center or cuticle outward, creating a glowing grad…
Glazed Donut Nails
Sheer, pearlescent nails with a milky base and chrome powder dusted on top — the Hailey Bieber signa…
Cat Eye Nails
Magnetic polish containing iron particles dragged into a luminous light streak that shifts like silk…
Jelly Nails
Translucent, watercolor-sheer nails with a juicy, gummy-candy gloss.…
Micro French
The French manicure with a whisper-thin tip line — modern, subtle, office-proof.…
Skittles Manicure
Every nail a different color from one coordinated palette — playful, curated mismatching.…
Velvet Nails
Soft-focus shimmer created with magnetic cat-eye pigment blurred into a plush, fabric-like glow.…
Chrome Powder
Finely milled metallic pigment rubbed over gel to create mirror, pearl or glaze effects.…
Gel-X Extensions
Pre-shaped soft gel tips cured onto the natural nail — length without acrylic's bulk.…
Polygel
A hybrid of gel and acrylic — putty-soft application with gel's lightweight cure.…
Dip Powder
Color applied by dipping nails into pigmented powder, sealed with activator — no UV lamp.…
Builder Gel
Thick, self-leveling gel used to add strength or sculpt a subtle extension on natural nails.…
Russian Manicure
Precision dry manicure using an electric drill to clean the cuticle zone to perfection.…
Shellac
CND's branded soak-off gel system — often used generically for any gel manicure.…
Gel Polish
UV/LED-cured color that wears 2–3 weeks chip-free with a glass-level shine.…
Acrylic Nails
Sculpted extensions formed from liquid monomer and powder polymer, air-dried to hardness.…
Press-On Nails
Ready-made artificial nails applied with glue or adhesive tabs — salon art in ten minutes at home.…
Cuticle
The thin layer of dead skin sealing the nail plate to the finger at the base.…
Cuticle Oil
Penetrating oil (usually jojoba-based) that keeps the nail zone flexible and fed.…
Lunula
The pale crescent at the nail base — the visible part of the matrix where cells are born.…
Nail Bed
The skin beneath the nail plate that anchors and nourishes it.…
Free Edge
The part of the nail extending past the fingertip — where chips and breaks begin.…
Nail Dehydrator
A prep liquid stripping oils from the nail plate so products grip properly.…
Base Coat
The adhesion and stain-shield layer applied before color.…
No-Wipe Top Coat
A finishing gel that cures without leaving a sticky inhibition layer — chrome-ready.…
Glass File
Etched-glass nail file that seals the keratin edge instead of shredding it.…
Dotting Tools
Double-ended metal styluses with ball tips for perfectly round dots, petals and eyes.…
Striping Tape
Ultra-thin adhesive tape used to mask crisp lines or laid into design as metallic stripes.…
Ombré Nails
Seamless vertical or horizontal color gradient blended from light to dark across the nail.…
Apex
The highest point of a structured enhancement, placed over the stress area for strength.…
C-Curve
The gentle arch across the nail's width that gives enhancements natural strength.…
Smile Line
The curve where the free edge meets the nail plate — also the French tip's guide.…
Sidewall
The structured edges of an extension where it meets the skin on each side.…
Nail Matrix
The hidden root tissue under the cuticle where every nail cell is produced.…
Keratin
The protein building block of the nail plate — layers of it, packed like plywood.…
LED Lamp
The low-heat cure device that hardens gel polish in 30–60 seconds per layer.…
Slip Solution
The liquid used to spread polygel smoothly without it sticking to your brush.…
Activator
The liquid catalyst that hardens dip powder without any UV lamp.…
Monomer
The liquid mixed with acrylic powder to create sculptable nail material.…
Polymer
The acrylic powder half of the liquid-and-powder system — pre-polymerized microspheres.…
Buffing Block
A padded abrasive block for smoothing shine levels — from matte-ifying to mirror-polishing.…
Cuticle Pusher
The metal or rubber tool that gently retracts live skin from the nail plate.…
E-File
The electric drill that removes product and cleans cuticle zones with interchangeable bits.…
Overlay
Strengthener applied directly onto natural nails without adding length.…
Refill
The maintenance appointment filling grown-out gaps at the cuticle on extensions.…
Sculpted Nails
Extensions built freehand with forms rather than glued plastic tips.…
Dual Forms
Reusable clear molds pressed onto wet product to sculpt extensions without tips.…
Nail Wraps
Pre-printed adhesive or heat-activated films applied as full-coverage polish alternatives.…