Type: Cat Eye Gel
SNS Cat Eyes - Set 24 Colors - Crystal Twinkle Collection
Type: Cat Eye Gel
SNS Cat Eyes - Set 24 Colors - Diamond Twinkle Collection
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Crystal Twinkle and Diamond Twinkle?
The effect. Both are 24-shade lines of magnetic cat eye gel at $19.00 a bottle, both HEMA-free and TPO-free, both soak-off. Crystal Twinkle's shimmer pulls into a fine, sharp line that shifts with the light; it suits an everyday cat eye, French tips and accent nails. Diamond Twinkle's diamond-like sparkle gives a bolder, broader, three-dimensional line, and it is the one for statement nails and deep jewel tones. Many salons stock a few of each.
Do I need a magnet for cat eye gel?
Yes. The pigment is magnetic and only forms a line when a magnet is held a few millimeters above the wet gel for five to ten seconds. Without one, the gel cures as an even shimmer, which is also a look, but not a cat eye. Any nail magnet works; a bar magnet gives a straight line, a curved or angled magnet gives a curve. Work one nail at a time and flash cure each one as soon as the line is right.
Is SNS cat eye gel HEMA-free?
Yes, both lines. HEMA is the small monomer in most gel products and the one most often named when someone reacts to gel; TPO is a photoinitiator, the part that cures under the lamp. We formulate Crystal Twinkle and Diamond Twinkle without either. That is stated as what is left out, not as a promise that nobody can react, because no cosmetic can promise that. If a client has reacted to gel before, check what was in it; it is usually one of those two.
Why does my cat eye line disappear or go blurry?
Usually timing. The particles start to drift as soon as the magnet moves away, so the nail has to go under the lamp within a second or two of taking the magnet off. Work one nail at a time, flash cure each, then full cure all five. The other causes are a first coat that was not cured before the second went on, a second coat too thin to hold enough pigment, or a magnet held too far away. A dark cured underlayer makes the line read stronger.
How do I remove cat eye gel?
The same as any soak-off gel. File the top coat and the surface of the color thin with a 100 grit file, wrap each nail in acetone or a soak-off solution, wait, and push the softened gel away with a cuticle pusher. Never pry or peel; that is what damages the plate. Files, soak-off solution and the cuticle pusher are under Nail Tools and Accessories.
What is cat eye gel?
A gel color with magnetic pigment in it. Painted on, it looks like a shimmer polish. Hold a magnet close to the wet gel for a few seconds and the metallic particles line up along the field, forming a bright streak that sits inside the color and shifts as the hand moves, the way the slit in a cat's eye catches light. Cure it and the line is locked in place for the life of the manicure.
That's the whole trick, and it's why cat eye is the effect a client asks for by name. Nothing is painted freehand, so the result is repeatable across ten nails, and the same bottle gives a different look depending on where you hold the magnet.
Two lines: Crystal Twinkle and Diamond Twinkle
We make cat eye gel in two lines of 24 shades each, both HEMA-free and TPO-free, both soak-off, both $19.00 a bottle. The difference is the effect. Crystal Twinkle's magnetic shimmer pulls into a fine, sharp line with a shift that moves with the light. Diamond Twinkle's diamond-like sparkle gives a bolder, broader, three-dimensional line, so the whole nail reads as a jewel rather than a streak.
| Crystal Twinkle | Diamond Twinkle | |
|---|---|---|
| Shades | 24 | 24 |
| Effect | Fine, sharp line with a light-shifting shimmer | Broader sparkle, bold three-dimensional line |
| Best for | Subtle everyday cat eye, French and accent nails | Statement nails, deep jewel tones, nail art bases |
| Formula | HEMA-free, TPO-free, soak-off | HEMA-free, TPO-free, soak-off |
| Price | $19.00; set of 24 $450.00 | $19.00; set of 24 $450.00 |
At $450.00 a set, the 24 shades come in a little under the price of the same 24 bottles bought singly. Buy a set to put a whole line on the wall in one order.
What do HEMA-free and TPO-free mean here?
HEMA is the small monomer in most gel products and the one most often named when a client reacts to gel. TPO is a photoinitiator, the part of the formula that turns lamp light into a cure. Neither is in either cat eye line. We state that as what we left out, not as a promise that nobody can react; no cosmetic can honestly make that promise. For a tech, it's the answer to the client who has had trouble with gel and still wants the effect.
How do you apply cat eye gel?
- Prep and base. Cuticles back, buff the shine off, wipe. A thin coat of gel base, cured. Base and top are under Base & Top Gel.
- Underlayer, optional. One cured coat of a dark gel color under a cat eye makes the line pop. Black or navy from SNS Gel Only is the usual choice; skip it if you want the shade's own color to show.
- First coat of cat eye. A thin, even coat. Cure it without using the magnet; this coat is the color bed.
- Second coat, then the magnet. A slightly thicker coat, and before it cures, hold a nail magnet a few millimeters above the surface for five to ten seconds. Do not touch the gel. Work one nail at a time; the particles start to relax as soon as the magnet moves away.
- Flash cure. The moment the line looks right, put the nail under the lamp for a few seconds to lock it, then do the next nail. Full cure once all five are done.
- Top coat. Glossy top, cured, and the line is sealed. A matte top gives a velvet cat eye, which works especially well with Crystal Twinkle.
Every layer cures under a UV/LED lamp; our cordless lamp is in tools and accessories. Removal is a soak-off, the same as any gel: file the top, wrap in acetone, wait, push.
Where you hold the magnet decides the look
- Straight line: magnet held lengthwise over the center of the nail. The classic cat eye.
- Diagonal: the same, at an angle. Reads as a light streak crossing the nail.
- Curved line: a magnet with a curved edge, or a straight one tilted so one end is closer. The streak bends toward the near end.
- Double line: two short passes, one on each side, with a flash cure between them.
- Full shimmer, no line: magnet held flat over the whole nail, or no magnet at all. The pigment spreads into an even glow.
Whatever the shape, the rule is the same: thin first coat cured, thicker second coat magnetized, flash cure, top. Thick coats that aren't cured before the next one is applied are what leave a cat eye soft or wrinkled.
Cat eye, pearl gel or chrome?
Three effects that get confused. Cat eye is a magnetic line inside the color. Pearl gel is a pastel gel color with an even pearl-like glow and no magnet. Chrome powder is a pigment rubbed over cured gel for a mirror finish. They stack: a cat eye base under chrome on one accent nail is a common set, and all three sit under the same base and top.
Wear, care and stocking a cat eye wall
- Wear: the line is inside the cured gel, so it doesn't wear off. The set lasts as long as the top coat does; a fresh coat of glossy top at week two brings the shine back without touching the line.
- Fills: a cat eye is a color, not a structure. When the nail grows out, remove and redo; there is nothing to fill.
- Magnet care: keep the magnet away from the open bottles. A magnet left next to a bottle pulls the pigment to one side of the glass, and the next coat comes out uneven until you shake it back.
- Stocking: a salon usually opens with three or four shades from each line rather than a full set, plus a black or navy underlayer from SNS Gel Only. The two 24-shade sets are for the wall that already has a cat eye clientele.