Question for the magnetic folks:
Do we thin out our magnetics? What polish thinners does everyone love? Are there any to stay away from with magnetics?
And lastly, can you use thinner in base coats and top coats also? I’ve never dabbled. I just try and make the gummy/tacky thickened stuff work and then complain 😂. Thanks, all!
by EmirpSumitpon
7 Comments
KBShimmer/Holo Taco/MoonCat Thinner are safe for all polishes, anything that gets goopy can get thinned out. I use it in my magnetics all the time, and especially my top coats as they start to get goopy. I forget the exact chemical you want to avoid but I DO know its in the orly thinner so stay away from that one.
Shown on my thumb: 1 x OPI glazed n’ amused, topped with 1 x BKL quiet strength
KBShimmer is my go-to unless it’s old vintage, in which case I use the Seche thinner with toluene.
I use Orly Nail Lacquer Thinner. It’s inexpensive, easy to find, and works great!
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You want a thinner that only contains butyl acetate and ethyl acetate. Those two ingredients are in basically all polish, including base and topcoats. If those ingredients are in your bottle, you can add BA/EA thinner. (It’s always okay to add back what was in the polish but has evaporated. Polish gets goopy/thick when the solvents evaporate.) Add a little at a time – if you add too much, leave the cap off and let the excess evaporate again.
Avoid thinner that contains heptane. If you’re using a topcoat that contains toluene – like Seche Vite or Vibrant Scents Fast & Hard – you may want to use a thinner for those at also contains toluene. To my knowledge, the only one of those is Seche Restore. I use F&H – I have thinned it with both BA/EA only thinner, and with Seche Restore, and didn’t see much of a difference.
Since I’m not seeing that you’ve gotten an answer to this specific question, yes you can use thinner in top coat! I think that might be the only way to get through a whole bottle of QDTC, since they’re wont to get gummy halfway through. I’ve never tried thinning a base coat, however. I feel like if it’s clear, it’s certainly worth a shot! Blurring base coat or ridge filler, I might be a bit more judicious with (like 1 drop at a time, wait a few hours, test).
Also, I’ve definitely thinned unreactive magnetics to get them to act right.
I notice you’re holding a certain BKL in your video, which I also own. I want to caution you not to thin *too* much, since the thick base is part of what suspends the reflective glitter. You can definitely get away with a little bit, though, and it *will* help ease application.
Just an fyi you can buy the same recommended thinner for cheap if you buy from a polish supply store like Glitter Unique. They have bottles in various sizes from 4oz to a gallon and it’s the exact same 2 ingredient thinner that Kbshimmer sells