How to best secure rhinestones when using regular polish? (2025)

Just a bit of advice. I tend to only use rhinestones when using Shellac and set it into the top coat so they last.
I'm doing a design on Saturday using regular polish painted onto acrylics. The little finger is covered in pink glitter which I'm just going to either use pink glitter acrylic and just apply a top coat or I also thought of sprinkling pink glitter onto a topcoat then top coat over the top. The ring finger has rhinestones around the edges. My plan was to paint in the polish, apply nail glue where I'm putting them, stick into place then apply a couple if layers of top coat. Any better ideas?
Also I've heard someone say to use the CND shellac topcoat over regular polish? Is this a bad idea? Never tired it?
Thanks 😊

I've used shellac top coat over normal polish before on myself because I'm generally too lazy to let normal polish dry fully itself haha, and I found it works fine! I'd actually prefer this method than using nail glue. If you're applying a dot of glue then a rhinestone and so on you can kind of see the glue around the rhinestone. If you paint the glue on like a topcoat then it dries before you can do all the rhinestones.

Thanks for the advise, how long do you find the rhinestones last with glue & ordinary top coat?
Ooh did the shellac top coat set ok then on normal polish? How long does it last?

Hi, when I stick rhinestones on I put a little bit of nail glue on top of the varnish, holdt the stone on until its set and then put a drip more nail glue on top and wait for it to dry. They seem indestructible

That's a great tip I've not thought if doing that! I'll try that too great thanks! 😀

i have been doing gelish for a short while now and would really like to start using gems on my gelish - can anyone advise how to do so? x

I've also just started using rhinestones - I have Swarovski ones too and normally set them in builder gel but I find they come loose after a few days. They last better if I put a gel coat on top of the stones but I find it dulls the shine :/ can anyone advise the best way to set them without loosing shine?

Anyone? x

Shellac topcoat is fine to use over regular polish as long as it's fully dry. I only ever usually do it on my own nails, paint them one day and then shellac topcoat them the next day. I'm forever changing my colour so don't always use shellac colour on my own but the topcoat gives them the protection against doing others nails

I never, never apply top coat over the rhinestone, it'll blunt all the cuts of the rhinestone and look like a bead instead. What I do with normal nail polish is, after the top coat, I dot the glue on the desired position, place the rhinestone, and press firmly on the stone using the back of the stone-placing pencil.