How To Thin Nail Polish Using OPI Nail Lacquer Thinner
Photo of Color Club Tangerine Scream bottle and OPI nail lacquer thinner bottle on tan marble background
Updated 2024.08.21. This page contains affiliate links and this site earns from qualifying purchases made through these sponsored links.
Nail polish can get clumpy and thick.
This can happen as air gets into the bottle from use, a less than tight seal during storage, or even simply as the solvents evaporate while the polish is being used.
When nail polish becomes thick, it can develop a gloopy texture, making it hard to use when painting on the nail in thin, even strokes. Instead, you get chunks and brush strokes that barely make it midway down the nail.
This can slow you down and result in a less than perfect manicure.
Striving for perfection in your manicures can sometimes mean using older *vintage* polish that’s thickened, yet still preferring a thinner paint formula to achieve that satisfying smooth glide of a brush and efficient, time saving application.
If you have a nail polish bottle that has thickened lacquer inside, noticeable by clumps on the brush when pulling it out of the bottle or through slow drying time in application, you can re-constitute the formula by adding some solvent back to it.
To use OPI Nail Lacquer Thinner to thin your nail polish:
Photo of Color Club Tangerine Scream bottle and OPI nail lacquer thinner bottle with lids off on tan marble background
- 1. Find a well ventilated area to work in away from any sources of heat.
2. Unscrew the nail polish bottle top and remove your brush cap from the bottle.
3. Set your brush cap aside and upside down on the top of the cap, to avoid dripping paint on any surfaces.
4. Unscrew the lid on the OPI Nail Polish Thinner
5. Hold the nail polish thinner nozzle over the nail polish bottle opening.
6. Tilt the nail polish thinner neck slightly over the bottle opening, add 2 drops of thinner to a full size bottle of polish and 1 drop to a mini bottle.
7. Reseal your nail polish bottle with the brush cap. Turn it upside down, then rightside up, roll it between your hands for a few minutes.
8. Open up the nail polish bottle and view the consistency of the polish on the brush.
9. If you like the consistency of your polish, stop here. If you think the polish is still too thick, repeat steps 5-7 with 1 more drop of thinner. Do not go over 3 drops of thinner for a full size bottle or 2 drops for a mini bottle.
You want to avoid over-thinning your nail polish, so be very careful adding each drop.
What to do if you have over thinned nail polish
Photo of OPI nail lacquer thinner bottle tilted over Color Club Tangerine Scream bottle on tan marble background
If you have over thinned your polish and there is space left in the nail polish bottle, simply grab an extra bottle you have of that shade and top off the bottle.
If you have over-thinned your polish and there is no space left in the bottle or you have no extra bottles, try exposing the opened bottle to air.
Place the opened bottle of nail polish in a well ventilated area and every hour, check with a toothpick to see if you like the consistency. Put the polish brush in acetone while you do this so the brush does not dry out.
If your polish does not thicken over the course of a few days like this, you may need to toss it. In some cases, over-thinning changes the polish’s consistency for good. This is why it is so important to go slowly as you drop in the thinner as it allows you to be exact.
The best way to have nail polish at the proper consistency is to make sure it never gets thick. You can slow down nail polish thickening by reducing the air exposure your shades get.
To prevent your lacquers from thickening in the first place, prevent any additional air from getting into the bottle. Store your bottles with a tight seal by cleaning off any nail polish on the threads with acetone after each use, before resealing the bottle.
Photo of OPI nail lacquer thinner bottle on tan marble background text overlay How To Thin Nail Polish Using OPI Nail Lacquer Thinner
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