This gelicure may not feature Marie’s trademark, detailed nail art, but I still find it absolutely out of this world.
And the KEY question. Who on Planet Earth does her nails?! Marie goes to Marie’s Nails on 3rd Street here in Los Angeles. Her good friend Shigeko Kawaguchi is the artist responsible for Marie’s polished look.
I’ve tried the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips before and really, really loved them. That’s why, when I was doing my annual self-indulgent birthday shopping spree at Sephora back in September, I had to try Sephora’s version. What I immediately noticed was that the patterns were more fashion-forward than what Sally Hansen was offering. Oh, and also the price. Quite a bit more expen$ive. In the name of research, I succumbed.
First of all, the pattern in real life is awesome. It’s not pixilated at all; it looks like a work of art on your nails. Some called the print “wallpaper-like” but I think they meant that in the very best way possible. Ahem. I did get tons of compliments, for what it’s worth!
Despite the name “Chinese Blossom,” the pattern did not strike me as overtly Asian. When I hear “chinese blossom,” I think “cherry blossom,” which are very distinctive flowers. Sephora’s Chinese Blossom Nail Patch Art looks more Victorian to me. You be the judge!
Traditional "cherry blossom" Chinese art
Anna Sui clutch
A Victorian black floral tray
Okay, okay, this is an Oriental fan. Perhaps these are true "Chinese Blossoms."
And now, some pictures of my experience.
The usual supplies. I didn't end up using the base coat, though.
Hmm. Deceptively simple description on the Sephora site. We'll see about this!
8 sizes to choose from, 16 strips total. Same number as Sally Hansen Salon Effects...
Patches are trimmed and ready to be filed! If you look closely, that's a Franken-nail.
Ready for a top coat! I just love the way this looks.
Oof. The aftermath. Not as bad as it looks, I swear.
Oh dayum, mah nailz are so FLY.
And now onto the nitty gritty.
Application — Relatively easy.
These seemed slightly thicker than the Sally Hansen Salon Effects, so they weren’t as flexible and easy to stretch. A friend of mine recommended blasting each strip with a hair dryer for a few seconds to warm it up, and then it’ll be more pliable. (Thanks for the tip, Kelsey!)
Shapes & Shaping — Not too good, not that bad.
The sizing seemed a little off on these. I think Sally Hansen offers a better array of pre-cut sizes. I found myself making Franken-nails by creating thin strips out of the excess of the patches I’d already applied, so that I could literally “fill the gap” on the sides of a few nails. With a busy pattern like this, it wasn’t too noticeable. Still a bit of a hassle, though.
The shaping of the nails was a little troublesome, too. The directions read, “Remove surplus by folding nail sticker under the nail: the excess tears away easily.” But it’s just not that easy. I ended up using nail clippers to trim away the overhang of the patch, so there was no extra material and it lined up exactly with my already-filed nail. Then I gently filed & smoothed away any weird angles…
To Top Coat or Not to Top Coat? — Oh, you know it. But beware.
I love a glossy finish. I used a top coat when I tried out the Check It Out (houndstooth) Sally Hansen Salon Effects, and it took the look to a whole new level. When I used a top coat on the Girl Flower Sally Hansens, it ate away the pattern a little bit and turned what were once bright flowers into a pastel bouquet. I knew I was playing with fire when I decided to add a top coat to these Sephora Nail Patches.
But I did it anyway, and I payed the price. The top coat shrunk my perfectly trimmed patches, leaving a thin white line (my real nail) at the tips. Grrr.
S.O.S. (N.P.A)!! — In case of emergency!
This called for an emergency tactic. I used my trusty Sally Hansen Black Heart and carefully sealed the tips of my nails, covering the exposed white. The black polish blended perfectly with the black background of the pattern. Problem solved!
Wear & Tear — Typical for a nail polish sticker.
I wore these for a week with minimal chipping. Keep in mind, these were my Thanksgiving Nailz, so I was helping out with lots of cooking & cleaning. They began to get little chips on the seventh day, but considering what they’d been through, I was impressed.
The one thing that drives me crazy — and this is an issue with nail polish strips / stickers in general, not specifically Sephora’s — is that you quickly develop a “ridge” between the top of the patch and your cuticle as soon as your nails begin to grow. And what’s worse than looking at that ever-growing space? Washing your hair and feeling individual strands get stuck in (or worse, UNDER the) ridge. It’s… eugh, omg, I can’t even talk about it. Chills. Chills down my spine. Gah.
Recommend? I think so.
I would advise using the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips if it’s your first time, since they’re easier to use, have more of an assortment of sizes, and are less expensive. I’ll stick with Sally Hansen for my nail polish strip needs… unless Sephora comes out with a new, gorgeous pattern like Chinese Blossom that I can’t get anywhere else, in which case, game on.
BONUS! The package is genius in that Sephora provides a piece of magic silver tape so that you can reseal your leftovers! One of the biggest bummers about the Sally Hansen Salon Effects is that it feels like such a waste; you throw so many away! I am sure the sooner you use the Sephora strips you’re able to save, the better, but it was still a nice gesture of them to provide some way to at least tryto entertain the possibility of using them up completely.
Ooh, so THAT's what that little silver tape is for!
Save my extrees? Don't mind if I do!
xxo, GLOSS
P.S. I was in St. Louis for Thanksgiving, hence the pic of the Gateway Arch. Livin’ large!
That's not an airplane, that's the Arch. And it was c-c-cold!
Well, less emphasis on the “snap” and “pop” part, and more emphasis on the “crackle” part.
Crackle nail polish, that is!
I am not yet sure how I feel about crackle nail polish. When I see pics of all the crackle nail art out there, I get jealous and think to myself, “ooooo, I want that!” But then when I try it on myself, I am less than thrilled.
Maybe it’s because my technique is wrong? Maybe it’s because my execution of the crackle nail art is all off? Maybe it’s because the crackle effect is just too busy for me?
Maybe it’s a perfect storm of unsettling nail polish?!
I’ll let you be the judge.
(OK, I admit I do like the look in this picture, but I think that had to do with my camera handy work, rather than the actual nail polish)
First, I painted my nails in a double coat of Confetti’s Tazmanian Devil. Then I did one, light coat in Sally Hansen’s Crackle in Ink Splatter. Then, of course, a top coat for shine!
(Much harder to see the glitter in the sun light. Totally washed out.)
This is a part of their fall collection and, while I really love all of their collection, the one thing I have to say about this color is it is not as it appears from the bottle. The same is true of Bobbing for Baubles, another one of Essie’s fall colors.
Both Very Structured and Bobbing for Baubles are much darker on your nails, than their pics online, as well as what appears to be inside the bottle.
Nonetheless, I love both of these colors!
I thought Very Structured would turn out as a burnt orange color, but in fact it is a true brown….kind of a milk chocolate.
Actually, I was at a retreat for work on Monday and we had some markers at out table for part of the demonstration. I happened to pick the brown marker and as I was holding it I noticed that the brown marker cap matched my nails perfectly!
Actually, this color matches lots of things and goes very nicely with brown leather. Perfect for fall!
Click here to go to the LCN website, a rival brand of magnetic nail polish. On the site, you can buy a starter set that includes eight magnetic nail polishes and two magnets for $115.90. Alternatively, you can also buy magnets ($19.90 per magnet) and individual polishes ($9.90 per bottle) separately. In my opinion, the set doesn’t seem worth it, because when you do the math, you only save 4 dollars. The economy of scale is kind of nonexistent. But the magnets are sweet! One does a starburst design, and I’m sure you could use it with nails. inc polishes, too.
Obviously, I am hooked on this ombre trend. What can I say?!
Here is my little rendition of Ombre nails, which by the way, is a lot harder than it looks. Although the shades of red may look great in the bottle, it is difficult to find the perfect the perfect crescendo of red. Admittedly, I’m still working on it.
First, start with inspiration:
Then use a 3×5 card and play around with your reds to make sure they are similar in shade.
Then line your preferred bottles in order and get to work!
(Mary Kay’s Pulse/Palpitation, China Glaze’s Fifth Avenue, OPI’s Ruble For Your Thoughts, Essie’s Cute As A Button, and Essie’s Muchi Muchi)
First of all, there were formerly three colors of nails inc. Magnetic Polish; a plum (Houses of Parliament), a pewter (Trafalgar Square) and a gold (Big Ben). The gold was recalled, I think because it just wasn’t magnetic enough; the design was not very noticeable. Sephora very recently released a new third color, a deep and beautiful teal (Whitehall Teal). Although one magnetic polish is probably enough for my Stash, the new shade is verrry tempting.
I did a little research and learned that pewter (“Trafalgar Square”) was probably my best bet. The darker the color is, the more noticeable your magnetic design will be.
I also watched this video tutorial, featuring Thea Green, the founder of nail inc. I highly recommend it. First and firstmostly, it does a great job explaining the basic technique. Second, the VO is so charmingly British, and unintentionally hilarious because whoever’s reading these lines is intense. Whoa! Or, as a Brit would say, “Bloody ‘ell!”
(Note: Both the Sephora site and the nails inc. video say there’s an “outer cap” and an “inner cap,” and you use the “inner cap” to apply the polish. I cannot imagine a weirder way to describe the bottle. It’s really this simple… There’s a chunky “overcap,” similar to Chanel’s Le Vernis, that you pull up and off. There’s a magnet built into the overcap. When you pull off the overcap, suddenly the polish looks like any other bottle of nail polish. What they’re calling an “inner cap” is really just the handle of the brush that you unscrew, as per usual. I think calling it an inner cap is confusing.)
Despite my prep… I still had many, many questions before I got started:
Is this best as an overlay, a la Crackle?
How thick do coats need to be?
How fast does the polish really begin to dry?
What happens if you move the magnet around over the wet polish?
I’m a two coat kind of girl. Does it even make sense to use this expensive polish for both coats, as the directions instruct one to do?
If you decide to use a different color for your first coat, what happens if you use:
Black?
White?
What about a neon? Neon red!
Or neon green!
Or maybe a similar color to the magnetic polish that you already own?
I needed to experiment. More accurately, I needed someone to experiment ON. But who would just be sitting around? I needed someone unlikely to engage in any physical activity (such as chores, working, etc.), to guarantee that no damage would come to the testing nailz in their delicate drying stage.
The answer was in front of me all along. My significant other just got SKYRIM, a brand-new video game. He was planning on sitting in front of the TV for hours anyway! All I needed to do was slap a little paint on ‘im.
Meet my new hand model. We shall call him Whiskey.
And so the experiment begins! From left: pinky is white, ring finger is black, middle finger is one "normal" coat of TF, index finger is a *thick* coat of TF. Thumb (not shown) is MAC Rain, the closest shade to TF that I had in my Stash.
Second step. From left: pinky is TF over white, ring finger is TF over black, middle finger is two coats of TF, index finger remains unchanged, still just one *thick* coat of TF.
Here's Whiskey's thumb: one coat MAC Rain with one coat TF over it. Gorgeous cuticles, Whisk!
Now for something different. From left: index finger is a thick coat of TF with the magnet turned at a 90 degree angle. Middle finger is two coats Orly Hot Shot, a neon red. Ring finger is a thick coat of TF and I moved the magnet around in a slow circle. Pinky is two coats China Glaze Kiwi-Coolada, a neon green.
See the dot in the ring finger swirl? I glopped so much polish on — the magnetic particles became so strong that the polish stretched up and away from my nail like a stalagmite. I lifted the magnet a little higher and the nail polish settled down, but left a dot. Watch out for that when you’re applying thick coats.
Here you can see the nice swoop on the index finger. Middle finger is one coat of TF over Hot Shot. Ring finger remains unchanged. Pinky is one coat TF over Kiwi-Coolada.
Ubiquitous nail polish blog pose. Whiskey's a pretty good hand model. Minus the mysterious scratches and occasional raggedy cuticle.
Pinky is a softer version of the stripey look, thanks to the white base coat. Black on the ring finger resulted in the nail with the greatest contrast. Middle finger's fine, not significantly better than index finger. Thumb is not noteworthy either.
... aand, back to Skyrim.
This is kind of cool; I held the magnet against the bottle and lines developed beneath the glass! I wonder if I have any other polish lying around that may react to the magnet?
Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat. <3
One coat OPI Alpine Snow.
Two coats OPI Alpine Snow. So glossy! Great coverage.
I applied a slightly-thicker-than-usual coat of TF to my pinky and held the magnet very close to my nail for 15 seconds.
Now that is some nice striation!
Lighting's really weird and 70s here, but here's the complete set.
On my way to work; this is natural light.
Still driving! This is Trafalgar Square in beautiful Los Angeles morning sunlight.
Last pic! There's just something enchanting about the sun lighting up my magnetic particles here. This is science? This is MAGIC.
TO RECAP:
Is this best as an overlay, a la Crackle? SURE! Make sure you do a nice thick-ish coat, though, because you will see streaks from the brush if you’re not thorough.
How thick do coats need to be? A typical, thin coat for your first coat. For your second coat… slap it on.
How fast does the polish really begin to dry? I don’t think it dries unusually fast for a polish. What I do know is that you must move quickly; the more liquid the polish is when you first place the magnet over your nail, the better the design will be.
What happens if you move the magnet around over the wet polish? When I turned the magnet sideways, I got a weird sort of swoop-curve. (See above). I recommend placing the magnet over your nail as soon as you’ve applied your thick coat of polish, and then hold steady for 15 seconds if you want a high-contrast design. For a slightly more subtle, softer look, apply less polish and hold the magnet ever so slightly father away from your nail.
I am a two coat kind of girl. Does it even make sense to use this expensive polish for both coats? Well, if you’re unlikely to let anyone borrow this polish from you (you wicked thing) then just go all out. Thin first coat, thick second coat. If you really want to conserve this polish, then by all means use a different color for the first coat.
If you decide to use a different color for your first coat, what happens if you use:
Black? High contrast striation!
White? Very glowy undertones; troublesome tip-wear.
What about a neon? Neon Red! Spiderman!
Or neon green! Not recommended!
Or maybe a similar color to the magnetic polish that you already own? A wise decision.
nails inc. Magnetic Polish in Trafalgar Square, a beautiful, shimmery pewter.
I actually ordered this little treat as a birthday gift for, um, myself way back in September. I was saving it for a special moment!
Magnetic nail polish is not brand new technology; it has existed for quite some time now. Remember Lancome’s daring foray into magnetic nail polish? RIP Le Magnetique, RIP. We weren’t worthy, we weren’t ready. Forgive us. (It fetches a pretty penny on the Interwebs nowadays.)
Ill-fated Lancome Le Magnetique. A screenshot from Nordstrom's website. It includes the perfect description for this polish!
That said, this is the first time I ever actually tried any magnetic polish and OH, nails inc. did not disappoint. Bottom line, nails inc. Magnetic Polish is a SLAM DUNK, and if you’ve got cash to burn or a Christmas gift to buy, drop your 16 dollaz on a bottle.
This polish is a touchdown, hole in one! (Photo credit: G. Alpha)
Stay tuned, and I will tell you the tale of my experience with nails inc. I’m posting a pictorial, and I’ll also give you a few tips & tricks so you can get the truly magnetic look you’ve got in mind.
May I present one of Marie’s more intricate gelicures. Don’t be fooled by the demure color palette; this is still pretty wild.
Subtle at first glance... but look close, and the genius is there.
First of all, the glitter. So cool! It’s sort of mathematical to me. Index with right half, middle is full, ring finger’s left half, pinky is none. It’s well-balanced. I like, I like.
For those of you who’ve ventured into DIY nail art, you can imagine how tricky the design on her thumb is. Dare I even try it?
I know what you’re thinking. You’re remembering my sorry first attempt at Water Marbling. Yeah, me too. Maybe I should stick to simpler paint jobs.
I think one of you with some real artsy talent should try to do Marie’s dessert-y marble look. Imagine a tiramisu-themed mani! Did you know sugary sweet nail art is actually kind of a thing? Observe:
Cupcake French Manicure. It also reminds me of froyo. Hmm... mmm.
And these remind me of... I mean, really — how does one describe such things. I once had a My Little Pony Ice Cream Shoppe in my youth*, and if you magically transformed that toy cafe into nailz, I think this is exactly what it would look like. And do not mistake me. These are not nails, these are NAILZ.
