NCLA Nail Wraps: Aqua

 Sent for Review

Oh hello weekends! I know I ought to be perkier than this but I am completely exhausted after an informal chill-out session with my colleagues at my boss' place last night - the official event was named "primer on wine and cheese tasting" but it was much more fun than having a lecture of sorts and I really enjoyed myself there. Don't worry, I didn't indulge in too much alcohol (I can't really drink!) and didn't make a fool of myself in front of my bosses (I think).

Anyway, a quick post before I KO for the day. As promised here's a swatch of the second nail wrap design that I've picked from Nail Polish Canada:

Aqua (2 coats of top coat).
A simple but beautiful color-blocking design. I have been meaning to do a color-block like this since forever but I never got around to doing it because I dread fumbling with the tape - I suspect I spend more time untangling myself from the roll of tape than creating the design on my nails. Oh wells.

For details about the application of these NCLA nail wraps, head over and check out my previous post here.

There are many more pretty designs available on Nail Polish Canada here.

So what do you think of these nail wraps? What are your experiences with them?

NCLA Nail Wraps: Reflect Yourself

Sent for Review

A while ago, Nail Polish Canada started to carry the popular NCLA nail wraps in their store and contacted me to do a review. After starting working, I hardly had the time to do nail art so you can imagine my joy and excitement at having the chance to wear fancy nails after so long! There are several gorgeous designs available at NPC and it took me a long time to decide on two designs.

This is the first design that I've picked:

Reflect Yourself.
A beautiful mosaic design that makes me feel like my nails are encrusted with jewels.

Application is very simple. The official instructions are:

1. Clean your nails with nail polish remover.
2. Apply a coat of clear nail polish - let dry.*
3. Choose the right size for each nail and peel from the sheet by the flap (the tab).
4. Apply the round side against the cuticle. Wrap can be removed and stretched to fit.
5. Once in position, firmly flatten the wrap starting from the cuticle. 
6. Use the nail file to file away the excess in a downward motion.
7. Apply another coat of clear polish for seal and shine.
8. Removal: simply peel them off your nails. 

*I definitely recommend applying a coat of clear polish before any application. This will help to protect your nails when you remove the wraps. The nail wraps are quite adhesive because, well, they are meant to stick onto the nails firmly. While this is good, it may peel off the top layer of your nails if you apply the wraps directly onto your bare nail. I applied a coat of base coat and a coat of top coat (a little too much? lol!) before using the nail wraps and the wraps only took off small pieces of the top coat without damaging my nails.

I am pleasantly surprised to find the smaller nail wraps nicely sized for my nails. I could apply most of them directly without any trimming. For the ones that are slightly larger, I trimmed them slightly with a pair of scissors before peeling them from the sheet and applying them on my nails.

The wraps are thin and very easy to apply. While I did not have to stretch them because my nails are relatively flat, I did notice that the wraps are very flexible and it should be able to stretch to fit curvier nails without any trouble as well. 

Unlike the other nail wrap that I've tried previously, the NCLA nail wraps do not disintegrate with a top coat (thankfully!). I put two coats of top coat over the wraps to give them a mega-shine.

Each nail wrap kit is US$16 and comes with 44 wraps of different sizes (printed on 2 sheets) and one nail file. Quite value for money if you ask me. There are enough wraps to use for at least 4 manicures - more if you do not discard the excess from the larger wraps. Of course, it is also good as a quick and easy accent nail to spice up a manicure:

OPI DS Extravagance with Reflect Yourself on accent

You can see the range of designs available at Nail Polish Canada here. The nail wraps ship free within Canada (and the US?) - no minimum purchase required!

Stay tuned for the second design that I've picked! It's a beauty too <3

What do you think of the NCLA nail wraps? Have you tried them before?




*Product provided for our honest review. Please see our disclosure policy for more information.*

Nail Ideas: Nail Wraps!

I have to confess - ever since I started dabbling in simple nail art, I'd thumbed my nose at nail wraps and stickers. After all, I can always recreate the designs myself, right?

Wrong.
I never realized that there can be a million and one things that make it impossible to do nail art until I started on a preparatory course for my upcoming bar exam. Ever since the course started, I've only done nail art on a few occasions. Most of the time, I just slap on a polish and wear it for the entire week or until it chips. And you know me, wearing a plain color for an entire week can really bore me to tears.

At times like this, I've really got nail wraps to thank:

Tada! Fancy nails in under 5 minutes!
Please pardon the mangled looking edges for some of the nails. I did some experiment with the wraps on different nails for this review.

Application is really simple and you can do all ten of your nails in under 10 minutes - no rushing necessary. Here are the instructions on the packaging (in my own words because I've misplaced the cover >.< ):

1. Remove plastic film on top of wrap
2. Find a strip of nail wrap that fits on the nail.
3. Carefully peel the nail wrap off the packaging.
4. Position the nail wrap on your nail (you can carefully lift it up and reposition it if you got it wrong).
5. Smooth the nail wrap on your nail and remove any wrinkles or bubbles.
6. File off the excess nail wrap at the tips. 

In addition to that, I would recommend trimming the nail wrap with a pair of scissors to fit your nails before step 3. It will give a neater and crisper edge near the cuticles - see ring finger. 

I've tried to trim the nail wrap after putting it on the nail and it didn't turn out so pretty - see middle finger. It might be neater if you use a cuticle cutter but I'm not too sure about that.

I've also tried to get a neat line near my cuticles by using my usual clean-up method (using a brush and acetone). They did say the nail wrap can be removed using nail polish remover so I thought I would give it a shot. Unfortunately, that didn't work too well either. The acetone dissolved some of the wraps and gave it a fuzzy edge - see index finger.

The nail wraps are relatively shiny on their own but I would not recommend using a topcoat to seal it or to give it extra gloss.

I've tried Seche Vite on my pinky and it mangled up the design near the tips. 

I've also tried a non-quick-dry topcoat on my thumb and the nail wrap pretty much disintegrated into little bits on my nails - crackle/shatter-style. o_O

Minutes after I've applied the nail wraps, I had a horrible itch on my back. Of course, I had to scratch it. ;) I was a little bummed when the corners of the nail wrap lifted up easily. A few hours later, however, I was quite surprised when I could scratch the itch without any trouble. The wraps held on and did not lift up at all. 

If I asked you to scratch my back could you manage that

Like yikky yea Travie I can handle that

- Stereo Hearts

Wear time was quite good.

The nail wraps held on for at least 3 days before there was visible tip wear. 

The pinky with the Seche Vite didn't fare as well and chipped majorly on the third day.

Removal was a piece of cake.
I was picking at the chip on my pinky when I realized I could peel off the wrap really easily.
I did try the suggested removal method - nail polish remover. I soaked a cotton pad in acetone and pressed it against my nail for about 10 seconds and everything came off neatly in one swipe. There was only a bit of black left at the sides of the nail.
Needless to say, I proceeded to peel off the remaining wraps. I then gave them a cursory wipe with acetone to remove any sticky residue.

Overall, I must say I'm really impressed with these nail wraps and would definitely recommend them to those who don't have time for DIY nail art.
You can find a wide range of nail wraps here at KKCenterHK. You can find the design I used here.

Have you tried nail wraps before? What do you think of them?

xoxo,
mich

**Product provided for our honest review. Please see our disclosure policy for more information.**