Posts Tagged ‘beauty’

Ipsy June 2014: Pretty In Paradise review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Here comes the second artist-partnered design for an Ipsy bag. I like the tropical look and the colors, though I don’t know if they make sense together. Still, I’m a fan! The products they matched me with were hit and miss. I’ll surely be trying to trade some.

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy june 2014 bag items with card including marc anthony dream waves beach spray, nyx butter gloss in eclair, be a bombshell lash out mascara, dermadoctor dd cream, and nicka k shimmer eyeliner in green

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray – This smells like summer with some sort of coconut-y influence. I’m still working on how to get a good beach wave look that works for my hair. It seemed quite effective at helping me get more volume and that tousled effect, but then I have a tendency to run my hands through my hair and it kind of defeats the purpose. Still, I shall use this and spruce up my hair a little this summer!

NYX butter gloss in Éclair – I’m definitely into lip glosses, so I’m glad to have this one. It’s a nice smooth consistency that applies a nice thin layer. Not too shiny, a little bit sticky, and quite moisturizing. Good lip product to keep around, but I don’t know if I’d buy it myself. There are just so many choices out there.

be a… bombshell lash out mascara – I have so many tubes of mascara now I practically need to apply it all day every day to make a dent in using them. It’s a pretty standard-looking type in terms of the brush and thickness/goopiness of the mascara. When I took a look, I also happened to sniff it and I didn’t like that smell, so I’m going to trade this. Other than that I wouldn’t mind keeping it around for my own use.

DERMAdoctor DD cream – Much as I’ve hoped these creams would be sufficient on their own, I find that I still need to help it along with some powder. They just don’t provide enough coverage for my breakouts and also leave my skin rather shiny. I’m a sucker for these items even though they don’t exactly work for me. Still, they provide a nice base upon which I can apply my powder, so I’m definitely testing this over time to see how it holds up against the other half dozen or so BB/CC/DD creams I’ve tried.

Nicka K New York Shimmer Eyeliner in Green – Wow, green eyeliner?! Intense. Not something I’d go for and certainly something I’ll be trading. What a very bold selection to go with. This is the first non-nail polish I’ve received from this brand and I won’t be using it.

This month the items were an ok fit for me overall. I liked about half the items, but there always seem to be other products they offered that would have made much more sense for me. Does IpsyMatch ever consistently work?? If you want to trade for any of my items, check out my eDivv shop don’t be discouraged if I don’t reply to divvys at first. Sometimes I need a hiatus and until they offer a “vacation mode” I don’t have a way to let other traders know when I’m taking a break.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

Holy cow, it’s June box time already?! With summer in full swing, we got a summer chic theme. These products add up to a nice, simple beauty routine. Just wash, cleanse, rinse, and then apply a touch of mascara and nice nail polish! Not much more you need, other than a lip balm, I’d say.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

june 2014 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 june 2014 information card

beauty box 5 offer cards

Get a free box to try or $12 off a subscription!

Nicka K New York Nail Color in Ripe Apple: I first came across this brand in an Ipsy bag. I love the look of their bottles and the polish is a good consistency. Applying it was pretty straightforward and two applications offered the perfect kind of coverage. This color is bold but not too bright. A great darker look to fire engine red nails. I’m getting into nail art and this will be not only a nice canvas for designs, but great for little flourishes.

Organix Coconut Water shampoo & conditioner: These smelled really nice! I’m not even into coconut scents generally, but it was light enough to be pleasant and not suffocating. My hair felt pretty good after the shower, but once it dried it felt pretty normal again. I wouldn’t say this brand offered more or less shampooing and conditioning for my hair. I do like their argan oil conditioner though.

Glam Naturals mascara: There certainly will be no clumping with this mascara! It’s a much more liquid consistency than most mascaras I’ve tried. It’s perfect for when I want a little boost to my lashes, but still want that natural look. What a refreshing change from mascaras I’m used to. So far no smearing either; it seems to have good staying power.

Eslor Introductory Collection samples: I’m enjoying this set of products. They smell nice and are gentle. The scrub was a dry sort of formula, which is nice so a little mixed with water can cover a lot of area. It did tend to stick to the sides so I felt like I was losing out on product though. The mask is a green one that tingles a bit upon application. Everything felt good on my skin.

Vita Bath body wash in Dreamy Pink Frosting : I don’t usually use body wash, but I did give this a try and I like how it foams. It smells of sweet candy, so probably not something you’ll convince a guy to use. I didn’t notice if I smelled like that after I dried off though, so it can be a fun scent in the shower that doesn’t linger around too much.

I think the box as a whole was a nice package. I could use each item without feeling like I was covering the same part of a routine twice. They all build on each other to help you prepare for a day! What do you think of the box this month?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Julep “The Perfect 10” Memorial Day Mystery Game Box #5 with Bare Face Cleansing Oil review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
2

Ah, another mystery box. I’ve been waiting on this one to arrive for ages! When I got the shipment notification, it said it would arrive between Tuesday and Thursday of last week… and I just got it. I’m not sure what happened but I haven’t had a box get delayed like this before and I’m not pleased. But it’s finally here and time to evaluate it based on the merits of its contents and not how long it took to arrive! I chose this based on the “so fresh & so clean” clue with a picture of the cleansing oil and konjac sponge combo that I’ve had on my wishlist.

Julep mystery boxes are $10-40 per box and come with a mix of polish colors and beauty products. These are one-time orders and do not require a subscription.

julep  perfect 10 mystery box email with $102 worth of products including bare face cleansing oil and konjac sponge for $25

julep perfect 10 memorial day game day box #5 mystery box with $102 worth of products including bare face cleansing oil and konjac sponge for $25

What a beautiful gift box!

julep perfect 10 memorial day game day box #5 mystery box open with $102 worth of products including bare face cleansing oil and konjac sponge

Here we go…

julep perfect 10 memorial day game day box #5 mystery box contents including bare face cleansing oil, konjac sponge, buff lip scrub, and polishes in tracy, marjorie, and claudette

A nice mix of products, though the oil leaked.

julep bare face cleansing oil with power cell complex

Bare Face Cleansing Oil
It’s been a long time since I’ve used oil on my face for cleansing. Smells kind of like a tart flower.

julep konjac sponge cleanser and exfoliator with suction hook

Konjac Sponge
I’ve been wanting to try this product from Julep! I didn’t realize it would be moist like that.

julep buff lip scrub pen with fuzzy application tip

Buff Lip Scrub Pen
I already have one of these so I’ll try to trade. It’s fun, but not sure how useful it is.

set of julep polishes in tracy, marjorie, and claudette

Polish colors in Tracy, Marjorie, and Claudette. I can see myself using all of these.

two bottles of julep bare face cleansing oils side by side, with one bottle missing a lot of product

Both oils leaked and got absorbed into their boxes. What did they do to these things during shipment?!

This box was a nice value, especially with the bonus Bare Face Cleansing Oil I got for free with code OILPERK. I’m pleased with the variety and value, though I’m going to need to contact them about the faulty product I received. Why are those bottles so leaky? Still, I like what I got and look forward to using it all. The oil warmed up my face with rubbing and I just imagined it melting away the oil on my face as I did that. I hope it works! So what do you think of this box?

Estimated value: $102 (Nail Color @ $14 each: $42, Bare Face Cleansing Oil $28, Konjac Sponge $12, Buff Lip Scrub Pen $20) or $81.60 at Maven prices (20% off)

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Julep June 2014: The Three Wishes Collection review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

I guess I’m pretty consistently a cross between a Boho Glam and a Bombshell. With this shiny collection, I opted for the Bombshell profile colors because of the purple hues. I love all things purple! This time I had a tough time since I loved the colors of It Girl too, which included a stardust finish – my fav sort of finish. I was curious about the new oxygen nail product though, so I got that. I also decided to add the creativity kit so I can have some fun with the Plie Wand doing nail art.

Julep is just under $20 per box and comes with 2 nail polish colors and a beauty product, 3 nail polish colors, or 2 beauty products (depending on your style profile choice). They offer plenty of upgrade and add-on options too. Boxes are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (skips are earned every six months for subscribers Dec 18th, 2013 and later). You also have the option of gifting your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes.

julep maven bombshell june 2014 three wishes collection box contents

June’s Bombshell Three Wishes Collection box with Plié Wand Creativity Kit

julep oxygen technology info card, discount offer card, and quote card

The info cards.

julep oxygen smoothing base coat

Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat
Smokey was super interested in this technology. It’s quite the matte finish.

set of julep polishes in colette and sera

The Bombshell profile came with Colette and Sera, both nice purple hues.

julep plié wand creativity kit

Plié Wand Creativity Kit
Let my inner artist shine!

I’m still getting the hang of the tools and my first try at nail art with them came out ok, but it’s very simple. I’m sure I’ll get better! The base coat I’m not used to using, so I probably wouldn’t get it again, but it’s great for creating a matte finish to work from. Overall the value of this box was not as high as to me as I would have hoped, but I do like what I got.

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes and/or beauty products sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 May 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

I was wondering what happened to my April review when I realized it was the 24ClearIt kit. Speaking of which, it started to dry out my jaw area so I stopped washing with it as regularly. Overall it’s done ok with my skin so far and calmed it down a bit, but breakouts just can’t be quelled it seems. As for the May Beauty Box 5, the theme is fresh and focused, which is meant to help with some pick-me-ups.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

may 2014 beauty box 5 contents

Is it finally time for summer?! What a refreshing collection.

beauty box 5 may 2014 information card

Info on the products with prices of their full sizes.

MaskerAide Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask: I’m a big fan of sheet masks, though they are rather pricey so I don’t use them that often. This one is suuuuuper moisturizing and just oozing with healing ingredients. I’m glad I read the instructions because I probably wouldn’t have cleansed and toned my face before using it otherwise. This is the only mask I’ve tried to date that actually fit my face! I have a pretty wide one so the eye holes are often too close together and the corners of my eyes get covered a bit, but not with this one! Amazing. It says to leave on for 10-20 minutes and after 10 I was itching to take it off. I can only take so much relaxation! There was a ton of serum on my face afterwards, so I rubbed it in, rinsed off a bit, and also put some on my neck.

H2O Plus Aqualibrium Marine Cleansing Gel: I couldn’t tell what this was for at first. I thought it might be some sort of eye gel, but turns out it’s a cleanser. It came out almost goopy, but smoothed out just fine. I didn’t smell any sort of scent to it and it was very nice and soothing. I do wish the sample size was larger since I feel like I can only get a few face washes out of this tube. I can’t really tell if it’s better than any other cleanser, but I do like this brand overall so I’d consider getting this product.

Ban Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths: What perfect timing for these little cloths, which will be a very useful way to refresh the body during the heat of summer. I’d definitely keep some of these in my purse/bag/car or wherever to have them on the go. I was super surprised to find they had a bit of an alcoholic smell when you first open them. I guess it helps kill off bacteria? My skin feels great after the wipe-down and the powder finish is amazingly smooth without feeling like there’s powder on you (just the way I like it). It was moist enough to get my whole body, yet not dripping wet so there was no mess. If I ever work out during work hours, I’m totally using these to freshen up with.

Harvey Prince Hello: Never been much of a perfume gal, but this truly is a warm, happy scent. With such playful packaging, I was totally intrigued. Then I saw the citrus and floral choices and I knew this would be something I could enjoy. The little card is sweet and explains the choice of Meyer lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, forsythia, and plumeria beautifully. I’m liking this brand already!

Cattiva Precision Eye Liner: I was skeptical, but this eyeliner really delivered. Waterproof? Indeed! And such a smooth, easy application it’s hard to mess up. It doesn’t smudge even with my clumsy hands, so I’ll definitely keep this handy for the few occasions I do use a little eye liner. I like the retractable design so I don’t have to worry about using a sharpener. I’ve never heard of this brand before, but consider me impressed.

Ok, so I have to admit when I first got the box I was like, whatever, decent box. But now that I’ve tried them I am truly impressed. Not only did I underestimate some of the products, I wouldn’t even have given them a chance had I not wanted to provide a more thorough review for this post. Turns out I’ve been introduced to some really great items that I’ll keep in my arsenal. What’s your favorite item this month?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Julep May 2014: The Fresh Twist Collection review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

It was a tough choice between my default profile of Boho Glam and the fun bright colors of the Bombshell profile, but ultimately I decided to stick with Boho Glam. Sort of wanted both! Many moons ago, I decided to contribute to the crowdfunding for the Plie Wand that came out this month and I was happy to receive it.

Julep is just under $20 per box and comes with 2 nail polish colors and a beauty product, 3 nail polish colors, or 2 beauty products (depending on your style profile choice). They offer plenty of upgrade and add-on options too. Boxes are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (skips are earned every six months for subscribers Dec 18th, 2013 and later). You also have the option of gifting your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes.

julep plie wand crowdfunding thank you card

Aww a nice thank you note.

julep referral card, discount offer card, fresh twist info card, and plie wand info card

Some of the info cards.

julep quote card and brilliance glycolic hand scrub info card

Their hand scrub gets a new name.

julep plie wand info card unfolded

Everything you need to know about the Plie Wand usage and maintenance!

julep maven boho glam may 2014 fresh twist collection box contents

May’s Boho Glam Fresh Twist Collection box

julep plie wand nail polishing tool and extra cap and brush

The Plie Wand and extra cap and brush. Works really well!!

I’m really happy with this box and feel like I got a great value even without the bonus polish. I’m really glad to have the extra cap and brush, though I don’t think I really need the brush part since the wand works quite well for me as is. At first I thought those brushes were superfluous, but then I read the card and it turns out they’re shorter than the ones you’d find on a polish. Now I regret not getting the fun dotting and striping tools, so when I get a chance I’ll have to add them to another order. 🙂

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes and/or beauty products sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Ipsy April 2014: Beauty Rocks review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

After a disappointing run last month, I was glad to get a bag that was pretty decent this time. The products actually made sense for my preferences for the most part and I can see myself trying all the products if I don’t end up trading the ones I don’t really want.

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy april 2014 bag items with card including urban decay 24/7 velvet eye pencil, elizabeth mott pop goes the shadow in champagne, mary kay at play jelly lip gloss in teddy bare, dr brandt microdermabrasion, and st tropez gradual tan

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil – This didn’t apply as easily as I’m used to. I had to press harder than with other eye pencils and then I ended up pressing too hard and making a fatty line. I did like the “velvety”ness once it was on, but I don’t know if I could achieve the nice line I’d want to. It was pretty smudge and waterproof at least.

Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the shadow in Champagne – Since I don’t ever use eye shadow, I’ll be saving this for a trade. I love the shiny look of it and I was tempted to touch it just to see what sort of consistency it has, but I resisted. If I don’t manage to trade this, it just might be an eye shadow I’d try out here and there.

Mary Kay at Play jelly lip gloss in Teddy Bare – I’m cool with gooey lip glosses, so I liked this. The nude color is great for a natural look or to go on top of a bolder color. It has pretty awesome staying power, which is nice since I don’t like having to reapply something on my lips all day (and if I don’t, they dry out easily).

dr. brandt microdermabrasion – Well, I’m fascinated with microdermabrasion so I’m really happy I got this. Since it has a seal, I’m going to keep it in my stash while I work through some other scrubs I have. I wonder how it will compare to the derma e microderm scrub that I absolutely love.

St. Tropez Gradual Tan Plus Anti-Aging Multi-Action Face – I’m just not into tanning products, so I shall definitely be putting this up for trade. If I was interested in trying them, this seems like a nice brand to use. I’m sure there are ladies out there who’d love to trade.

It was nice to get a bag with different dimensions and I like that shade of purple, but the design is meh. At least there are products I’m excited about and others I’m moderately interested in this time. If you want to trade for any of my items, check out my eDivv shop.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Julep Speckled for Spring Mystery Box with Kimberly review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
2

Since my first mystery box (which I loved), I haven’t seen one come across my inbox that truly intrigued me. But then I saw the fun speckled designs for the Speckled for Spring Mystery box and I decided to spring for it (har har). There was one complete mystery one, one with Kimberly (the purple one), and one with Emerson (the blue one). Can you guess which one I got? My favorite color is purple… 😉

Julep mystery boxes are just under $25 per box and come with a mix of polish colors and beauty products. These are one-time orders and do not require a subscription.

julep speckled for spring mystery box email with $100 worth of products including kimberly polish for $25

julep speckled for spring mystery box contents including lengthening mascara and polishes in kimberly, catrina, lois, farrah, dakota, and karen

A very light box with nearly all nail polish. Not the most spring look.

set of julep polishes in kimberly, catrina, lois, farrah, dakota, and karen

Polish colors in Kimberly, Catrina, Lois, Farrah, Dakota, and Karen. I like the two on either end and the brilliant yellow.

julep boho glam lengthening mascara in espresso brown

Boho Glam Lengthening Mascara in Espresso Brown
My very first brown mascara!

julep boho glam lengthening mascara in espresso brown brush

The brush has firmer bristles than I’m used to. I like the shape, which makes it easier to get onto my shorter lashes.

I’m not very impressed with this box, especially in light of everything I got in my first mystery box. All I got in addition to the polishes was one beauty product. It’s a decent product and I will use it, but the lack of extras combined with the lackluster set of colors leaves me wanting more. I definitely like the speckled Kimberly I chose the box for and I’m cool with Catrina because it’s bright and Karen because the peachy glitter is certainly springy. The other three I’m undecided on. Perhaps next time I will be more careful with my purchase (and I’m certainly going to search for a discount code first, since there was an active one for 30% off that I could have used!!). What do you think of this box?

Estimated value: $108 (Nail Color @ $14 each: $84, Lengthening Mascara $24) or $86.40 at Maven prices (20% off)

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

24ClearIt Acne Therapy review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
3

In lieu of the April Beauty Box 5, I opted for the 24ClearIt kit that they were offering. I received it today and I’m ready to see if this is a solution that will work for me! I’ve tried a bunch of products before and various things have worked better than others, but none have truly calmed my skin for that long. Part of it might be that I moved on to other products. I’ve never been very good at committing to one set of skincare. I just like variety too much!

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes. This was a special promotional box in partnership with 24ClearIt.

24clearit box with beauty box 5 sticker 24clearit instructions including quick start guide, clear facts guide, and product booklet 24clearit kit with exfoliating cleanser, clearing toner, clarifying treatment, recovery treatment, and treatment maskStep 1: Cleanse. Active exfoliating cleanser to be used in AM and PM. This is a more liquidy cleanser than I expected, so I accidentally squeezed out more than I wanted to. I like the scrubbing feeling of the beads – just enough without feeling too rough on my skin or too weak to do any exfoliating. It had the slightest scent that was vaguely medicinal. I massaged it in until it started to get sticky from all the water evaporating.

Step 1a: Target. Advanced treatment mask to be used as spot treatment or full mask. A few times a week, there’s the option to add the mask to the regimen. It is very thick and smells a bit of the sulfur that is in it. I tried a little spot of it and it tingled a bit. It sure feels like it can help zap away trouble spots. I’m going to have to see how the entire face mask feels and I’ll probably only do it once a week.

Step 2: Clear. Essential clearing toner to be used in AM and PM. The toner was very watery as expected and smelled quite nice. Once again just a very light scent and it felt very refreshing on my skin. I patted it over my face and let it dry. It felt really good!

Step 3 AM: Treat. Clarifying treatment to be used in AM. I tried this for the first time at night, so I just tested a little bit of it to see what it was like. It felt tingly and I think this is the harshest of the products and might have the potential of drying out my skin. We’ll see when I apply a full face of it tomorrow morning. It definitely awakens the skin and I feel like bacteria is being killed off right then and there.

Step 3 PM: Restore. Recovery treatment to be used in PM. This is a really nice lotion that is far more soothing and healing than the daytime one. I can see how it would be perfect to restore the skin while you sleep. My skin felt wonderful after this and completely hydrated for the night. I felt no need for any other products, which I like.

So based on first impressions, I am liking this line of products. I took a picture of my skin before and I’ll compare it to how things are looking in a week or two. At the least, these products feel good on my face, which is nice. Only time will tell how effective they are for their purported use. I’m really glad I decided to try this and skip the standard box Beauty Box 5 sent out for April!

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

NCLA Nail Wraps review

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , ,
1

So I’ve been trying out the nail wraps I got in my Petit Vour March box and I thought I’d share my experience. The design I got is called Aly Still En Vogue. I applied them on Sunday afternoon as instructed: start with clean nails, apply a coat of clear polish, and let dry. Then find a good size for your nail, peel it off, and place the rounded side against cuticle. Stretch the wrap, flatten against nail, and remove all air bubbles. Finally, file off the excess and apply additional coat of clear nail polish.

Here’s how they looked right after application:

ncla nail wraps in aly still en vogue on nails of right hand

As you can see, I wasn’t very good at aligning them on my nails (and I don’t think I was all that great at finding the right size either). I do think I could have stretched the nail wraps to better fit my nails, but at a glance, nobody would notice the slight imperfections in matching my nail size and shape. I thought the colors were great and the design is bold and fun. You definitely can’t achieve a look like this with polish, so it’s quite unique.

Here’s how they look on the strip. There’s one side with a tab that’s supposed to help you, but I found it somewhat difficult to get the strips off the no matter where I tried to peel from. Oftentimes I’d get some of the paper too, which made it challenging. With 26 strips, there is plenty more for another full manicure!

part of ncla nail wraps in aly still en vogue strip of nail wraps with some missing

I had it in my head that these guys were supposed to last two weeks without chipping, but a few days in I started to see wear on them. Granted, I had not cleared all the bubbles and they weren’t sticking perfect to my nails, so water must have gotten in as I washed my hands and took a bath over the course of the next few days. I even had to remove one from a nail because so much was starting to come off. At least they’re easy to peel off!

ncla nail wraps in aly still en vogue on nails of right hand after five days of wearAll in all, these were fun to try and very convenient, but still took some skill to apply. I like how you can get all kinds of crazy designs with this type of product, but for the price I think I’ll be sticking with normal nail polish for the most part.

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