Jamberry Nail Shields Product Review

The lovely respresentatives of Jamberry Nails contacted me about reviewing their product. I have to mention that it was such a pleasant exchange of information! Their product is made in the US and they only have US reps, so that means they spoke/wrote proper English that didn't require decifering. (Unlike some other nail art companies that are based out of other countries that send broken English e-mails that just confuse me...)

What is their product?

It is a vinyl-based film covering that is both heat and pressure activated. They are NOT stickers or decals. Nor are they made of nail polish like the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Strips. They have so many different designs to choose from on their website! Many patterns would be easy enough to recreate by using Konad stamps, but others are much more intricate.

I picked out the Blue Damask pattern.

They come as a sheet of 18 individual strips. The range of sizes available really impressed me! I have large nail beds and often times have trouble finding the right sizes. This was great! The left side is large enough for your big toe! Down to the far right is for a narrow pinky nail, or perhaps a little toenail. :) Each strip was long enough for me to get 2 uses out of it if I cut it in half lengthwise.

How do you apply them?

1. Use acetone to remove any oils from your nails, lightly buff them if they are really slick...
2. Once you select what size will fit you best (I found it easiest to cut the strips in half while still applied to the backing sheet), peel it off of the backing with tweezers. This is important because you don't want the oils on your fingers to have contact with the adhesive. (It won't stick to your nail as well.)
3. Once you are holding just the strip with tweezers, hold it under the warm heat of a blow dryer for 15-20 seconds. The heat activates the adhesive and you can see it start to look more "wet" and the strip almost starts to curl as it gets more flexible.
4. Then you align it to the cuticle and smooth it onto your nail bed.
5. Once you get to the free edge, just cut away the excess and lightly file in a downwards motion to match the edge of your nail.
6. Then press the strip down firmly all over, to ensure good contact.
7. You can hold your nail under the blow dryer for a few more seconds to heat it again, and apply more pressure.

Here is a link to their YouTube instructional video if my directions were confusing.

I didn't have much trouble with these at all! They were pretty easy to apply. The only complication I had was some wrinkles along the free edge. I couldn't get the sticker to lie flat where my nail started to curve downwards.

 But that's it! They are dry immediately and you don't have to wait for fear of them messing up. You do not apply a topcoat because they are already shiny.

18 nail shields is more than enough for one manicure! In fact, I applied these as an entire manicure and an entire pedicure..... and I ended up with 7 whole strips left! For short toenails I was able to get 3-4 uses out of each strip. Because of this I feel like the price ($15 per pack) is very reasonable.

How long do they last?

They are said to last up to 2 weeks like other similar products boast. My nails only lasted until the next night before I got bored and started to pick them off from where they wrinkled. I mentioned that I also put them on my toes and they are still there! I applied them on 2/12 and it's now 2/18 as I type this and they still look good as new! I don't have any lifting or tipwear on my toes. I will update this post on the day I end up taking them off to let you know.

Are they difficult to remove?

Not at all! You just find a loose corner and peel it off. It comes off easily and in one whole sheet. It doesn't chip or tear. It also doesn't leave any residue on the nail bed. There is no adhesive left behind, and it does not appear to damage the nail bed. You can hold your nails under the blow dryer again to loosen them if needed.

My end opinion? I think they're pretty cool. For this type of product that boasts a long wear time, this is the only one other than Sally Hansen Salon Effects that I've found to live up to the claim. (But again, they are made differently. One is nail polish, one is vinyl.) So go check out the many designs on their website and buy some to try out yourself. :) They have a special offer of buy 3 get 1 free. You can get yours HERE and at checkout make sure to choose Leslie under "party." ;)