It's hard to talk about these things because I can't seem to find a definative name for them! Nail foils, wraps, patches, whatever these things are called I'd like to start the review by saying that I've never used them before. You'll see later in the review that I had real trouble with the application process but I cannot comment on whether this is down to the product (possible) or down to my lack of practice in applying them and general cack-handed-ness (probable).
The pack calls these both 'nail patches' and 'nail foils' but as KKcenterHK call these 'nail patches' that's how I'll refer to them in this review. They're basically a special sticker that covers your whole nail with a design, they're supposed to be superior to polish for several reasons:
- They require no drying time.
- They're not as messy and there's no chance of smudging.
- They're long lasting, supposedly able to last up to 11 days without wearing or chipping.
- They come in designs that would be hard or impossible to recreate through regular nail art.
The nail patches come in a tonne of
different varieties though, including patterns, block colours, french tips and even special ones meant for your toes. I chose
these patches which have a fantastic diagonal red and white stripe design that reminded me strongly of candy canes.
Again KKCenterHK sent these to me in a plain brown envelope. As these are just a little packet of stickers there was very little chance of anything happening to them during transit but it does worry me thinking of a more delicate product being shipped that way.
The packaging is simple, a cardboard packet with instructions on the back and then a little plastic envelope inside that. The patches are stuck on a plastic backing.
The pack comes with 2 sets of 8 patches in varying sizes. This means you have some choice as to which patch to use on each nail (which is helpful as nails aren't a uniform size so yours may be slightly larger or smaller than average) and it also gives you a couple of spares in case of mistakes.
The instructions printed on the back of the packaging are very straighforward. To prepare for the foils first you manicure your nails and push your cuticles back a little, then you buff them. You peel the patch off the backing and trim it to fit your nail as closely as possible then press and smooth it over your nail and trim or file any any excess.
Sounds simple right?
Wrong :(
Firstly I was very hesitant to trim the patches too much before applying them because I was worried I'd end up with something that wouldn't cover my whole nail. This meant I had to trim it to size a bit after putting it on the nail which was very difficult and meant the edges were quite raggedly. Then when it came to smoothing the patch out its tells you to 'rub all areas of the nail foil firmly with the 'Push N Press' cuticle pusher'. Umm don't have one of those! So I just did it by hand, pressing and stretching it over the nail as firmly and smoothly as I could. And finally filing away the excess of the patch at the nails edge was really difficult. The patches aren't hard or thick enough to really file away, the flop and flick irritatingly against the file.
Anyway I managed to get the patches on as best as I could and, sespite a few wrinkles, I thought they looked pretty good!
The patches are beautifully shiny and the design on them is just perfect. From far away they look very effective and professional. I really liked the way my nails looked with them on.
But sadly they had an even bigger problem than the frustrating application. These are meant to have up to 11 days of wear time and maybe they do but I couldn't bear to keep them on that long. Due to the raggedy edges from having to just trim or file away the excess everytime I touched or held something I could feel the edges of the patch scraping against whatever it was. It was so so annoying! And while at first all of them had their edges firmly pressed against the nail plate, my thumbs and index fingers started peeling at the tips within just a few hours (presumably because those are the most used fingers). That made things even more annoying as the tips of the patches flipped and flapped around! I couldn't stand that so after just a day and a half I had to give up and peel them all off :(
This is my ring finger after a day:
You can see the edge is smooth and flat against my nail.
But here is my index finger after the same length of time:
:/
When I wanted to take them off they came off really easily. I just picked at an edge and then peeled them away. The instructions say to wash them in soap and water first, which I did, but it didn't seem to make any difference. I don't know if the ease of removal is a good or bad thing really!
Again I must reiterate that I can't say if the problems were caused by me or the patches themselves.
These cost $5.20 for one pack. While I was disappointed by these, because of the problems I had, I might still try them again. The pattern was so cool and perfect I could never replicate it by hand. I certainly would never choose these for everyday wear like a normal polish, but I would try them again on a special occaision, like a party, or, in the case of the candy-striped ones I tried, Christmas. If the problem is with the patches then I definately do not think they're worth the price, however if the problem lies in me they may be a bargain if they lasted the whole time tey are supposed to.
KKCenterHK currently have a sale for 15% off your entire order until the end of september.
*I was sent these for review purposes but all thoughts and opinions are my own*
