Monday 17 February 2014

Manic.Monday: Its a wrap!

Nail art has become more and more popular and I find it so inspirational to see how creative some are with their designs. Unfortunately I'm not very good at it myself and my creativity goes as far as maybe applying a cute sticker and to keep the magpie in me happy, I might add a couple of gemstones. Luckily there are lots of ready made nail art in all kinds of intricate designs, styles, colors and prices ranges available in the form of nail wraps, which is what I'll be looking at today. There are different types of nail wraps and they come in different materials like fabrics or paper and the techniques needed to apply them also differ depending on the material, with some being a bit more hard work than others e.g. some need a hair dryer, or UV lamp but having put in the effort, most nail wraps last for about two weeks so it could definitely be worth it.

The nail wrap in today's post is Avon's Nail Art (£8) in Bedazzled which is a paper wrap with glue on one side that you just stick and press on to the nails, sounds easy enough! Unfortunately I haven't been able to add a link to the product since Avon has done its usual thing of updating the webpage faster than you can say Bedazz... and if a product isn't in a current campaign, you just won't find it online either - it's the thing I dislike the very most about Avon, but that is a rant for another day...
It's easy to see why I The Magpie was drawn to Bedazzled - it's such a pretty design with actual little stones in white, pink, blue and purple on a glossy black background with thin silver stripes. Nail wraps usually come in a variety of different sizes to fit all shapes of nails, and I would highly recommend that you size them up and decide which ones to use for which finger before you start working away. You also need to prepare the nails making sure that they are dry and clean with no nail polish on them before you apply the wraps. Some brands also instruct you to buff the nail, so that the wrap attaches better however personally I don't do this since I'm cautious of anything that might damage or ridge the nails unnecessarily.

When you're prepped the nails, you can apply the sticker, finishing one finger at a time. You'll probably find that you need to cut off some of the wrap for it to fit to the nail - at least length wise. Place the wrap as close to the cuticles as you can without overlapping them and then firmly press down the wrap to fit the shape of your nail. It's also at this point that you might choose use a hair dryer to heat up the wrap slightly to make it more pliable and easier to shape to the nail, however these Avon wraps are already very easy to work with that I don't think it's needed, and in case the wrap doesn't sit as you would want on the nail, you can easily peel it back up without ruining either the nail or the wrap and then just place it back down again.

The easiest way to get the right size is to use a nail clipper to adjust. To make sure I get as close a fit as possible I turn my finger around so I can see exactly where the tip of the nail ends, and that's where I cut off the excess and smooth out the wrap across the nail. I know that this isn't exactly what you're instructed to do - instead you're supposed to leave a little bit of excess, so that when you've applied the nail and made sure that it's sitting on nicely and evenly, you fold the excess over the tip of the wrap you take an emery board and file of any bits of the nail wrap that is sticking out. That way the wrap should sit very snuggly on the nail, however I really dislike filing my nails and the few times I have tried doing this with an emery board I always end up taking of a little of the nail too, which is not ideal. Since I'm being such a rebel by not following the instructions properly, instead I apply a very thin coat of clear topcoat at the very tip of the nail to seal the edge in properly.
I would say that all in all it takes about 45 mins to do both hands, if you apply the wraps to each nail  - so if this is what you have in mind, you definitely need to set some time aside since it's not something you do quickly. The effect is definitely striking and if you've taken your time to apply the nail wraps properly, they should last about 10 days. Although I love the extravagant look, it's not practical for me since the wraps are sensitive to daily wear and tear and every time you have your hands in water, apply body lotions, skin creams or oils and even tap away at a keyboard, the edges of the the wraps will come off little by little and I find that I have to smooth them back down onto the nail several times a day. Personally I've never managed to get the wraps to last for more than 5-6 days before I'm so annoyed with them that I have to take them off but when it's time to remove the wraps, it's the easiest thing in the world and you just peel them off with minimum effort.

Considering the time it takes to do a full manicure using nail wraps versus the impracticality of them, I will stick to only using them as an accent nails in the future, but I do love the elaborate designs that you can get, and I'm definitely going to invest in a few more. If you're tempted by this beautiful bejewelled look you can get these wraps on eBay at a very reasonable price, and with that - today's post is a wrap!

65 comments:

  1. These are awesome. I'm impressed with Avon these days. Xx

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    1. It's a gorgeous design, I was really happy with it :o). Xx

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  2. These are so pretty! I'll have to buy some x

    daisy-drops

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    1. They had some lovely designs that aren't in the current book or online so I really hope they'll be back again soon :o). Xx

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  3. I love these. Like you im not so good with nail art, I guess I lack patience, so these are so handy! I did find they can be rather fidley however I used scissors and nail clippers sound much easier! X

    www.beautiful-in-essence.blogspot.com

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    1. Hey Marianne, I completely agree with you - it does take time to apply them, so this is not something for anyone in a rush :o). Xx

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  4. So pretty!

    thefashionnewbieandco.blogspot.com

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  5. These nail wraps look really pretty :) I have never tried nail wraps before but like you I am terrible at doing nail art and always end up smudging my nail polish so I think these would be a great alternative. I have actually seen some of these at Primark and I was wondering if you have ever tried those? Thanks.

    -Shelby
    http://bittersweetshelby.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. I haven't tried the ones from Primark, but I'll have a look next time I'm in to check the designs :o). Xx

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  6. Love these they are so pretty.
    I've never tried mail wraps before will definitely have to give them a go xx

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    1. It's a fun way to spice up a mani with incredible designs, but I'll stick to just the one nail in the future :o). Xx

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    1. I loved the "real" little gems - lovely look :o). Xx

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  8. I like nail stickers! They don't always last a very long time, but they do allow me to wear 'nail art' that I otherwise would never be able to create from scratch.

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    1. Exactly, and if you only use it on one nail, you can easily change just that one, and keep the rest for a new look :o). Xx

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  9. Wow perfect nails love them!!!!!!
    xoxo
    http://pandamone.blogspot.com/2014/02/winter-wonderland.html

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  10. They are really cute! I just really can't get the hang of them, I always make a mess, and the ones I do get on don't ever seem to last long! =(

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    Replies
    1. I definitely won't be doing a full mani in the future, it takes far too long :o). Xx

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  11. Thank you so much for this! I have those nail wraps but have been too nervous to use them because I wasn't sure how. I think based on this I'll just be doing an accent nail to start haha

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  12. So nice!!
    XoXo

    www.acooltime.blogspot.com

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  13. I've been so curious about those items for nails, really need to try it!

    <3
    http://zazzish.blogspot.pt/

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    1. It's a fun and different way of doing the nails, not something I would do all the time though :o). Xx

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  14. Oh wow! what a fab idea!! Great as I mostly can't be bothered with taking my nail polish off - so time consuming! Great post xxx

    Secret little Stars
    www.secretlittlestars.com

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  15. Oh my gosh, these are so cool! I find it so hard to apply these kinds of 'nails', but you just apply them perfectly!

    xo Mélane
    Selfhelp | Inspiration | Motivation

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    1. Ah, thank you so much, that's so lovely of you :o) - it took quite a long time to do both hands I can tell you :o). Xx

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  16. Never tried them before although I am tempted too. It looks easy to put on. That is so funky cute.

    xo
    Sam
    Http://fabulouspetite.blogspot.com

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    1. It's a great design, it's just that it takes a little bit too much time for me to do a full mani on both hands - so in the future it's an accent nail for me :o). Xx

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  17. These look really pretty. I never get on very well with nail wraps, they always end up bumpy or uneven xx

    Gemma // missmakeupmagpie.com

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    1. Yes it can take a few attempts to get it right, that's why these easy glue stick ones are great for doing things again if need be :o). Xx

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  18. What an absolute bargain! I have large nails so nail wraps never fit me. Sob!

    Tara xo

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    1. Ah, I understand and they rarely have lots of the bigger sizes in a package... that's a shame :o(. Xx

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  19. Wow! I had no idea Avon was so good! xx

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    1. They have lots of very intricate and colorful designs :o). Xx

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  20. Those are so pretty! I keep wanting to try nail wraps again! I used one of the sally hansen ones a couple years back and liked it but for some reason never purchased any others!

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    1. I'm on the hunt for the Marchesa by Revlon - they're just gorgeous :o). Xx

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  21. I always struggle with nail wraps but you have made it look so easy! Think I may have to give them another go now!

    Belle x
    Mascara & Maltesers

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    1. I don't know about easy but it's time consuming for sure :o). Xx

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  22. love nail art too! I also love that nail wraps like these exist to help ease those of us (like me!) who are not terribly skilled. =)
    xo,
    nancy

    http://www.adoretoadorn.com

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    1. And there are so many pretty ones to choose from :o). Xx

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  23. Nail wraps are my jam. Gone are the days when I precariously paint that last strip down my nail and end up getting polish all over my fingers. What a life savor! And I'm glad that they are branching out in terms of design so that we have more options.

    Brittney

    Another Beautiful Thing

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    1. Absolutely, nail technicians beware :o). Xx

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  24. Those look awesome! I have actually never tried anything like that before. So pretty!
    www.amemoryofus.blogspot.com

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    1. It's a great concept, I think the key is to find a material and application technique that works for you :o). Xx

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  25. These are cute as hell! Love!! :D

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  26. Awesome products dear...loved the nail wrap....its looking really beautiful....:-)
    http://www.beautyandfashionfreaks.com/

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    1. I was so pleased so discover that the little gems weren't print on, but actual little stones :o). Xx

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  27. Wow!! Amazing! Xx

    New post: http://betweenmyclothes.blogspot.com

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  28. The newspaper nail art I'm loving at the moment, Essence are doing great things with nail art at the moment :)
    lipstickandlightening.blogspot.ie

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    1. There are so many fab designs, it's so much fun :o). Xx

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  29. I've never tried anything from Estee Lauder, but I loveee the zodiac powders idea- I'm a scorpio too! :) Rachel xx

    Pillar-box Post

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  30. that's crazy, i don't know if it's the avon ones but nail wraps take me like ten minutes to do tops, so considering you have to do many layers of polish (base plus colour plus top coat, so three minimum and they each have to dry) i think it's faster. these are cute though!

    writingwhimsy.com

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    1. Wow that sounds really fast, it probably takes me longer too because I'm not used to it at all and it's the size adjusting that is the tricky part for me :o). Xx

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  31. Love the design on the nails no need to paint x
    www.stylehercloset.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. It's very practical and I could never in a million years come up with anything as elaborate as this myself :o). Xx

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  32. You applied this flawlessly, I tried the other day and it wasn't very easy for me to apply. smh

    http://www.cindyslittleblackbook.com

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    1. You're being so nice - but it did also take me a little while :o). Xx

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