Recently, I'd been seeing a lot of friends signing up to sell Jamberry Nails. When my cousin's wife decided to start selling them, I thought I'd place an order and give them a try and share my experience with you all.
The design I chose to test was none other than the French Tip design, which comes in 3 lengths. Since I keep my nails short for piano, I selected the "Short" length...
It's important to note that when you order the nail wraps, nothing else comes with them....no emery board, cuticle pusher, etc. Jamberry does offer these items in a separate kit for purchase.
Time: approx. 30-45 minutes (+ additional time to paint 1-2 coats of polish underneath, if applicable)
Tools Needed (not included): emery board, scissors, hair dryer and rubberized cuticle pusher
Nail wraps must be heated again with the hair dryer or heat source as you gently pull them off each nail. It's very important not to rush this process or you can damage your nail.
Time: approx 30 minutes
- Oodles of designs to choose from
- Good range of sizes so you can find a good fit for your fingernails
- Can be applied over nail polish, thus allowing you to change the look of the nail wraps that have a sheer design
- Enough wraps to apply 2 full sets to the fingernails
- The thickness of the wraps makes it more difficult to file and get a clean, smooth edge
- Overall application is more time consuming, largely due to the fact that a heat source must be used at multiple times throughout the course of application.
- Even though my nails were all pretty much trimmed to the same length, the white part of the French Tip was a different thickness on each one of my nails (see pics below). As someone who love symmetry, this was enough to drive me a little bonkers! ;-) Of course, this would not be a problem for wraps that have an all-over design, but it's something to be aware of if ordering any of the French Tip designs.
- If I wanted to apply these to my toe nails, the only toe that I'd be able to find a size for would be my big toe.
- Poor wear time
Since the bottom portion of the French Tip set was completely clear, I added a little color to my nails first before applying the wraps. I used my favorite ridge filling base coat then added 2 coats of Nicole by OPI in the color Kim-Pletely In Love.
Then I applied the Jamberry Nails, following the directions provided and loved how my nails looked!However, in less than 24 hours, I started feeling like the nail wraps along the tip of the nail were starting to lift. I kept pressing them down and tried to be careful over the next few days not to "abuse" my nails, but after only 4 days, they were looking pretty sad and the edges had become rough and were snagging on everything.
So I pulled out the hairdryer and set to work carefully removing them.
After discussing my first experience with my Jamberry Consultant, she recommended some helpful tips to try for my second application that should help the nail wraps adhere better. I followed these tips, including applying a cuticle remover prior to application, making sure to really press the edges of the nail down and applying the wraps directly to my bare nails instead of over polish. I crossed my fingers and hoped that they would last at least a week because I wanted good looking nails for my upcoming vacation! :-)
But, after just 4 days, I was experiencing the same problems as before. The edges were lifting and snagging dirt and lint and quite frankly, driving me nuts!
Out came the hairdryer and the process of removal began.
Given the $15 price tag, the extra time and care put into the application and the advertised longevity of wear, I had pretty high expectations for these wraps. Unfortunately, they did not live up to my expectations. In my opinion, I felt they didn't perform as well as the $5-6 ones I've tried from the drugstore and Avon and therefore, I do not plan to repurchase. I realize I'm just one girl and many people love Jamberry Nail Wraps and have had great success with them. But to sum up my experience....Jamberry just isn't my "jam".