I've been a bit worried this week; I've posted as usual off the top of my head on Monday and Wednesday mornings, then gone ahead and started my regular blog reading only to discover on both days that I had covered extremely similar topics already posted a few hours prior by high-profile bloggers ("9 Reasons You Feel Tired All The Time" by Smaggle and "Affordable Summer Workwear" by Sonia Styling). What are the odds??

Hopefully I haven't unconsciously come after another nail wrap review today because it's time to . . . 

You're welcome.

You may be aware that Jamberry have recently arrived in Australia to much fanfare.  I have used Sally Hansen Nail Effects in the past and found them quite easy to use once you got the hang of it (and often quite easy to pick up on special at Priceline!) however I'd seen Jamberry wraps pop up on old Insta over the last year with some really fun and unique designs.

When the super cool and mega rad Sam from The Annoyed Thyroid got in touch to see if I'd like to have a go, I was totally keen so she sent me a mini mani pack for review.



Whereas the Sally Hansen wraps are strips of actual nail polish (and smell accordingly), Jamberry wraps are vinyl and require heat activation to work. This gives a more durable and lasting finish that won't fade or change during the expected two week wear time. They also don't dry out - which is something I've had happen with a Sally Hansen set (much to my dismay, having been saving them "for good"). 

I cleared my schedule, fortified myself with a cup of peppermint tea and got to work.




First, I pushed back my cuticles with the enclosed orange stick. What is going on with my baggy ring finger??




Then gave my nails an all-over scrub with the special preparation wipe. Ring finger has returned to normal.




I sussed the sheet and picked out the first one to go on my left thumb. I cut all the nails into separate strips, then carefully cut them in half. One wrap can do two nails.

Using my hairdryer I burnt my fingers adjusted the heat setting and applied heat to the back of the wrap for a few seconds, then applied it to my nail. 




I trimmed the end off with nail scissors, then used the rubber tipped pusher thing to smooth it all down as best as I could before applying more heat to bond.

Okay there's a pretty epic bubble but not bad for a first go.

I then set about doing the rest of my left hand. Cute!



Then I moved onto the right hand. Not so cute.




It was a lot harder to trim the excess with nail scissors on my right hand and I was all "curse you, lack of ambidextrous ability!" but as I opened one of my drawers to get a nail file, I saw the mini nail clippers we use for Miss L's nails and that worked a treat! I then filed the edges down.

The aftermath:




The verdict:

These were reasonably easy to apply once I got going. I had a few bubbles and needed to file a bit more to get a smoother finish - I obssessively run my fingers over any chips or rough points in my nails so I ended up actually trimming my nails to try and get rid of some of the rough edges and bubbles. That evening, my thumbs got to the point where I couldn't deal so I peeled them off and gave them a quick lick with some silver polish so it didn't look too weird.

I should have chosen a larger strip for my ring finger but I needed that one for my fore finger! I guess I could have trimmed the bigger ones down t size but that seemed a bit advanced for me and I can't cut a straight line to save myself. With a bit of practice and maybe some help for the right hand, I think these would be a really great thing. Looking forward to seeing how long they last.