Sneaky Sneek-e

Essie Sleek Stick Applique in Sneek-e

I'm always looking for ways to save time on a manicure, so when I found these Sleek Stick Appliques at my local Dollar Tree, I picked up a couple of sets to test them out. I was shocked to see them on sale for $1, seeing as they retail everywhere else for $9.99, but I love a good bargain!

They come in a pack of 18, so it's pretty easy to find a size match for every nail. It also includes a rough emery board-like file. 

The directions say to peel the sticker from its backing, smooth onto the nail, and file the excess from the tip. It was easy enough. But it was pretty difficult to peel the thin sticker from the plastic sheet. I found it better to use my tweezers instead of my fingers.

Once on the nail, the stickers were easy to stretch and smooth out. I was careful not to get the sticker on my cuticle, because it was tough to file down the excess once it was stuck. 

I experienced some wrinkling around my tips, due to my rounded nails, but it was minimal. Once I got the hang of filing down the edges, the wrinkling decreased. I was scared of peeling, so I wrapped my tips with Seche Vite. I didn't want to put top coat over the whole nail, because I was afraid of warping the sticker.

Even though I sealed my edges, the peeling with these appliques was gnarly! They barely lasted 3 days! I was so disappointed, but it could have been worse...

My tip is to put a base coat of nail polish under the sticker, for both aesthetic and practical purposes; the top coat will likely seal the tips better, and if the sticker does peel, you won't be left will a bare nail.

So here's the final verdict: I love the designs of the stickers, and if I can find them again at Dollar Tree, I'll purchase more. They are not worth $9.99 at all. They would be great for a night out or special occasion, but are not built for long-lasting wear.

She's Got the Whole World...

Base: Sinful Colors Snow Me White

This was my first foray into the world of water decals, and I must admit: it was much easier than I thought it would be! I saw this post on Moustache Manis and I IMMEDIATELY fell in love with the faded map look of these decals.

I ordered them from BornPrettyStore, and shipping took about 3.5 weeks. The wait was long, especially considering how excited I was to order them. But considering they were only $1, and shipping from Hong Kong, I let it slide.

I applied them the day I received them, and the process was not as painful as I thought it'd be. Here's the step-by-step:

1. Apply base coat.

2. Apply 1 or 2 thin coats of base color. I used Sinful Colors Snow Me White.

3. After base color is completely dry, peel plastic from decal sheet, measure out small piece of decal, and cut out.

4. With tweezers, immerse cutout in water and hold for 15-20 seconds. The decal will begin to slide away from the paper backing.

5. Moisten nail by dipping it quickly into water.

6. Separate decal from backing, and press it into position on nail.

7. Hold firmly to nail, while smoothing out wrinkles and bubbles.

8. When decal is dry, clean up cuticles with pure acetone.

9. Apply thick top coat to seal.

10. Repeat.

I used two sheets for my nails, one per hand. If I was smarter about measuring, I might have been able to squeeze 6 or 7 nails from one sheet, but that's being generous. My nail beds are fairly wide, so I do believe some of my more petite readers could get all 10 nails done with one sheet. And if not, accent nails anybody??
My only negative about these decals is that it takes SO MUCH acetone to clean up around the cuticle. I went through so many Q-tips, plus the acetone stripped all moisture from my cuticle and the surrounding skin, which explains my crusty skin in the photos.

All in all, I loved these decals! So much that I ordered three more sheets in different patterns. I'm still waiting on those, though...