Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

February 21, 2022

Which Nail Wraps Are Best? I Tried + Reviewed 3 Brands!

     I started doing my nails myself in 2019 to avoid costly trips to the salon. I was lucky to quickly find an at-home option that I loved: ImPRESS press-on nails. I still love using ImPRESS nails today, and they probably will always be my favorite DIY manicure option. (I've written two posts about ImPRESS- a review and tutorial here, and tips for making them last longer here!) Even though I'd found a great at-home option that I like for nails, I'm never opposed to still trying other new things. In the last couple years, the popularity of nail polish wraps has exploded, and I finally wanted to give those a try too! Over the past few months, I've been testing out three different brands of nail polish wraps, and I'm excited to share this review with you today.




This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!

  
     First things first- what exactly are nail polish wraps, and how do they differ from press-on nails? Nail wraps are essentially big stickers for your nail. There is no additional nail glue required to use. You pick out which sized nail wraps each fit the shape of each of your nails, stick them on, and then use a nail file to trim them down as long as your nails are (sometimes I also use a small pair of nail scissors to help trim them). Unlike with press-on nails, you don't really have to press them on and hold them tightly. Nail wraps really are stickers, so you just lightly stick them. The main difference between wraps and press-ons and is that press-on nails have a very acrylic or SNS dip type feel to them, and they can also add length to your nails if you choose. Nail wraps just stick onto your natural nail as is, so they don't feel very thick. If your natural nails are super short, the wraps will also get filed down to be super short. One similarity that both have is that neither damage your natural nail, which is another advantage to doing your nails yourself! 

     I tried three different brands of nail polish wraps over the last few months. The good news: I didn't strongly dislike any of the brands. They all get the job done in some way or another, and there are various pros to each brand. With that said- I did have a favorite out of the three! Here are my reviews on the three brands I tried:


     1. Nails Mailed ($2-7) 

      These were the cheapest out of the three brands that I tried! If you're unfamiliar about how nail wraps work and aren't sure if you'd like them, this might be a good starting point since they are super affordable, and shipping is free. They have a ton of color and pattern options- so there is something for everyone. When I got my first Nails Mailed order, they recommended buying a clear top coat polish and putting that on top of the nail wraps to help make them last longer. I actually really didn't like using the top coat- I found that it dried weirdly and caused the nail wraps to crack. I had more success using Nails Mailed wraps without a top coat. They usually last about 5 days for me before they start to chip and peel.
      You can use code MISS_ALK for 10% off your order of any amount from Nails Mailed!
      PROS: Cheapest brand, lots of colors and pattern options, free shipping.
      CONS: Typically chips/peels before one week, not available in stores.


     2. Dashing Diva ($6-10)

     Before I tried any nails wraps, these were the ones I was most familiar with since they are sold in most drugstores, just like ImPRESS nails. They're a little more expensive than Nails Mailed but a little cheaper than Color Street. These typically last around 7 days for me before starting to chip or peel. While Dashing Diva offers tons of color options online, some drugstores do carry a more limited selection of colors in store. But it is nice that you can just walk in somewhere and buy them! Dashing Diva comes with the most sizes per pack of the three brands I tried, so there is guaranteed to be a perfectly sized wrap to fit each of your nails. The one major con I had with these is I found them a little difficult to file down compared to the other two brands. 
     PROS: Available at drugstores, has the most size options.
     CONS: Limited color selections in stores, can be difficult to file down.


     3. Color Street ($11-13)

      While I did like things about Nails Mailed and Dashing Diva, Color Street was my favorite nail wrap brand out of the three! Color Street is a direct sales company, which these companies of course can have kind of negative connotations associated with them. I think because of that, my expectations for this product weren't as high initially. So I was really pleasantly surprised how much I liked them!! The Color Street nail wraps were the easiest for me to file and fit to my natural nail out of the three I tried, and they also lasted the longest! I got a good 9-10 days out of them before there was a lot of chipping and peeling. This is definitely a high quality nail product, and I think that's why it is a little more expensive than the other two.

      I do want to give a shout-out to awesome Color Street consultant Abby of Abby Cadabra Nails, who gifted me a few sets of wraps to try for this post. I give Abby a lot of credit in that she does not use negative/sketchy direct sales tactics. She just genuinely loves this product and enjoys selling it! If you're going to try Color Street, I'd highly recommend shopping through her. 

      PROS: Lasts the longest of any nail wrap, easiest to file and shape, tons of colors and patterns.
      CONS: Most expensive nail wraps, only available via a direct sales business model, have to pay for shipping.

      

      I'd love to hear any thoughts on your favorite brand of nail wraps!! Or if you have a favorite DIY nail option that I haven't tried yet, let me know that too!





      God Bless,


       xoxo Annaliese 

Share:

2 comments

  1. I use Color Street pretty much always - I have thought about trying other options but I wondered if they'd be as good. Now I know!

    www.natslife6.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was using Color Street (and loved them) until I tried, and switched to Lily & Fox. I find they are great quality, long lasting and at $3 a set, quite a bargain. They last as long as Color Street also.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for reading Southern Belle in Training! Comments make my day- so feel free to share your thoughts on this post! I read each and every comment.
If you have a question in regards to one of my posts, or just want to say hi, the best way to get ahold of me is by e-mailing me directly at: rainbowflash94@yahoo.com. I am better about responding to e-mails than blog comments sometimes!
Xoxo

Blog Design Created by pipdig