Remember last week when I wrote about the side benefit of Biotin being that my nails are actually growing? I’d used Sally Hansen Nail Effects for the first time and really liked the way they turned out. They ended up lasting well over a week, and could’ve gone longer, but I wanted to change up the color thanks to my newest find.
I really loved the ease of use of Sally Hansen strips, but I do find their selection sorely lacking for someone of my age group. To me, their patterns and colors are geared for a younger crowd.
So, I did a search and found out about InCoco Nail Strips. They got great reviews on YouTube as well as MakeupAlley, and their prices were competitive. Their sets are about $7.99 for 16 strips. Luckily, I can use 1 strip on 2 nails, which means I can get two manicures per set. Not a bad deal! I really love their selection of colors and styles, and find them much more sophisticated than the Sally Hansen strips.
I ended up ordering quite a few sets to save on shipping, and couldn’t wait for them to arrive. They got here much quicker than I expected, and I was excited to spend some time on Friday playing with them. Before I show you how they turned out, let me show you what I got.
The set on the left is a navy blue, the one on the right is more of a lemon yellow. I bought them to wear during Homecoming Week, when we get spirited and wear the school colors (blue & gold).
Now let’s get to the set and the mani I chose.
All sets come with a sample (this one had two french manicure sample strips), a file, polish remover, and the actual strips. Not pictured: the nail stick used to push back the cuticles.
One thing I found out (the hard way) about nail strips is that once you open the package, they dry out, making reusing them impossible. But the genius packaging of the Incoco strips takes into account that you may want to use the leftovers for another mani. These strips come with a piece of adhesive foil to seal up any unused strips.
And now onto the finished product. Since most of my choices were geared more for fall and winter, I was glad that I’d made one choice that worked for late summer. Who doesn’t love polka dots?
The accent nail on my ring finger is polish, and unlike last week’s terrible mani, the polish hasn’t chipped. A good base and top coat make a difference! (I may give polish more of chance now that I can see that the color can last longer than a day). These Incoco strips really have staying power. My nails look as good today (3 days later!) as they did the day I did them.
Three of my friends have seen my nails and asked me where I got them done. They were shocked when I told the I’d used the strips. It’s fun getting compliments on my natural nails.
I’d highly recommend giving the Incoco nails a try. They’re easy to apply and make you look like a nail expert. I “liked” their FB page to hear about specials and limited edition strips. Fans also post their own photos of manicures, which can give you a great idea of the results.
Update: I took the following picture one week after I’d put the Incoco strips on, and I’m impressed with how well they lasted. I wasn’t easy on my nails in the least, and they still look great, 7 days later. My cuticles could use some help, but that’s another story. I could have easily gone a few more days, maybe even another week, but I was in the mood for a change.
I love the polka dots! I’ve been growing my nails out and today two of them broke! 😦 I was so sad! I started taking a prenatal vitamin so hopefully they will grow faster now!
Oh, that’s the worst! From what I’ve heard, those prenatals will have your nails growing in no time!!
So how do you actually use them? Are they like stickers and you just press them on and then trim it to fit your nail? Or more like polish fake tattoos where you press down and it transfers and then you peel away the backing?
They’re strips that you smooth/press over your nails. You use the file to slough off the excess off the tip and sides. Super easy. The hardest part is placing them evenly on your nail, but it’s a quick learning curve.
If you go to the Incoco site, you’ll see the video with directions.
I may have to try this…
You should. It’s worth the minimal investment. And apparently, some Walgreens stores carry them. But they’re also sold on Amazon and their own site, too.
Looks nice! My latest addiction is doing my nails. Haven’t tried this out yet. I own a lot of nail polish though. Judging from what I have seen online lately it could be worse though :D. My manicures (polish) last at least for a week, but then I have gel on my nails (I do that myself too because my nails grow so fast, I’d have to go every three weeks and that would be just too expensive), I think that makes it last longer since the nails are harder.
I would LOVE to see the Twilight pictures! I want to order some of the “greys” but have yet to see anyone actually wearing them.