Sunday Blues

Mid-afternoon on Sunday, I hit a depressing fog I call the Sunday blues, as I start dreading the upcoming week. Counting down the hours I have left in my weekend, I usually indulge myself in ultimate weekend activities – going for one last kayak on Town Lake, laying out at the pool, grabbing a margarita, or watching Real Housewives marathons. Today, I decided to give myself a manicure so at least when I’m melancholy about being at work tomorrow, I can look down at my happy hands.

Nails Inc just hit shelves in the US

Normally I’m an Essie girl; going to Target and staring at the dozens of Essie colors, from cheery to morose to modish, and selecting the perfect one to fit my mood couldn’t make me happier. However, like most people, painting my right hand is always a shaky ordeal and usually results in either not painting the entire nail or getting the nail plus all the surrounding skin. I’m also terribly ADD and can rarely sit still long enough for them to completely dry. Enter spray-on nail polish! Yes, I said spray-on nail polish. My first thought when I read about this new nail trend was “hmm sounds messy”. I pictured the spray coating my entire hand in polish or having to tediously rig painter’s tape to shelter the skin and cuticles. Well, it’s not actually so difficult.

I picked up a Nails Inc London Paint Can in “Hoxton Market”, a hot, Barbie-like shade of pink. Downer, Sephora only carries this and a slightly tacky metallic silver at the moment. Here’s how application went:

1. 

   My nails looked great right after painting, but just a few hours later, they started chipping

   First, prep nails with a clear base.

2. Then, spray on the polish. Yes, it will get all over your skin, but the coverage on my nails was fantastic – smooth, with no streaks or lumps.
3. Seal with a clear top coat and let dry.
4. Wash your hands and the extra polish on your skin just comes right off! I did prep my skin beforehand with some coconut oil after reading some other reviews that recommended this step. In the video I watched, you can also use wet wipes to wash off the excess if you’re not close to a sink.
5. Done! You are left with a salon quality manicure…or so I thought.

My manicure looked great for a couple of hours, BUT a few hours later I noticed the polish on my pinky nail had already flaked, and by bedtime 3 of my nails had chipped. So much for a quick-fix to DIY manicures. I love the idea of this product so much, and I really hope they can work on and make improvements. If this worked as promised and lasted, it would save me so much time!