Last week I came home from work EXHAUSTED by my 13 hour day and was looking foward to watching some TV and kicking back with a beer. What I wasn't expecting was to receive something in the mail that gave me an Abba flashback...
But it turns out that Influenster had other plans for me, and they sent two packages of Broadway Nails imPRESS manicure for me to sample. So let's get to it!
My first impression
When I opened up this box I was REALLY HESITANT about the whole thing because I can count the number of times I've worn fake nails on one hand. Truly, I've only done it three times. Before I tried this product, I was probably the last person in the world who would simply wander down a nail polish aisle and grab fakes. But I decided to give it a shot anyway.
The product
Broadway Nails imPRESS Manicure fake nails come in a really cute fake nail polish bottle and each kit comes with 24 nails for you to fit and customize to your fingers. They claim that this product lasts up to a week, but I only kept mine on for four so I can't attest to that claim, but more on that later.
There were a variety of widths and sizes in the bottle and I didn't have any trouble finding 10 nails for my hands. It took more time for me to size them then to adhese them!
How to put on the imPRESS manicure
Each nail comes with a little clear strip poking out to tell you which side is the cuticle and which is the tip (just in case it wasn't obvious).
Before you apply, make sure your nails are CLEAN, CLIPPED and BARE. I took off my old polish, trimmed my nails down, washed my hands and then used the alcohol swab provided to make sure the adhesive was going on a dry, clean surface.
It took me about 5 seconds per nail, tops. Both my hands were done in less than 5 minutes. It takes some time for the glue to adhere to your nail, so try not to do anything too strenuous for awhile, a few friends of mine tried to do chores immediately and lost a few.
When I woke up the next day none of them were wiggly and they stuck on solidly for four days. They lasted through dishes every evening, two showers, three days of office work, bike riding, laundry, you named it, I did it!
Why did I take them off early?
If they were so solidly stuck, and didn't impede with anything ( the photo above shows the length the nails protruded), why didn't I let them last more than four days?
Honestly, I got bored.
I'm the type of person who changes my polish up ever 4/5 days and as cool as the zebra striped Dancing Queen fakes were, I needed a change. I think they could've lasted another day or so, but I was already noticing that the pattern was starting to wear out, so seven days may be a stretch.
That said, I worked a few shifts with these babies on and I can't remember the last time I received that many compliments on my nails, it was insane! When I told people that they were fakes that only took minutes to apply, they all wanted to know where they could grab a pair.
Before I got these from Influenster, I think I underestimated the value of fake nails in a beauty arsenal. Got last minute plans and chipped polish?* It's way faster to put these babies on than repaint your fingers. *
Would I rebuy this product?
Absolutely. I'm not a Walmart shopper, but I'm going to swing in during my next trip to the one near my house and see which styles they have in stock. For $8.99, it can't hurt to have a few exta styles kicking around for fashion emergencies.
I received this product for free from Influenster.
Are you an Influenster? Did you receive this product to test? What did you think?