Jamberry Nail Shields - An Experience
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Hi guys! So today I have a little review/nail fail/WTF moment post for you. A few weeks ago, I got in on a chance to get some Jamberry samples. I had never used them before and was willing to give them a try.
When I received the samples, this is what I got. I got 7 different sized shields in 7 different designs. I had no idea that samples came like this, but hey, I was willing to work with it. Follow me below as I share my experience...
Alright, so the first shield I chose to work with was this light blue with white and pink dots. I figured it would be a cute accent nail that I could match really well to some polish colors.
Clearly you can see that this was a fail. First off, I probably should have done my research on Jamberry. Had I known it required heat, I probably wouldn't have tried them. Now, on the Jamberry website, they have a special "heating unit" that you can purchase for $18. I obviously didn't have this so I had to use my hair dryer.
Now...trying to do my nails with a hair dryer is sorta inconvenient. I actually laughed and said...WTF. I don't think that the hair dryer was necessarily the entire problem. If you have any sort of ridges or imperfections on your nail, these shields are a little more difficult to apply. I LOVE the concept of these but I feel like they are just TOO thick. I think I read somewhere that they have come out with a thinner version...unless what I received was the thinner version. In any case, I would try these again if they made them a bit easier to work with.
After my first fail, I decided to give it another go. Maybe I was doing it wrong...maybe I just wasn't patient enough. With this one, I did it on my VERY smooth pinky nail and worked it from one side to the other while at the same time smoothing it down the nail. NOPE! There is still some spots where the darn thing just would not STICK! At this point, I almost prefer just the nail polish strips.
I totally get that Jamberry wants to keep up with the trends and put out unique items, but they just don't work for me.
Now, Shea was kind enough to send me these to try, but unfortunately they just don't jive with my nails. If you love Jamberry shields, tell me what you love about them and tell me how you apply them!
Maybe I'm a total noob, but I'd like to think I know enough about things like these to get them on correctly. I thought about just not doing a post on these, but I feel like you needed to hear my honest opinion.
If you are a Jamberry lover and do not have a representative yet, please check out Shea's Jamberry Website to order from her.
Thanks, Shea, for letting me try these and thanks to my readers who followed me to the end of this nail fail. =)
9 comments
I've never tried these but I've heard about the same issues you had from other bloggers. They have cute designs but sad to hear that they weren't applying on well for your nails.
ReplyDeleteThey work for me, but my nails are a lot shorter. And I don't think they curve as much as yours. I only use them as an accent and really enjoy them. I'm sorry they didn't work for you :(
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, yea flatter [and shorter] nails are probably easier to apply these to. Oh well. =(
DeleteI'm in love with that blue Julie G! Wish we had Rite Aid in Fl. Want.
ReplyDeleteRight? I'm in FL too so whenever I need to get my JG fix, I visit the local Rite Aid in MD when I visit, or, I shop online at jessesgirlcosmetics.com and get $20 plus free shipping. If you have other colors you want, I highly recommend just shopping online.
DeleteI think the problem is that you need to apply a shield that is much thinner than your nail bed. You need to cut them on the sides to thin them out so they'd adhere better. Also, I'm not sure what application technique you used, but different things work for different people. There are several ways of applying them. Make sure your nails are free of any oils (which I'm sure you do before polish) Put them on cold, heat them and rub them down after they're nice and smooth. My nails are very curvy like yours, and I have to apply them sort of from side to side while stretching a bit. The nail glue requires very little heat, too much heat and you could make them buckle. I've also heard that applying a bit of Orly bonder as a base coat helps.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristen! The one on my ring finger was actually a good size for my finger. I also don't like having too much of my nail show because then, what's the point? I have some more sample that I may try again. The 2nd time around I did apply it cold and then heated it up. If I try it again I'll do another post to see if your suggestions helped me any. Thanks!
DeleteSo sorry you had a bad Jam experience. As a consultant I can see a few things that may have given you some trouble...I think first the wrap was too big. If they touch your skin or cuticle the oils will make them lift and buckle. Also the most important step of the whole process is to clean your nails with alcohol or plain acetone to remove oils. If you use a colored nail polish remover there are "conditioners" (oils) in there so you're kind of defeating the purpose. I totally agree that using a hair dryer is a little cumbersome, but the heaters that Jamberry sells are just that...mini heaters. So if you have any type of space heater you can sit in front of to do them it might be a lot easier for you to apply ;) Hope these tips help if you decide to give them another try! Jamberry also just came out with 5-free nail polish along with ridge fillers, base coats, and top coats if you're the polish type and would like to skip all the nasty chemicals. #SitsBlogging
ReplyDeleteI commend you on a very tasteful review even if you did not like the way they turned out!
ReplyDeleteI would encourage you, if you chose to go for a third try, to pick a wrap smaller than your nail. It is hard to get used to seeing the side of your nail, but everyone else won't see it. �� They should not wrinkle or bubble if they are the right size and heated properly. Also, Google the 1 2 3 method for jamberry and you will find one of the easiest application methods out there! Good luck and I hope you give it another go. ��