Got your hands on some shiny new nail strips? Wanna know all the best color street tips and tricks?
If you want to get the most out of your color street nail strips and make those gorgeous nails last longer, this post is for you!
We’ve got a ton of useful info to get through, so let’s jump right in.
We’re going to go into each tip in more detail further down, but here’s the list of 27 awesome color street tips and tricks we’ll cover:
- Get the temperature right
- Don’t open them too early
- Wash your hands and use the prep wipe before touching the strips
- Buff, file, and push cuticles back before applying
- Use a base coat
- Start with your pinkies and do thumbs last
- One strip can do 2 fingers
- Take the clear film off before you start
- Hold the strip in the center
- Don’t touch the cuticles
- Don’t be afraid to stretch them a bit
- Use your thumbnails as tools
- File downwards
- Use the prep wipe again after you file
- Snip chunky glitter pieces
- Use topcoat!
- Give them time to cure
- Use 2 strips per nail for solid colors
- A cue tip soaked in remover smooths rough edges
- You can save unused strips
- Tear strips into 2’s to get them back in the packet
- Seal unused strips with a flat iron
- Store unused strips in the freezer
- Nail polisher remover works!
- Never peel
- Keep them away from the heat, the sun and LED’s
- Be extra careful with solids
Ok great, you have the basic tips. But why are these tips so important?
Looks like we got some more explainin’ to do.
Ready to become a color street pro?
Let’s do this.
I wanna start by saying that I am not affiliated with color street in any way.
I don’t sell for them or make any money from them whatsoever.
Here’s the first of our color street tips and tricks:
Get the temperature right
Like Goldilocks, color street strips don’t do well with extremes.
They like the temperature to be “just right”.
Room temperature is ideal.
Heat will make the strips sticky, gloopy, and impossible to work with.
So keep your packaged strips away from hot rooms, direct sunlight, and LED lights.
Weirdly, even though they turn brittle and stiff in the cold, you can actually store your nail strips in the freezer.
But you must make sure that the strips have returned to room temperature before you apply them!
Make sure that your hands and your room are not too cold and that strips are at room temperature before you begin.
Don’t open them too early
Once opened, color street nail strips dry out pretty quickly.
I know you’re going to want to open them right away and have a play with them but be patient!
Unless you are ready to do your nails right then, resist that temptation to open up the packet and keep those nails nice and fresh.
Buff, file, and push cuticles back before applying
Preparation before applying any kind of polish is super important.
If you take the proper steps before you apply the strips, you’re going to have a much easier time and your nails will last longer.
Buff and file your nails, then push back your cuticles gently with an orangewood stick or a cuticle pusher before applying the color street strip.
If you don’t have a tool handy, another great tip is to use the edge of the nail file that comes with your strips.
Wash your hands and use the prep wipe before touching the strips
Your hands and nails need to be clean and oil-free for the strips to stick.
Dishwashing liquid is better than soap because it’s designed to remove oil, unlike some hand soaps which have moisturizing agents in them.
After you wash your hands, wipe over each nail with the prep wipe to remove any residue.
If you wash your hands with dish soap, you may be able to skip the prep wipe step.
Why would you want to do this?
Because the prep wipe is alcohol and it can dry out your nails.
Use a base coat
Don’t get me wrong – you don’t officially need a base coat.
Color street strips already have a base coat built-in.
But some people still find that they are damaging their natural nails, causing them to weaken and peel.
Plenty of people use nail strips, stickers, and wraps with a base coat underneath.
They will still stick just as well and the basecoat will add an extra layer to protect your nails from drying out and peeling.
Start with your pinkies and do thumbs last
This has got to be one of the best color street tips and tricks.
You’ll probably find that you are using your thumbnails as tools throughout the application process.
So it’s a good idea to do them last.
Start with your pinkies, then the ring finger, and work your way towards the thumbs.
You can thank me later!
One strip can do 2 fingers
No list of color street tips and tricks would be complete without this one.
If you have long nails, then this tip may not work for you.
But if you’re nails are short like mine, then this is a great little trick.
One color street strip can do 2 fingers!
Once you have the right size picked out for that pinky, go ahead and cut that trip down the center.
Then you can apply it to both pinkies!
Do the same for each nail, so 1 strip for both middle fingers, ring fingers, pointer fingers, and thumbs.
You don’t need to cut each one down the middle.
If you prefer, you can just apply to one nail, tear off the rest and apply to the same finger on the other hand.
Take the clear film off before you start
Haha, I learned this one is from personal experience!
Don’t be a ditz like me and forget to take the clear film off first.
You can still manage but it’s way easier to remove all of the clear film pieces before you have the strips stuck to your fingers!
Hold the strip in the center
You get a more precise placement when you do this.
Holding the strip right in the middle gives you more control, so you’re less likely to mess up.
Don’t touch the cuticles
It’s easy to accidentally touch your cuticles when you’re trying to place the strip.
Just be careful and avoid touching them as much as possible!
You don’t want the sticker to touch any part of your cuticle because it will cause lifting and your nails won’t last as long.
Don’t be afraid to stretch them a bit
These things have some decent stretch to them!
I’m not saying to go at them like they’re a stretch Armstrong or anything, but as color street themselves have said, feel free to “stretch horizontally to make the strip wider, or stretch vertically to make the strip narrower.”
Use your thumbnails as tools
Thumbnails are very useful tools when applying color street nails.
Use them to help you pick up the strip, push down the edges, and to help you line up the cuticle properly.
Once you have the strip in place, use your finger or thumb to smooth out any bubbles.
Once in place, use your thumbnail to perforate across the tip before removing the excess sticker.
Since you’ll be using your thumbs so much, it makes sense to start with the pinkies and leave them until last.
File downwards
This is an important tip.
You can’t file your nails the way you normally would with color street.
If you file side to side, you’ll end up with chipped, messy-looking tips.
File downwards instead.
Start from the back of your nail and file down towards the pads of your fingers.
Use the prep wipe again after you file
Don’t throw that prep wipe away! You’ll need it again.
After you are done filing, the prep wipe is the best way to get rid of all that dust from the surface of the nails.
Snip chunky glitter pieces
With the glitter strips, you might find that sometimes you end up with a big piece of glitter hanging off the end of your nail.
You’re going to be tempted to just file that right off.
But you risk it chipping if you do!
In my experience, it’s much better to snip it with nail scissors or nail clippers.
Use topcoat!
You’d be surprised at how many people don’t bother to add a topcoat to their color street nails.
These are the same people who complain that their nails only last a couple of days.
Do yourself a favor and add a good coat of topcoat to your nails!
It will help protect them from chipping and keep them looking fresh for longer.
Give them time to cure
Just because they are dry, doesn’t mean that they are fully cured.
Color street nails need at least 30 minutes to fully cure after you apply them.
It’s important that you don’t wash your hands or apply cuticle oil or hand cream for at least half an hour.
Use 2 strips per nail for solid colors
With glitter strips, one is usually enough. But a lot of people have noticed that the strips with solid colors don’t last as long.
This is because they are a little thinner generally speaking.
You can make your plain manicures last longer by doubling up on the layers.
So apply 2 strips to each nail instead of just one and you’ll be good to go.
Obviously, this uses up more stickers, so it’s not quite as economical.
A cue tip soaked in remover smooths rough edges
After a day or 2, you may notice that the edges of your nails are a little rough.
This can be so annoying because they get caught in your hair and it just feels bad.
You can smooth out the edges of your nails to stop them from getting caught by using this great trick.
Take a cue tip and dip it in nail polish remover.
Then, very gently and slowly, run it around the rough edges of each nail.
Voila! no more annoying hair pulls!
You can save unused strips
One of the worst things about color street nails is that they dry out so fast.
They are meant to be one-time use, so I guess we can’t complain.
But we can figure out sneaky ways to save the spares!
You can actually save your surplus color street strips so that you can re-use them again later – yay!
Tear strips into 2’s to get them back in the packet
If you want to save your unused stickers, the best way to do it is to put them back into the original packaging.
This can be a real problem though because it’s super fiddly.
Save yourself some stress and tear the strip into 2’s.
That way you can easily fit them back into the packet.
Trust me, you’ll be there for hours trying to fit the whole strip back in!
Seal unused strips with a flat iron
This is one of my favorite tips.
Once you have the nails back in their original plastic package, you can seal them right up to keep them fresh as a daisy!
Here’s how:
Take a flat iron and gently close it over the top part. That’s it! Great idea huh?
If you don’t have a flat iron, you can try an iron that you’d use for clothes or even a lighter (if you’re very careful!).
Store unused strips in the freezer
This is another great way to keep your stickers fresh for later.
Just pop them in a sealable bag and put them in the freezer.
It stops them from drying out.
When you’re ready to use them, take them out and let them defrost for about 30 minutes before using.
Nail polisher remover works!
One thing I love about color street nails is that you only need regular nail polish remover to get them off.
Acetone works best, but it does dry out your nails.
So I’d recommend using Mineral Fusion. It’s a non-acetone nail polish remover that’s effective but not damaging.
For best results removing color street nails, use a cotton ball soaked in Mineral Fusion and attach it to each nail with a nail clip.
You should be good after 3 minutes.
Never peel!
Don’t be tempted to peel off your nail stickers!
It causes unnecessary damage and it’s really bad for your natural nails.
It’s so quick easy to get them off using regular nail polish remover, there’s really no excuse for peeling!
Keep them away from the heat, the sun, and LED’s
Heat will warp your nail strips, making them impossible to use.
Don’t store them anywhere hot, because even after they cool down, they won’t work as well.
Be extra careful with solids
Our last item on the color street tips and tricks list is to be careful with the solid colors.
As you already know, the solid colors are a little thinner than their glitter counterparts.
This means that they are more delicate and you should treat them as such.
If you are used to the glitter ones and you’re trying out solids for the first time, go a little easier at first until you get used to the slightly different feel.
And as I mentioned previously, use 2 strips per nail so they last longer.
That’s it! You are now a certified color street expert!
I hope that you found this post on color street tips and tricks helpful.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!
I’d love to hear from you.
FAQ’S
– How do I remove color street nails?
Regular nail polish remover will do the trick. Acetone works best, but it can be drying. Mineral Fusion is a non-acetone remover that’s effective and not damaging.
– What should I do if my color street nails start to peel?
Don’t peel them! Peeling causes unnecessary damage and it’s bad for your natural nails. Use regular nail polish remover to take them off.
Then do a new set.
– How do I store my unused color street nails?
You can store them in the freezer or in a sealable bag. Just make sure they’re away from heat so they don’t get ruined. You can store them in the original packaging if you heat seal it with a flat iron.
– Do I need a special remover?
Nope. Any ordinary nail polish remover will work. Acetone-based ones can be drying though, so you may want to switch to a non-acetone one like Mineral Fusion.
– What should I use to prep my nails before applying color street?
A good basecoat is key for keeping your color street nails looking fresh. You can either use a regular basecoat or a ridge-filling one. You should also buff, file, and push cuticles back.
– Can I use color street on top of my real nails?
Absolutely! That’s what they are designed for! Color street is just like nail polish.
– My nails are really dry, will color street make them worse?
If your nails are dry, you may want to use a base coat before applying color street. This will help the polish adhere better and keep your nails healthy.
The solid colors are a little thinner than the glitters, so you need to go a little easier at first until you get
– What’s the difference between the solid colors and the glittery ones?
The solid colors are thinner and more delicate. You may need 2 layers for the solid colors to last longer.
