Then look no further!

I”ve scoured the internet to find the best of the best when it comes to nail stickers for Halloween.

The stickers in this review have been fully tested by myself and were not given to me for free.

So here they are. My top 8 Halloween sticker sets.

Let’s take a look.

1. Ultimate classic horror nail sticker pack (by Comdoit).

Halloween Nail Stickers Day of The Dead (click to check price)

If you like Stephen king’s IT, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman, or Friday 13th, you can not afford to miss these fantastic nail stickers!

There’s a little bit of everything for classic horror fans, and with 25 sheets of stickers, you’ll have enough to last you the whole of October!

I really like the quality of these nail stickers and how easy they are easy to apply.

You get a mix of colored and clear backgrounds and you can use them on natural or artificial nails.

I tried them on both and they worked really well, but I’d say they looked slightly better on the acrylic nails.

How to apply these Halloween decals:

Here are the exact steps I followed to apply these decals.

1. Wash your nails with dish soap to remove oil and dry thoroughly.

2. Cut out the desired pattern roughly, remove the film from the product, and dip it into a bowl of water for 10-20 seconds.

3. Moisten the fingernail, then use tweezers to gently slide the sticker to the nail surface face up, and press firmly.

4. Pat gently with a paper towel to remove the excess water on the surface.

5. Apply 2 coats of top coat to seal in the design and make it last longer.

2. Glow in the dark Halloween nail stickers by TailaiMei

Glow in The Dark Halloween Nail Stickers (click to check price)

These neon green glow-in-the-dark Halloween nail stickers are not to be missed!

They’re cute, cool, and covered in classic Halloween images like ghosts, bats, cats, skulls, pumpkins spiders, and witches.

If you want something that will work with pretty much any costume, you can’t go wrong with these!

I liked them because they are excellent value for money and they give a perfect wow factor!

How to apply these nail stickers:

These are self-adhesive. Here’s how I applied mine.

Simply peel off the sticker from the background using tweezers and place them where you want them. Easy!

I’d suggest adding 1 or 2 coats of top coat for best results with these as the edges were a little rough.

3. KALOLARY 1500 Halloween nail decal bumper pack – best value

1500 Halloween Nail Art Stickers (click to check price)

This is a huge bundle of Halloween nail art decals! I was super excited when these arrived!

You get 1500 stickers for a very reasonable price.

You get a mix of black and white, gold, and colored Halloween-themed images.

I especially liked the candy, witches, bats, crucifixes, and cityscapes.

You also get fangs, creepy eyes, and some cool faces, words, and characters.

I thought these were very good quality considering the low price and they have great reviews too.

How to apply these Halloween-themed nail stickers:

These nail stickers are self-adhesive.

Simply remove the sticker with your fingernail or tweezers if you need them.

Then place the sticker on the nail in the desired spot.

Add a couple of coats of topcoat to seal the deal and you’re done!

4. 12 sheets of amazing Halloween designs by Torokom

Halloween Nail Wraps Stickers (click to check price)

This pack just might win the prize for the best designs out of all the ones I tried.

A lot of stickers are meant to be pulled off and stuck down individually, but I found that these are more like nail strips.

The designs are already done so there’s no need to worry about placement, just stick and go!

I like that you can use a full set of one design, or mix and match to create your own unique nail art.

How to apply these Halloween nail polish strips:

First, clean and prep your nails by pushing the cuticles back and filing.

Then choose your favorite design and stick it to your chosen nail.

Use nail clippers or a file to remove any excess sticker at the free edge.

Add top coat if required.

5. Super bright Halloween nail stickers by Macute

Halloween Nail Stickers 3D Luminous (click to check price)

These self-adhesive stickers from Macute are super bright and when I tried them out, they lasted all night.

You will need to charge them first in either natural light or under an led lamp.

But once you do, you’ll be amazed at the results!

You get 6 sheets of nail stickers with all the usual creepy Halloween-themed images.

How to apply these nail stickers:

These stickers are also self-adhesive so you can just peel and stick.

6. Super creepy gothic nail decals by Zitiany.

New Gothic Nail Decals (click to check price)

These decals aren’t the cheapest of the bunch, but they are amazing!

If you want something that’s bang on trend and creepy as they come, this could be the nail sticker set for you!

There are actually 12 different Halloween-themed sets to choose from, so whether you like oozing eyeballs, distorted faces, werewolves, monsters, or clowns, they’ve got you covered.

I went with super creepy gothic, and I was more than happy with the designs.

How to apply these creepy Halloween nail stickers:

Apply them in the same way you would nail strips.

Stick them down (they are self-adhesive) then file off any excess and apply top coat.

7. Blood and body parts nail sticker collection by Aidvpod

Halloween Nail Stickers (click to check price)

If dripping fangs, bloodstains, and bloody wounds are your thing, you’ll love these oh-so-gory nail art decals from Aidvpod.

You get 12 sheets of self-adhesive decals with everything from eyeballs to entrails.

These are bloody brilliant! I absolutely love the designs and they were really easy to apply.

How to apply them:

They are self-adhesive.

Simply peel with tweezers and apply to the nail.

Push down gently then add a top coat to seal in the design.

8. Water Transfer Halloween nail sticker tattoos by Tailamei.

Halloween Nail Art Stickers – Water Transfer (click to check price)

This pack came with not 46, not 47, but 48 sheets of Halloween goodness!

I found that you do need to submerge them in water and then gently peel them off the backing with tweezers.

It’s not too difficult to do this once you get the hang of it and the results are amazing!

How to apply these decals:

1. Wash your nails with dish soap to remove oil and dry thoroughly.

2. Cut out the desired pattern roughly, remove the film from the product, and dip it into a bowl of water for 10-20 seconds.

3. Moisten the fingernail, then use tweezers to gently slide the sticker to the nail surface face up, and press firmly.

4. Pat gently with a paper towel to remove the excess water on the surface.

5. Apply 2 coats of top coat to seal in the design and make it last longer.

So there you have it, the best of the best Halloween nail art stickers you can buy.

Which ones will you go for?

Happy Halloween!

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The post Get Spooky with These Halloween nail stickers: 8 you’ll love appeared first on nailhow.

Then this is the post for you. I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to remove Ohora Semi cured gel nail strips.

Let’s dive right into it.

First, you will need to gather some supplies.

You’ll need acetone, (or the Ohora Pro Easy Peel Remover), a small bowl or cup, some lint-free wipes or cotton balls, and the wooden stick that comes with the Ohora nail strips.

These are the basic steps to follow for how to remove Ohora nails:

1. Soak the flat end of the wooden stick in acetone or (Ohora Pro Easy Peel Remover)
2. Run the sharp edge of the wooden stick around the edge of the gel nail sticker, then push gently to make a gap
3. Add 1 or 2 drops of acetone (or remover) under the sticker to minimize damage
4. Slowly and gently push the strip with the stick until it comes off completely
5. Wipe the nails with acetone to remove any adhesive residue

That’s it!

There are only 5 basic steps to follow!

Now that you have the 5 basic steps down, let’s go a bit deeper and give you some tips for removing Ohora gel nail strips safely.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

How to remove Ohora nails 

As you can see, removing Ohora gel nail stickers is pretty simple and easy.

In this section, we’ll go into a little more detail about how to remove Ohora semi-cured nail strips properly.

Starting with the tools and equipment you’ll need.

What do I need to remove Ohora nails?

There are 3 main products that you can use to remove your Ohora semi-cured nail strips they are:

1. Pure acetone
2. Gel nail polish remover (click to check price on amazon)
3. Ohora Pro Easy Peel Remover

The best product to use for removing Ohora nails (particularly if you are concerned about damage or drying your nails out) is their own brand remover.

That’s because the Pro Easy Peel Remover been specially formulated to remove Ohora nail strips.

But if you don’t have the Ohora remover, don’t worry, pure acetone or any gel nail polish remover will also do the job just fine.

Basically, any of the above will help to dissolve the adhesive layer so that removal of your gel manicure is easier.

Other tools needed to remove Ohora nails

As well as a solvent, to get your gel nail stickers off, you’ll also need:

• A wooden manicure stick
• Cotton balls or lint-free wipes

If you kept your original Ohora kit, you should already have the wooden stick that came with it.

You’ll be using the flat end to remove your nails.

How to remove Ohora nails step by step

Alright, let’s go over the basic steps for how to remove Ohora nails in a little more detail.

Soak the flat end of the wooden stick in acetone or (Ohora Pro Easy Peel Remover).

Basically, you want to dip the flat end into the remover (or acetone if you’re using acetone) for about 5 to 10 seconds, long enough for the liquid to soak into the wood.

Soaking the wooden stick makes it easier to remove the sticker because the adhesive at the edges will soften.

Run the sharp edge of the wooden stick around the edge of the sticker, then push gently to make a gap.

Once your stick is soaked through with solvent, you should be able to run it along the edge of the sticker to create a small gap at the bottom edge near the cuticle.

Patience is key. Make sure that you don’t use too much pressure here or you will cause damage to your nail plate.

Add 1 or 2 drops of acetone (or remover) under the sticker to minimize damage.

Once you have created a gap between your natural nail and the nail strip, you might be tempted to just go ahead and yank the whole sticker off.

Don’t do it!

You will tear off parts of your nail plate.

Instead, what you need to do is add a few drops of the solvent underneath.

This will dissolve the glue and should make it much easier to remove the nail sticker without ruining your nails!

Slowly and gently push the strip with the stick until it comes off completely.

Once you have given the acetone or remover a few seconds to do its job, push the stick further under the nail sticker and gently prise it off.

It should come off in one whole piece, if it’s still being stubborn, add another few drops of remover or acetone and wait 30 seconds to a minute before trying again.

Wipe the nails with acetone to remove any adhesive residue.

Once you have completely removed the gel nail sticker, you will find that your natural nails still have some of the sticky layer on them.

You will need to remove this.

To get it off, soak either a cotton ball or a lint-free wipe in acetone (or gel nail remover).

Apply it to the nail and let it soak in for a few seconds. Then apply pressure and wipe until it’s all gone.

That’s it, you’re done!

Once you have completed these steps, you can push the cuticles back and re-apply a second set of Ohora strips – yay!

How long do Ohora nails last?

If you apply and cure them well, Ohora nails will last around 2 weeks.

Proper application is key to avoiding lifting.

Tips for making Ohora last longer

Even though you don’t need to, I recommend using a gel top coat over the strips to make them last longer.

Adding a gel top coat seals in the stickers and adds a scratch-proof layer.

You could also double cure to make sure that your fingernails are hard.

How do you use your hands?

Of course, how long they last depends on what you do with your hands.

Everyone’s lifestyle is different so you might find that the stickers stay on for longer or less than 2 weeks.

I find that I usually have to remove my Ohora strips every 10 to 12 days.

Can you reuse Ohora nails?

Once you apply and cure a set of Ohora gels, you can’t re-use them.

Pro tip! Make sure that you keep your opened Ohora nails away from your uv lamp while curing!

I learned that lesson the (literal) hard way because my nails that were still on the strip hardened and I couldn’t reuse them

However, because they are gel, they don’t dry out like regular nail polish strips.

So, you don’t need to worry about heat sealing the packets.

Just store them in the original packaging away from direct sunlight if you want to open them and use them again at a later date.

How do you remove Ohora Nails without damage?

If your nails are getting damaged when you’re removing Ohora strips, it’s most likely because you are not using enough solvent (i.e remover/acetone).

A lot of people go in with the stick to get the nail strips off and they don’t use any liquid remover at all!

This is a recipe for disaster. You need a good amount of solvent to dissolve the glue under the base coat so that your strips will come off smoothly.

Here are a few tips for removing Ohora without causing any damage to your nails:

• Take your time with the removal process. Speed=damage.
• Use plenty of acetone, gel remover, or Ohora Peel Easy Peel under the gel decal.
• Soak your nails in a bowl of acetone for 10 minutes before starting the removal process.

Ohora Pro easy-peel remover instructions

Ohora Pro Easy Peel is a hypoallergenic solvent that’s designed to remove Ohora semi-cured gel nails.

Here’s the instructions for how to use Ohora Pro Easy Peel:

• Take the sealed lid off
• Put the dropper lid attachment on (you should hear it click)
• Screw-in the dropper
• Squeeze the soft top and release to fill the dropper with remover
• Apply 2 to 3 drops to the nail, try to get it under the strip
• Remove the nail strip

Final thoughts:

So, that’s it, you now know everything you need to know about removing semi-cured gel nails.

I love Ohora nails, they have such beautiful designs and they work for any nail shape.

It’s great that you don’t have to go to the salon to get a gorgeous manicure with nail art!

They are very easy to remove, though be gentle, and please note that acetone can be drying.

My advice? You may want to add moisture to your nails after wearing them.

FAQ’s

Do Ohora nail strips expire?

Not really, the longest I had mine for is a year and they were still flexible and usable.

Do I need to re-seal the package once opened?

No, you don’t need to. Just store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight if you want to use them again at a later date.

Why are my Ohora strips lifting?

If your nails are lifting, It could be either because your nails are oily or because you didn’t clean them well enough.

Make sure your nail beds are prepped and cleaned thoroughly with an alcohol solution (and that they are fully dry) before application.

Undercuring is also a cause of lifting. Make sure that you cure between 2 to 4 times both before and after topcoat if you are worried about lifting.

Don’t forget to use a top coat that works with gel polish.

Overbuffing can also lead to nails being too smooth for the stickers to adhere.

If your nails are too smooth, you can gently file them to create a rough surface for the stickers to grip to.

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As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases

The post How to Remove Ohora Nails: an Easy Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on nailhow.

We’ll go over the different types of gel nail strips, and what brands to look out for, and I’ll share my list of the 8 best semi cured nail strips.

All the products I tested for this review were bought with my own money.

No sponsorships or anything like that.

Ready to get started?

Let’s dive into instant gel nail polish strips!

In a hurry?

Here’s my list of the 8 best semi-cured nail strips: (click below to check the prices on Amazon)

1. Ohora semi-cured nail strips
2. Nailog soft gel nail strips
3. Danni & Toni Glaze gel nail strips
4. Zinipin Gellight semi-cured gel stickers
5. Edgeu Baked gel nails
6. Nailjam gel nail wraps
7. Kalolary semi-cured gel nail stickers

Now that you have the shortlist, let’s start the search and find the best nail polish strips for you.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

The benefits of using semi-cured nail strips

Semi-cured gel strips (aka gel nail stickers) are great!

These adhesive stickers are much easier to apply than traditional wet gel polish.

I’ve found that with these little strips you can definitely achieve salon-like results that last just as long.

They make them for both fingers and toes. Plus, they come in a huge variety of colors and designs.

In my experience, gel manicure strips like these can save you time and money.

Because gel nail stickers are already partly cured, there’s no waiting time in between coats like there is with a painted-on gel manicure.

I’ve also found that nail stickers work out much less expensive than having your nails done at a nail salon.

Not having to go to the nail salon also saves you even more time.

How easy are they to apply?

Applying gel nail stickers is super easy.

You don’t need any special skills to do your own gel sticker nails at home!

You also don’t need a base coat so you’re skipping that step (saving more time and money).

There are plenty of fun videos that show you how to enhance your nails with stickers, so there’s really no excuse!

Do I need a nail lamp?

Nail stickers are made from gel, which cures with UV light, so yes, you do need a UV lamp (or an led lamp).

You also need nail clippers or scissors to cut the excess strip away.

A nail file is needed to smooth out the edges and I find a wooden stick is handy to create a smooth seal so that the sticker doesn’t peel.

Be careful not to scratch the sticker though!

A wooden stick is also useful for removal in my experience.

Most packs come with everything you need (except the lamp) so you don’t need to worry too much about tools once you’ve made your purchase.

List of key benefits of semi-cured nails

So, to summarise, the key benefits of gel nail stickers are:

• They are long-lasting – last just as long as traditional gel polish
• Gel strips come in a huge variety of colors and designs
• They cut down on drying / curing time
• Gel strips are easy to apply
• They save you money

The different types of semi-cured nail strips available on the market

Gel polish strips are basically all the same. They are all made from real gel nail polish.

However, they do differ slightly in how much they have been cured.

What you need to know about curing

Some brands are 50% cured, others, 70%.

This can affect the length of time it takes to cure them fully.

In my experience, most brands of gel polish strips fall somewhere between the 50 % and 70 % cured range.

Obviously, you’re going to need a nail lamp if you want to use gel nail polish strips.

The curing time can vary depending on whether you are using UV light or led light to finish curing them.

Other things to think about when choosing nail stickers:

What will probably be your biggest factor in deciding which ones to go for will be the quality.

I’ve found that it’s better to go for a thicker gel sticker because the thin ones tend to wrinkle, and can also tear if you try to stretch them.

Obviously, how well they stick and how long they last will also be on your mind while you’re choosing.

Finally, the design has got to be cute!

You can get plain ones, patterns, effects, glitters, and even gems!

What brands of gel nail strips are there?

There are several brands that make semi-cured nail strips, but not all of them are created equal.

Semi-cured gel nail brand list

Here’s a list of all the brands I could find that make semi-cured or cured gel nail wraps.

• Ohora
• Dashing Diva
• Edgeu
• Zinipin
• Gelato Factory
• UUUUU
• Nailjam
• Nailog
• Kalolary
• Manime
• Diami
• Danni & Toni
• Drizzle

Of course, you don’t have to stick with one brand.

I haven’t tested every one of these brands, but I have tested the ones in my top 8 below.

If the brand isn’t in the top 8 list below, I’d recommend that you read some reviews first (some of them do have minor issues).

Best gel nail strips 

Time for the moment your fingernails have been waiting for!

Here’s my roundup of the 8 best partially cured gel nail strips.

Ohora semi-cured nail strips (click to check price on amazon)

Ohora is emerging as one of the top Korean gel nail sticker brands for semi-cured gel strips.

They are all over Youtube and social media right now.

I love the quality, the packaging, and the designs.

I chose to try these out because of the great reviews they have online. I was not disappointed!

If you want long-lasting, salon-quality, nails that are easy to apply then I’d say this is the brand to go for.

Ohora makes 60% semi-cured gel nails for both fingernails and toenails.

Their pedi packs are super cute!

The best thing about Ohora nails in my opinion and the reason I love them so much is the designs.

They are gorgeous!

They have cutesy stuff like hearts, teddy bears, and characters if you’re into that.

Or if you like shiny things then you can grab nails covered in gems and glitter! (check out N Fairy Cake (click to check price on amazon) if you love glitter!)

They have tons of stunning designs from modern minimalist to polka dots to marble to ombre to floral, the list goes on…

I also really love that they have super cute gems that actually stayed on!

All the designs feel very current.

You can buy them on Amazon for the fastest delivery.

Warning – you will want them all!

Pro tip – use Ohora pro glossy top coat (click to check price on amazon) to make your Ohora nails last longer.

Alright, onto my second pick.

Nailog soft gel nail strips (click to check price on amazon)

Nailog makes soft gel nail strips that I found to be very affordable.

They don’t have as many cute designs as Ohora does, the brand seems to be aiming for a more mature audience.

But if you like sophisticated, abstract, and adult designs, nailog has some nice ones to choose from.

The reviews are good, and they were easy to apply and held up well.

You get 20 extra-long strips in a pack, so these are great if you have long nails, or if you want to re-use them on your short nails to get your money’s worth, which is what I did

They are also cruelty-free and vegan.

Something I noticed was that both Ohora and Nailog are around the same price point.

However, you get 30 strips in a pack from Ohora and only 20 (but extra long) from Nailog.

Danni & Toni Glaze gel nail strips (click to check price on amazon)

Danni and Toni Glaze nail strips come in packs of 28.

Their designs range from delicately beautiful Japanese florals and lace to weird and quirky alien designs.

They have some really creative and out-there designs that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

I found these were easy to apply, fun to wear, and long-lasting.

So if you like to be ahead of the trends and have unique nails, Danni & Toni is definitely worth checking out.

Zinipin Gellight semi-cured gel stickers (click to check price on amazon)

Zinipin Gellight strips are very high quality in my opinion.

They cured rock-hard and lasted for 13 days.

The quality is definitely on par with Ohora (my favorite brand because of the quality and design choices).

As you’d expect, the reviews for this brand are overwhelmingly positive.

Zinipin wraps are 70% cured and come in packs of 36.

They cost pretty much the same as most other brands.

If you’re wondering why I’m not delving too much into price btw, it’s because i’ve found there really isn’t that much variation in the cost of semi-cured gel nails.

The difference may be a few dollars at the most.

Of course, the more stickers you get the better the value, and 36 stickers is a lot!

Zinipin has some amazing designs. Their vibe is mostly classy, elegant, and ultra-modern.

So if you like your nails to look chic and high fashion, Zinipin is probably the brand for you.

Edgeu Baked gel nail (click to check price on amazon)

Edge-U is also a Korean gel nail stickers brand. They are fast becoming popular because of their cool designs and quality products.

As soon as you open their box, you’ll see what I mean about the quality.

They came packed in a very nice box (just like Ohora) and the designs are lovely.

They came with 34 stickers in each box for two sets of nails.

The designs range from geometric patterns to delicate florals, colorful ombres, and graphic prints.

Their wraps are 60% cured and cure fully in 60 seconds under led light.

They also have great reviews praising the ease of use which having tried them I can agree with.

Nailjam gel nail wraps (click to check price on amazon)

Nailjam gel nail wraps are mostly sold on Amazon and Etsy.

You get 38 strips in total.

I wasn’t expecting this but they came with nails for both fingernails and toenails in one pack.

So one of the best things about this option is that you can do a mani-pedi at the same time!

The designs are awesome, with lots of geometrics, bright colors, and glitters.

They were a little more expensive than some of the other packs on this list, but when you consider that you’re getting enough to do a full set of fingers and toes it’s totally worth it!

I found that these were fine and didn’t have any issues with them.

However, I did notice that Nailog has mixed reviews online, scoring 3.8 out of 5 on average.

Kalolary semi-cured gel nail sticker (click to check price on amazon)

The last brand I’m going to talk about today is Kalolary.

Kalolary is mainly a beauty brand. But they have released their own brand of semi-cured gel nails and I have to say they’re pretty good!

I would say that this a budget brand.

You only get 20 stickers in a pack (so not much wiggle room if you make a mistake).

You can pick them up at Walmart or Amazon (I got mine from Amazon).

The design choice for me is very limited. It’s mainly solid colors, plain glitters, and ombre.

I was a bit disappointed that you don’t get any options for nail art or designs, but some packs like the pastel one, come with a few different colors.

So you can mix it up a little to create interesting designs.

Reviews for these strips average out at 4 out of 5.

In my opinion, they get a 3.5 because even though they are cute and have staying power, the lack of designs is a big drawback for me personally.

If you want basic gel nail stickers on a budget, these are great!

A quick note on the brands that didn’t make it.

That’s the end of list! There are a few brands that didn’t make it, like Dashing Diva for example.

I didn’t include them because I found that their strips don’t stretch very well at all.

They are also quite thin which means that they are more prone to wrinkling.

The Korean brand UUUUU also have some really cool nail strips.

However, when I tried them they lifted and kept getting caught in my hair, so they didn’t make the list.

Final thoughts on semi-cured nails

Semi-cured nails are a great way to get salon-quality nails without having to go to a salon.

They’re also really affordable, and the designs are trendy and chic.

They’re easy to apply and they save you time, money, and effort.

If you have used nail polish strips before, you’ll find that the gel manicure application process is basically the same (except for the cutting part).

I hope you enjoyed this article and that I’ve helped you find the best nail polish strips for you.

Thanks for reading!

amazon associates disclaimer

As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases

The post Best Semi-Cured Nail Strips – 8 of the Best Brands appeared first on nailhow.

This latest gel manicure craze from Korea has everybody talking!

Maybe you’ve seen the ads for all the gorgeous new products on social and you’re itching to make a purchase.

If you don’t have time to go to the salon, or if you want to save money, it’s well worth giving gel nail strips a try.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to do your own long-lasting gel manicure with nail strips at home.

So, how do you apply semi-cured gel nails?

Here are the basic steps for applying gel strips:

1. Buff, file and push cuticles back.
2. Remove oils from nail plate using prep wipe.
3. Choose the strip size you want.
4. Remove the protective film.
5. Peel off the gel sticker.
6. Match up the cuticle line.
7. Place the strip on the nail.
8. Use a wooden manicure stick to press edges down.
9. Clip the tips off with nail clippers.
10. File off the excess gel strip with a nail file.
11. Cure under a nail lamp.
12. Apply top coat (optional).

Sounds super easy, right?

Now that you have the basic idea of the application process, let’s dive deeper and learn how to apply these puppies like a pro!

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What are semi cured gel nail wraps?

Semi cured gel nail wraps are nail polish strips made from real gel nail polish.

They have many names, are they are very similar to regular nail polish strips which can be a bit confusing.

Sometimes they’re called “gel nail stickers”, “gel polish strips” or “cured gel wraps”.

But it’s all basically the same thing.

If your not sure whether the nail stickers you’re looking to purchase are semi-cured or not, check if it says that you need to cure under an led lamp.

If it doesn’t say anything about uv light, led light or a nail lamp, then its not semi-cured.

Once completely dry, you can wear gel strips for up to 14 days.

They should behave exactly like a salon gel manicure.

How long does it take to cure them?

The nail strips are only partially cured, so they stay flexible and soft until they are fully cured.

To fully cure gel strips, you do need to finish them off under a uv lamp or an led lamp.

The curing times of gel nail stickers can vary depending on the brand you choose and the lamp you are using.

Some brands are 50% cured, some are 60% cured, and others are 70% cured.

Bare in mind that curing takes longer with a uv lamp.

Some of the semi cured gel nail sticker brands require you to cure 2 or 3 times.

So this could take up to 3 minutes with an led light, or 6 minutes if you’re using a uv lamp.

What colors and designs are there?

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a huge choice and the high quality of the strips available.

There are so many colors and designs to choose from, so you’re sure to find something to suit your style.

You can get solid colors and also effects like ombre, marbling or glitter nails.

You can also get artsy strips, minimalist wraps, cute designs, rhinestones and gems, the possibilities are pretty much endless!

What do I need to do semi-cured gel nails at home?

So, what tools and equipment do you need to apply semi cured gel nail strips?

To apply your semi-cured gel nail strips, you will need the following items:

(click to check prices on amazon)

• Cuticle pusher
• Nail buffer / buffing block
• Nail prep wipes /pads (or rubbing alcohol and a lint free wipe)
• Semi-cured gel nail strips
• Nail clippers
• Nail file
• Wooden manicure stick
• LED or UV nail lamp
• Gel top coat (optional but recommended)
• Cuticle oil (optional)

The last 2 items on this list, gel top coat, and oil, are both optional.

You don’t need to use topcoat.

However, I highly recommend using a gel top coat over the top of your gel strips.

It seals in the stickers, adds shine and gives a layer of scratch protection.

It also stops your nails from getting caught in your hair (it’s so annoying when you run your fingers through your hair and they get stuck!).

As for cuticle oil, it’s not essential but it’s always good to keep your nails and cuticles healthy and moisturised.

So if you have some, feel free to use it!

How do you apply semi-cured gel nails – step by step instructions

Here are the detailed steps to follow (complete with tips).

Buff, file and push cuticles back.

Proper nail prep is super important when you’re using stickers.

If you don’t put the effort in to prepare your nails properly, you won’t get optimal adhesion.

Basically what you want to do is create a nice, clean, smooth surface for the gel strips to stick to.

Start by filing your nails to the nail shape you want.

Give your nails a quick wipe over to remove any excess dust (you don’t need to get it all off at this point).

Now, take a nail buffer or a 4 sided buffing block and gently buff the surface of the nails until they feel smooth.

If you have ridges like me, this may take a while.

Give your nails another quick wipe then push the cuticles back with a cuticle pusher or wooden stick.

Remove oils from nail plate using prep wipe.

Once your done filing and buffing, you’ll need to get rid of all the dust and the oils from your nail plates.

If there’s any dust left on your nails, it will cause lumps and bumps and the sticker won’t stay on.

If your nails are oily, then the strip either won’t stick at all or will come off after a day or so.

Most gel strip packs come with a prep wipe as part of the kit. You should always use this!

If you don’t have a prep wipe then you can use a lint-free wipe. Soak it in rubbing alcohol and swipe across the nails.

Choose the strip size you want.

Once your nails are nice and clean, free from any dust and oil, it’s time to select a nail sticker.

Size them up against your nails and find the best fit.

Don’t worry too much about this. You can trim the stickers down, or stretch them to fit if you want to.

Remove the protective film.

Remove the film from the top (some tutorials tell you to leave this on but I find it’s much easier to take it off first).

Peel off the gel sticker.

Once the film is gone, peeling off the sticker is easy.

You can just go ahead and grab the nail sticker.

Match up the cuticle line.

You may have a cuticle line label on the plastic to show you which way up to place the sticker.

The cuticle line side goes next to your cuticle.

Place the strip on the nail.

Position the sticker at the center and then place the strip on the nail.

If you are using a strip that’s a little too big, then match it up to one sidewall and trim the opposite side down with scissors or clippers.

Press it down and smooth out bubbles.

Use a wooden manicure stick to press edges down.

next, take an orangewood stick and run it along the sidewalls and around the cuticle to make sure its sealed.

Clip the tips off with nail clippers.

Use nail clippers or scissors to cut off the excess strip from the free edge.

If your nails are really small, you may want to cut the strips in half before you remove the film.

That way, you can get 2 applications from a single strip.

File off the excess gel strip with a hand file.

Next, file away any untidy or raggidy edges with a hand file.

Angle the file at 45 degrees at the back of your nail and file one way.

Cure under a nail lamp.

Once the tips are tidy and smooth, cure the nails under a uv light or an led lamp according to the instructions on the packet.

Apply top coat (optional).

Apply a topcoat. As I’ve said, you don’t have to use topcoat with these nail strips but I find that it makes them last longer.

Make sure that the topcoat you use is gel compatible.

That’s it – enjoy your shiny new gel manicure!

Here is a video of someone trying gel Ohora Nail Stickers

FAQ’s

How can I make my gel strips last longer?

If you want your nails to last as long as possible, make sure you remove all oils from the surface of the nail before you stick them down.

This prevents lifting.

Applying a gel topcoat over the strips can help to prevent scratches, seal them in and make your nails last longer.

How long should you cure semi cured gel nails?

Cure gel strips for 60 seconds under an led lamp or for 2 minutes under a uv lamp.

Exact curing time varies between brands so experiemt and see what works.

Do you need a base coat with cured gel nails?

No, you don’t need to use a base coat with semi-cured gel nails. These thick strips are designed to adhere to the natural nail.

Do you put a top coat over semi cured gel wraps?

Teachnically, you don’t need to use a topcoat with semi-cured gel nails but I find that it makes them last longer.

Topcoats help to protect the nails and make them more durable.

How easy is gel nail sticker removal?

Removal is an easy process. You soak your nails in acetone for 10 minutes and then give them a gentle pull.

Final thoughts:

I hope that my how to apply semi cured gel nail strips guide had helped you out.

Applying semi cured gel nails is a relatively easy process that can be done at home.

You don’t need a base coat, and if you’re not great at painting your nails, you don’t need to worry about getting polish all over your skin.

You cure them under a nail lamp for 60 seconds (or 2 minutes depending on the lamp). So it cuts down on waiting time.

After curing, you may optionally apply a topcoat.

You can even fill them in with a little creative cutting!

A quick google search will show you how.

I hope you enjoyed learning the details of how to do gel strips at home.

That’s the end of my apply semi-cured gel nails strips tutorial.

Happy sticking!

Other posts on this topic:

Semi cured gel nails. Everything you need to know.

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The post The Best Way to Apply Semi-Cured Gel Nails: Ultimate guide appeared first on nailhow.

Stick around to get the full lowdown on these amazing gel nail polish wonders!

Are gel wraps a good option for you? Are they worth the money?

How long do they last and where can I get some?

Let’s answer all these questions and more.

This is the ultimate guide to semi-cured gel nails!

First thing’s first, what are semi-cured gel nails exactly?

Semi cured gel nails are gel nail polish strips that are partially cured. You apply them to bare nails just like a sticker and cure them for around 60 seconds under LED light or 120 seconds with UV light. Gel nail strips are great because they last longer than regular nail polish strips.

Okidoke, now that you have a basic answer, let’s dig a bit deeper.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this post:

What are semi cured nails?

Semi cured nails are nail polish strips made from real gel nail polish.

They have adhesive backs so are also sometimes called “gel nail stickers” or “gel nail wraps”.

You’ll need to have a uv lamp or an led lamp if you want to use them to do a gel mani.

The gel polish in these nail stickers is only partially cured.

The gel is not fully set, so the wraps are still, soft, flexible, and stretchy.

This means that gel strips are super easy to apply.

To do a gel manicure, you just stick them on, trim the excess nail wrap with a nail clipper, and then use a nail file to smooth the edges.

They come in different nail sizes and they even have cuticle line markers so you don’t put them on upside down!

Gel strips are usually somewhere between 50 and 70% cured, so you have to finish curing them under a UV light or an LED nail lamp.

They come in lots of different colors, nail sizes, and styles, so you can easily find a cute color, an effect (marble, ombre, etc), or a style that suits your look.

The packs sometimes have 2 or 3 different nail art designs in them, so you can even mix and match – yay!

You can also get semi-cured gel wraps with fixed gems on them!

They even make semi-cured gel nails for toes, too.

What’s the difference between a nail polish strip and a semi-cured nail polish strip?

Semi-cured nail strips and regular nail polish strips are basically the same.

They are just made of different types of polish.

The difference between the two is the same as the difference between regular and gel nail polish.

You apply them in a similar way (by sticking them to your bare nails as close as you can get to the cuticle line).

However, you need to use a lamp to cure the gel polish ones.

Gel polish strips take a little bit longer to apply because unlike the regular polish ones, they need to be fully cured.

And gel polish wraps are a little harder to remove (you’ll need a remover that can take off gel polish).

I prefer gel polish wraps because they last longer than normal polish strips.

Where can I buy semi-cured gel nails?

Semi cured gel nails are widely available if you know where to look. Please note that some places only have one brand.

Here’s where I’ve seen them for sale (I’ll do a separate section for Amazon below as they have loads).

• I’ve seen the Glaze semi cured nail strips by Dashing Diva for sale at Sally’s (prices range between around $9 and $15) but that’s the only brand they stock.

• ULTA also has a good selection of Glaze Dashing Diva gel strips (priced between $10.99 and $13.99) but none of the other brands.

• If you go direct to the Dashing Diva website, you can get special edition nails like the Disney X Pixar Turning Red ones that are not available anywhere else.

• If you want one of the well-known Korean brands, you can find 4 of them (Edgeu, Gelato Factory, UUUUU, and Zinipin on the Gellydrops website.

• Walmart carries the Nailog brand ($13 to $16 a pack) and the Danni & Toni brand. These are both good brands.

• Walmart also has a few other brands (Tough Girl, BESTYO, fofosbeauty, GENEMA, YEUHTLL). They are available on the website but I’m not sure if you can get them in-store.

Semi cured gel nails Amazon

Of course, you can also buy semi-cured nails on Amazon.

They have Nailog and Danni & Toni ones, They also stock Tough Girls.

Amazon is the only place (other than the official site) that has the Ohora brand (check price on Amazon).

This is the brand that’s all over youtube, so if you’ve watched many videos on this, then you may have heard of them already.

They have good quality thick strips with great reviews and lots of super cute options.

How long do semi cured gel nails last?

Semi cured gel nails can last up to 2 weeks with proper care.

You need to make sure that you cure them properly under a UV or LED light.

You don’t need to do this, but if you want your nails to last as long as possible, then use a good quality top coat that’s compatible with gel.

I’d highly recommend using at least 1 coat of gel topcoat to seal the strips.

It’s also important to avoid using your nails as tools, and to keep them away from harsh chemicals like detergents.

Follow this advice and you should get 10 – 14 days of wear out of your gel strips.

Do gel nail stickers damage nails?

It is possible to damage your nail plates or nail beds during the removal of nail stickers if you aren’t gentle.

But with proper removal, there’s no reason that you should cause any damage to nail beds.

Remember, this is gel nail polish, so you need to soak it off with acetone or remove with an appropriate gel polish remover.

Then gently peel the strip away from the bottom edge.

Its an easy process once you get the hang of it.

Acetone can dry out your nails, so use cuticle oil or another moisturizer after you remove your nails to combat this.

Are semi-cured nails safe?

Yes, semi-cured gel nails are considered safe.

Every brand has a different formula, so it’s always a good idea to check the ingredients before you purchase.

Especially if you have allergies.

Some brands like Nailog, are both vegan and cruelty-free.

Many others, like Ohora, are advertised as non-toxic and are free from lots of chemical nasties like formaldehyde and phthalates.

Pros of semi-cured gel nails

There are lots of reasons to use these amazing nail strips!

They are:

– Much cheaper than a professional gel manicure. You also don’t need to go to a nail salon.

– Last longer than regular nail polish or regular polish strips.

– Require very little drying time (4 minutes max if you double cure).

– Easy application process (I mean, you’ve been using stickers since you were 2, right?)

– Great for beginners. You don’t have to know how to paint your nails.

– You don’t have to put your hands under the lamp for as long so not as much UV light exposure

-Saves time, stickers are quicker and easier to apply than painting on gel polish

-They don’t smell. If you hate the smell of gel nail polish then these are great!

-you don’t need a base coat, because the strips are adhesive. but make sure you clean all the oil off your nails to prevent peeling.

-It’s much quicker than painting your nails with gel polish because there’s no curing time between coats.

-They allow you to have amazing nail art with no effort.

This last point is key for me. I love the extra strength and the increased wear I get from gel polish.

BUT, I have never been able to fully master gel nail art. I find it so much harder than doing nail art with regular polish.

I was always getting streaks and bleeding, so I gave up and stuck to just block colors.

But with these, I can have super pretty designs and a long-lasting gel mani.

Cons of semi-cured gel nails

There always has to be a downside, right?

Here are a few cons to using these types of nails.

-Firstly, they don’t always look as perfect as salon gel nails.

-They sometimes wrinkle. This is a problem with the thinner strips. I recommend using Ohora as they are super thick and don’t wrinkle.

-Finding a good size can be a bit tricky at first. It’s hard to gauge the right size until you get used to using the stickers. But you can stretch them out if they’re too small.

-Bubbles. You need to make sure that you apply them properly to avoid air bubbles (which basically lead to wrinkles)

-Peeling. I always use a top coat to stop this from happening.

-You need a uv light or LED nail lamp to cure them

-They get caught in your hair. This drives me crazy! It happens after 2 or three days when your nails start to grow out.

Final thoughts:

If you’re looking for an affordable and easy way to get salon-looking gel nails at home, then semi-cured gel nails are the way to go!

They are made from real gel nail polish, and last longer than regular polish.

They’re quick and easy to apply, and they don’t require any curing time between coats.

Just make sure you purchase good-quality strips, watch a few tutorial videos, and take your time to apply them properly.

It’s great that you don’t need to buy a full gel nail kit or visit a nail salon to get an awesome gel manicure.

All you need is a uv lamp, a nail clipper, a nail file, a wooden stick, and voila, gel nail perfection!

My absolute favorite thing about semi-cured strips is the nail art.

I love that there are so many cute designs to choose from.

If you build up a small collection you can create amazing manicures and your nails will always look fresh and different.

So, there you have it! Everything you need to know about semi-cured gel nails.

So what are you waiting for? Join the semi-cured gel nail party!

I hope that you found this post useful and that I could de-mystify the new generation of Korean nail art for you guys.

Happy sticking!

The post Semi Cured Gel Nails. Everything You Need to Know appeared first on nailhow.

Pssst! Wanna know how to save dried out nail polish strips? Look no further! In this post, I’m gonna walk you through how to revive dried-out color street nails.

We’ll look at 5 different ways to revive your color street nail strips, so you can experiment to see which one works best for you. I’ll even give you some great ideas for what to do with your dried-out strips other than putting them on your nails!

Ready to get started?

Let’s do this.

Need a quick fix?

Here’s the short and fast answer to your question:

The best way to revive color street nail strips is to use a hairdryer. Set it on low power and high heat, then blast your nail strip for 15 seconds. Apply right away as normal.

Now, let’s go a bit deeper and see how you can breathe new life into those dried-out nail strips.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

How to revive color street nails with a hairdryer

Ever heard of the color street hairdryer trick?

This first method is a really simple way to save your strips after they dried out.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A hairdryer
• Some tweezers (optional but finger saving!)
• A nail strip you want to save

What to do:

Set your hairdryer to low power and high heat.

Take your tweezers in one hand and pick up the nail strip. (I’m right-handed and I found it easier to hold the tweezers in my left hand).

With your other hand, hold the dryer about 6 inches away from your nail strip and blast it for 15 seconds.

You should be able to see the nail strip softening up.

Normally you’d wait for the color street strips to return to room temp before using, but with dried-out strips you’re going to want to apply them right after heating while they are still warm.

Apply the nail strip to your nails as soon as possible after heating.

You don’t need to do anything special during the application, just apply in the same way you normally would.

Bringing color street nails back to life with a nail wrap heater

This is a handy lil’ device (Click to check the price) that I heard about recently.

It’s an absolute gamechanger for reviving dried-out nail strips!

It’s made by a company called Jamberry.

Jamberry makes nail polish strips that are very similar to color street, and they invented this little gadget to help people get the most out of their nail strips.

It only takes a few seconds to transform dry, brittle nail polish strips, into useable, easy-to-apply strips again.

Magic!

What you’ll need:

• A nail heater
• An orange stick
• Your dried out nail strip

What to do:

Stick your dried-out nail polish strip to the end of an orangewood stick.

Hold it in front of the nail wrap heater for a few seconds until it starts to wobble.

That’s it! It’s so quick and easy and the results are amazing.

Here’s a short video that shows how well this thing works:

Reviving color street nails with a heat gun

If you’re a crafter or you’re into DIY, chances are that you may have a heat gun laying around.

If you do, you can use that to (carefully) heat up your nail strips.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A heat gun
• Tweezers or an orangewood stick

What to do:

First, set the heat gun to medium, these things get really hot and the last thing you want is to melt the strip!

I tried this method with tweezers and it was manageable but they got a little hot, so I switched to an orangewood stick instead.

So, take your orangewood stick and holding the heat gun a safe distance away (at least 6 inches) carefully heat up the nail strip.

It doesn’t take long, just a few seconds.

You’ll see the nail strip start to get soft and pliable.

Then you can just apply it as normal.

How to revive color street nails with the steam method

Heat will make the nails softer and reusable, but it doesn’t add any moisture.

This is my personal favorite way to bring dried-out nail strips back to life.

It’s quick, it’s easy and it doesn’t use any special tools!

What you’ll need:

• Your dried out color street nail strip
• A pan of hot water

What to do:

Boil some water in a pan on the stove.

Hold the nail strip above the pan, and let the steam do its work. 

You’ll soon see the strip start to soften up.

Be careful not to let the strip get too wet, you don’t want it to lose all its sticking power!

Once it’s soft enough to work with, apply as normal.

If you do find that you lost a bit of stickiness, here’s a great trick to fix that.

Take your color street nail prep wipe and gently wipe over the sticky side.

You should now find that it sticks better.

Color street nail polish strips and acetone

Revive color street nails with acetone

If all else fails, you can try using acetone or nail polish remover to revive your dried-out nail strips.

I have to say that I haven’t actually tried this method myself, as acetone is pretty harsh stuff.

But I have seen it done and it does work!

The reason you should use acetone or an acetone-based nail polish remover (rather than Mineral Fusion) for this is that they do not contain oils.

Oils on your nail strip are just going to make it impossible to stick.

You’ll need:

• A bowl or shallow dish
• Acetone (or regular nail polish remover with acetone in it)

What to do:

Pour your acetone into the bowl or dish. You only need a tiny amount, just enough to cover the bottom.

Take the backing off the strip and stick the strip to the backing sideways (so that you have the part that will cover your nail hanging over the edge ready for dipping)

Important! Don’t dip the nail strip into the acetone!

Tip the bowl of acetone to one side so that you have a pool on one side of the bowl.

What you want to do, is to gently place the nail strip – sticky side down – onto the part that has no pool but is still wet from the acetone.

Remove the strip and wait 15 to 30 seconds then apply as normal.

If your nail strips are really dry, you may need to double-dip.

You’ll see the nail strip start to loosen and become more pliable.

Just like with the other methods, you can then apply it as normal.

How to revive color street nails with nail polish remover

Here’s another little trick you can try for how to revive dried-out color street nails.

For this method you’ll need:

• Regular nail polish remover
• A nail art brush or small paintbrush

What to do:

Using the brush, paint a very thin coat over the back of your dried-out nail strip with the nail polish remover.

Be careful not to get any on the front side as this will dissolve the polish!

Leave it to sit for a minute or two then apply as normal.

Other uses for dried out color street nails

If all these methods fail, don’t worry! There are still plenty of things you can do with your dried out color street nails.

Here are a few ideas:

– Make some nail art with them!

The good thing about dried-out stiff nail polish strips is that it’s easier to punch holes in them!

So why not get yourself some mini hole punches and cut out some cute shapes.

You can add some fun little details to your nails this way.

I love mini hole punches for doing nail art! They come in lots of different shapes like hearts, stars, butterflies and even teddy bears!

– Use them to make some fun and colorful jewelry.

Did you know that there are people making earrings and pendants using their old color street strips?

You can do it too!

But make sure anything that you make is only for personal use, as color street doesn’t allow you to use their strips to make commercial products.

So there you have it!  I hope you found this how to revive dried out color street nails post helpful and that it gives you some ideas for reviving your dried-out nail strips.

If you want more tips and tricks for using color street nails, check out my 27 tips post here.

FAQ

Q: What is the best way to revive dried out color street nails?

A: There are a few ways to revive dried out color street nails, including using a hairdryer, acetone, nail polish remover, steam, or a heat gun.

Q: I tried using acetone but it didn’t work, what do I do?

A: If you’re having trouble reviving your dried out color street nails with acetone, try using the steam method or the hairdryer trick instead.

Q: Can I use mineral fusion to revive my dried out color street nails?

A: No, you should only use acetone or an acetone-based nail polish remover to revive your dried-out color street nails.

The post How to revive dried out color street nails appeared first on nailhow.

Looking for some color street nail hacks? I hear ya. It can be a little tricky to get the hang of using these nail strips, but once you know a few tricks, it’s easy breezy.

Here are my top 8 color street nail hacks:

1. Make your own french manicure tips
2. Add cute details with mini punchers
3. Hack for covering regrowth
4. Color street nail hacks; cutting strips in half
5. Hack to get a darker color
6. How to fix chips hack
7. Braided nails hack
8. Cold hands hack

Make your own french manicure tips

This first hack will let you turn any color street nail strip into french manicure tips.

Omg, you can create such cute and unique looks with this hack!

Here’s what you need:

• A circle hole punch in size 5/8ths of an inch
• A nail strip in a color you want to use for your tips.

The perfect size hole punch for this hack is 5/8. You can get a hole punch in this size from Amazon.

Take your chosen nail strip and place it into the hole punch. Leave the plastic on and hold the hole punch upside down when you do this.

The reason you want to hold the hole punch upside down is that there is a clear window underneath which means you can see exactly how much you are cutting off.

This allows you to get the exact size and shape you want.

Place the tip where you want it and punch.

Then remove the plastic from the front and back and apply as normal.

I love this hack because it’s cheap and easy and it gets me tons of compliments every time!

Add cute details with mini punchers

This next hack uses mini punchers to add super cute little details to your color street nails.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 color street nail sets (so you can create contrast)
• A mini hole punch in the shape of your choice

This hack is amazing because the possibilities are endless.

I tried it with a tiny star hole punch and it turned out great!

But you can use hearts, butterflies, flowers, leaves, umbrellas, teddy bears, bows…did I mention the endless possibilities?

Here’s how to do it.

• Apply one set of color street strips as a base
• Take your second set of nail strips and your mini hole punch
• Cut out some shapes from the second set of strips (however many you want)
• Remove the plastic – this is a little tricky but you can do it!
• Apply the cute shapes over the first set
• add topcoat to seal everything in

Color street nail hack for covering regrowth

This is a great hack for changing your nails up a bit and/or making your color street manicures last a bit longer.

What you’ll need

• Nail strips in either the same or a different color to the set your wearing
• A circle hole punch in size 5/8ths of an inch

When your regrowth is showing you can use the 5/8 circular hole punch to make reverse french tips!

Just cut out the french tips as I explained for hack number 1, but this time cut twice so that you end up with little half-moon shapes.

You’ll have to play around to get the sizing right, but believe me, it’s totally worth it!

Once you have all your tips cut out, remove the plastic and apply over the regrowth at the cuticle and voila – no visible regrowth.

You could also use a complimentary set to the one you have on to create a gorgeous half-moon mani!

And no need to get the nail polish out for another week!

Don’t forget to file down any wear at the tips and throw on some topcoat for extra protection.

Color street nail hacks – cutting strips in half

This next hack is for those of you with wide nails.

You can also use this hack if you only have narrow strips left.

What you’ll need:

• A nail strip that’s too narrow for your nail and a second one in the same color
• Some good scissors (straight ones not curved nail scissors)

Basically, if the nail strip is too narrow for your nail, take it and cut it with scissors straight down the middle.

Then apply one half to the left edge of your nail and the other half to the right edge.

This may be enough to cover the whole nail. But if you still have a gap in the center, take another whole nail strip and place it right down the middle covering the gap.

That’s it!

Hack to get a darker color

This is one of my favorite color street nail hacks.

Color too light? Or just want to change things up a bit?

Here’s a great little hack to make your color street nails a darker shade.

What you’ll need:

• All you need is 1 full set of color street nail strips.

What to do:

Simply double up the strips – it’s that easy!

Adding 2 strips to each nail will give you an overall result that is a shade or two darker.

It’s so simple but so effective.

How to fix chips hack

Chipped a nail? Not to worry!

Here’s a quick and easy way to fix that pesky chip.

What you’ll need:

• A nail file
• A color street nail strip in the same color you have on
• Scissors

What to do:

The first step is to take your nail file and very, very gently try to smooth out the chip as best as possible.

This will help the repair look seamless.

Next, cut a small piece off your color street nail strip.

Make sure that the piece you cut is big enough to cover the chip and that you cut it out while the plastic is still on.

Remove the plastic and apply the chunk of nail strip over the chip and a little bit over the surrounding area.

Seal with topcoat.

Braided nails hack

Bored with your color street nails? Why not add a cute accent nail with a patterned design?

Here’s how you can create your own braided nail design using color street strips.

Take a nail strip in a base color you like and apply as normal.

Take a second nail strip in a complimentary color or nail art design and cut it into small rectangular strips. Think striping tape sized or a little thicker.

Then stick the small strips you made in an overlapping pattern, laid diagonally.

Cold hands hack

Color street nails and cold hands don’t mix well.

Of course, you can easily warm up your hands under warm water.

But if you use hot water to warm up your hands, your nails will expand. This can lead to cracked nails, so it’s not ideal.

To avoid your nails from getting all brittle and icky, here’s a quick hack to keep your hands warm.

What you’ll need:

• A heating pad

What to do:

Put your heating pad on a low to medium setting.

Place your hands on it for 5 minutes.

Apply color street as normal.

Final thoughts:

Color Street nail hacks are easy to learn and can be executed with limited time, effort or money. These hacks may seem minor but they have the power to make your nails look polished without sucking up too much of your precious time. If you’re looking for new ways to jazz up your color street manicure, try these awesome hacks and let me know how you get on!

FAQ’s

How do I cover regrowth?

If you have regrowth showing, you can either cut a small piece of nail strip to cover it or use a mini hole puncher to add a small design over the regrowth.

How do I make a darker color?

To make a darker color, simply double up the nail strips. This will add an extra layer of color and result in a shade or two darker.

What do I do if my nails are too wide/narrow?

If your nails are too wide, you can cut the strips in half and then apply them to each side of the nail. If your nails are too narrow, you can remove the excess using an orangewood stick or cuticle pusher.

Can I use these hacks if I have short nails?

Yes! These hacks are perfect for short nails – they’ll work just as well for you as for your long-nailed friends!

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The post Color street nail hacks: 8 amazing tricks for stunning nails appeared first on nailhow.

Before we dive in let me tell you that this is NOT a sales pitch – I don’t sell color street. I’m not in cahoots with them and I don’t make any money from them whatsoever.

That being said, let’s get started!

We’re about to answer all of your questions about storing color street nails.

In a hurry?

Here’s the fast answer in case your strips are drying out right now!

The best way to store opened color street nails is to put them back into the original plastic packet. Remove the air and seal the package shut using a flat iron. Then pop them in the freezer and they should last for 2 to 3 months.

Now you have the short answer, let’s go into a bit more detail and get some storage and organization tips!

Here’s what we’ll cover:

How long do color street nails last after opening?

How to store color street nail strips

Should I store my color Street nails in the freezer?

Can you store color street nails in a ziploc bag?

How do you organize street color strips?

How do I store my color street inventory?

Final thoughts

FAQ’s

Color Street is meant to be a 1-time use product. So although there are lots of tips, tricks, and hacks online on how to store color street nails, the official line is that you can only use them once.

So according to color street, there are no guarantees that any of these storage methods will work.

But they do!

How long do color street nails last after opening?

If left open, color street polish strips will dry out and become useless.

The clock starts ticking as soon as you open the packet!

Color street nails are 95% dry inside the packaging. It doesn’t take long for that last 5% to dry.

The official curing time is 30 minutes, so if you want to save the leftover strips, seal them up as soon as possible after opening.

But what’s the best way to keep them from drying out?

Well, there are a few different methods you can try.

How to store color street nail strips

The best way to store your unused color street nails is to put them back in the original packaging.

This plastic packet has been designed to keep color street fresh, so it makes sense to re-use it.

Your first challenge is to get the strips back into the packaging.

It’s not that easy!

Here are some useful time and stress-saving tips.

Tear or fold the strips first

You want to make sure that the nails themselves are at the bottom of the packet so that you have enough space to heat seal the packet back up.

Here’s what you need to do.

Don’t try to put the entire strip back in. It’s much easier to either tear the nail strips up into pairs or fold them down the center.

Remove the air

Once you have them back in the packet, you’ll need to get the air out.

To do this, place the pack on a flat surface and run your fingers or your hand from the bottom (closed-end) to the top (open end).

Use heat to seal

You don’t have to heat seal (more on that later) but Color street do store best if they are heat-sealed.

If you are using heat, make sure you keep the heat away from the nail strips themselves – because they are made from nail polish and are flammable!

To heat seal the packet, you’ll need either a flat iron or an iron for clothes.

Flat iron method:

Remove the air from the packet and then press the packet together using your flat iron.

Hold the straighteners shut for 2 or 3 seconds, then remove. Check if the seal is tight. If not repeat the process, but don’t hold for too long because you’ll melt the plastic!

In fact, I’d recommend purchasing a mini flat iron for this – just in case. Especially if you use color street a lot.

The last thing you want is to ruin your hair straighteners!

Clothes iron method:

If you have a flat iron, or you don’t want to use yours, then you can use a clothes iron to heat seal your nail strips.

Put the iron on medium heat and make sure you remove the air from your packet first.

Keeping the iron well away from the strips themselves, hold it for a few seconds over the open end of the packet.

check the seal is tight and repeat or turn the iron up slightly if needed.

Tape over the top place the tape and fold it over the top, make sure no air

How to store color street without using heat

If you don’t want to use heat, you can also try using tape to secure the packet.

Simply remove the air, then tape over the opening as tight as you can.

One piece of tape laid across the top and then folded over the seal should do the trick.

Should I store my color Street nails in the freezer?

Yes! this is a great idea.

You can store opened color street packets that you have heat-sealed in the freezer for up to 6 months.

But remember, color street do not guarantee that they will still work as well.

If you are going to throw your strips in the deep freeze, make sure that you allow enough time for them to defrost before you try to use them.

Color street nails are best applied at normal room temperature – so be patient!

Can you store color street nails in a ziploc bag?

Yes, you can store color street nails in a Ziploc bag.

If you have a lot of sets that you have already sealed in their original packaging then you can absolutely go ahead and throw them all in a ziplock bag in the freezer together.

If your individual packages are not heat sealed you can still store them in the freezer. But try to remove as much air as you can before you seal up the Ziploc bag.

How do you organize street color strips?

When it comes to organizing your color street nail collection, clear storage containers and display stands are your friends!

A 5 x 7 photo box is the ideal size for storing color street packages.

It’s a good idea to have one box for solids, one for glitters, and one for nail art designs.

The color street envelope measures 2.75″ x 6.25″. 

You could take organization one step further and put your strips into alphabetical order. This may take more time but is well worth doing if you want to be able to find the design you’re looking for in a hurry.

Some other great ideas for storing color street include:

• A photo album
• A storage bin
• A cosmetic bag
• Jewelry display boxes
• Clear plastic drawers
• Sewing box
• Lever arch file filled with plastic card-protectors (like for trading cards).

How do I store my color street inventory?

If you are a color street rep, you’re going to need somewhere to store all of those pretty nails!

The best way is to store them is inside clear airtight containers. That way you can keep the packets in pristine condition.

You can also see exactly what you have and find the ones you’re looking for much more easily.

If you can find clear storage boxes with dividers – even better!

Once you’re organized, you can put all of the containers into a large travel bag or trolley for easy transportation.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to store your color street nails.

It’s really up to you, so have a think about what works best for you and your lifestyle.

Just make sure that you keep the packets sealed and in a cool, dry place – and you should be good to go!

I hope that you enjoyed this post on how to store color street nails.

Happy stripping!

FAQ’s

How long can I store my color street nails for?

If you heat seal the packets, your color street nails should last 1 to 2 months.

If you’re storing them in the freezer, they should last for up to 6 months.

How do I organize my color street nails?

Alphabetically, by design, or into type (solid, glitter, nail art).

How do I store my color street nails if I’m a rep?

Inside clear airtight containers with dividers and/or labels.

Can I use a different sealant than the one that comes with color street nails?

Yes, you can use a different sealant but it is not guaranteed to work.

It’s always better to stick to the original packet. Or a Ziploc bag.

What are some other ways to store my color street nails?

In a photo album, storage bin, cosmetic bag, jewelry display box, clear plastic drawer, or lever arch file.

Where is the best place to store my color street nails?

In a cool, dry place. Preferably in their original packaging or in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.

Should I store my color street nails in the freezer or at room temperature?

To make them last longer, you should store them in the freezer and allow them to return to room temperature before using.

The post Color Street Nail Care: How to Store Them. appeared first on nailhow.

No time to read the whole post?

Here’s the short answer:

The website says that Color Street nails can last up to 10 days. Most customers and reviewers get at least 1 week before they need to remove the strips. With a few tricks, you can get 12 days of wear. The most anyone has had is 14 days of wear.

Now that you have the basic answer, let’s dig a bit deeper.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

How long do color street nails last officially?

How long does color street actually last?

Do solid colors or glitters last longer?

Does color street last longer than regular nail polish?

How to make color street nails last longer

Longest lasting color street polish colors.

How do you keep color street from chipping?

Final thoughts

FAQ’s

Let me start by saying that I am not affiliated with Color Street in any way.

I don’t sell for them, I don’t make any money if you buy from them and they didn’t give me anything for free.

That being said, let’s do this.

How long do color street nails last officially?

According to the Color Street website, officially, Color Street nails can last up to 10 days.

They do admit that everyone’s nails and lifestyles are different.

So how long you get from Color Street nails strips can vary quite a bit depending on how fast your nails grow, the condition they are in, and what activities you do while wearing them.

Because toenails grow much more slowly, and you don’t use your toes as tools, Color Street will last way longer on your toes than they do on your fingernails.

I used color street on my toes and it lasted a month. Great for summertime!

Color street polish strips are more durable and more chip-resistant than regular liquid nail polish, which is why they last longer.

How long does color street actually last?

On average, Color street customers get around 1 week from their nails before they feel they need to remove them or touch them up.

After 1 week, you will have wear on the edges. You can really see the wear with the solid colors, but it won’t be that noticeable with a glitter polish.

It still looks great after a week (without a super close inspection) but they do wear away at the ends.

They may also start to peel off or chip at the base. When your nails start to grow out, they get rough around the edges.

I found this really annoying because my nails kept getting caught in my hair.

But I did find a great tip for stopping this from happening which I’ll share with you later.

After a week or so, you may also have one or 2 snags, like little pieces at the bottom next to the cuticle or at the edges that come off.

You’ll also have a little bit of regrowth depending on how fast your nails grow and how close you managed to get to your cuticles when you applied the strip.

Some people claim that their color street nails lasted 2 weeks, but since this data comes from the mouths of the sellers, we’ll remain skeptical.

Do solid colors or glitters last longer?

The color street glitters last a lot longer than the solid colors for 2 reasons.

First, the glitter strips are thicker and more durable.

Second, when the ends wear away or you chip your nails it’s nowhere near as noticeable if you’re wearing glitter polish.

I would highly recommend buying the glitters over the solids.

Mainly because the solids are really thin, so thin that you need 2 strips on each nail for them to last as long as the glitters.

Does color street last longer than regular nail polish?

Color street nails are a great alternative to traditional nail polish.

They last much longer, and are less likely to chip or peel.

I usually get 2 to 4 days from regular (non-gel) polish before my nails are covered in chips.

With color street, I get about 6 to 9 days.

However, the length of time that they last varies depending on the individual.

How to make color street nails last longer

Here are the best tips for how to make color street nails last longer:

Wash your hands with dish soap before you apply.

This helps remove oils from your nails and prevent peeling.

Always use the prep wipe.

Again, this is designed to remove oil and help create a good clean surface so the strips stick well.

Push your cuticles back first.

This will allow you to place the nail strip as close to the bottom of your nail as possible.

Buff your nails before you use the strips.

Creating a smooth surface will allow the strip to adhere better. A smooth surface means less chance of lifting and peeling.

Apply a basecoat.

You don’t technically need a base coat with color street, but I tried it and it worked so I’m going to keep doing it!

Use 2 layers of the solid colors.

The solid colors tend to chip and wear more quickly. It’s not as cost effective, but using 2 strips on each nail does work. You get much longer when you do this.

Use a topcoat.

You don’t technically need to use a top coat because there’s already one built in but it does add an extra layer of protection.

Smooth out rough edges with a cue tip.

After 5 days to a week, you’ll notice the bottom edges get rough as your nails grow.

It’s easy for these rough edges to get caught in your hair or anything else and cause chips near the cuticle.

Soak a cue tip in remover to smooth out the rough edges.

Use gloves for washing dishes and cleaning.

This minimises exposure to hot water and chemicals which can make your nails wear faster.

File them down.

Once you start to see wear at the tips, file down the edges of your nails gently and add topcoat. This will buy you another 4 to 5 days!

So potentially your nails could last up to 12 days.

After 12 days anyone’s regrowth will be very noticable, though, so don’t expect to get any more than 12 days.

These are just a few tips for making your color street nails last.

For a full list of color street tips, see my 27 color street tips and tricks for perfect nails post.

Longest lasting Color street polish colors

Here are my recommendations for the color street strips that will last the longest.

These are light colors with glitter that won’t show up chips and wear as easily.

• Chelsea ya later
• Road to recovery
• Home sleet home
• Pop the bubbly
• Glittersweet

If you want your nails to last as long as possible, these colors are great!

How do you keep color street from chipping?

Here are my best 2 tips for keeping those chips away:

• Go for the glitters.

The glitters last longer because they are thicker and tougher. You also don’t notice minor chips as much with glitters.

• Use the cue tip trick.

When the regrowth gets a little rough, take a cue tip and soak it in nail polish remover.

Gently smooth out the rough edges and your nails will be less likely to chip at the base.

Let’s wrap this up.

Your color street nails will last 7 days on average, but there are many ways to make them last longer.

The best way is by reading the instructions carefully and following these tips: Wash your hands with dish soap before applying nail polish strips; use a prep wipe first to remove oils from nails and create a clean surface for better adherence; buff your nails before applying the strips for a smooth surface; use 2 layers of the solid color nail polish strips for longer wear; apply a top coat to seal in the strip and protect your nails from chipping; file down rough edges every few days with a gentle file.

With a little bit of extra care, your color street nails can last up to 12 days!

FAQ’s

Why are my nails lifting from the strip at the cuticle?

If your color street strips are lifting at the cuticle it could be because you didn’t clean your nails well enough with the prep wipe or you had some dust from filing under there.

Try cleaning your cuticle area more thoroughly next time and see if that helps.

You could also try using a basecoat.

Can I use a topcoat with color street?

There is already a topcoat built-in, but yes, you can use a topcoat. In fact, I’d highly recommend it to make your nails last longer!

Will these work for me if I have acrylic or gel nails?

Yes, you can use color street on both acrylic and hard gel nails. You can even use acetone to remove the polish from acrylic nails!

you also might be interested in why won’t my gel polish stay on

The post The Durability of Color Street Nails: A Closer Look appeared first on nailhow.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

My color street nails are soft and gummy

My color street strips are not flexible enough

Why are my color street nails lifting?

Why are my color street nails not sticking?

How do you stop tip wear on Color Street?

Why are my color street nails cracking?

Why are my natural nails peeling after using color street?

My color street nails are not smooth

The strip is too narrow for my nail

The strip is too wide for my nail

The strips ripped at the tip during application

If you have a problem with your color street nails, you should be able to troubleshoot it right here.

Let’s dive right in with problem number one.

My color street nails are soft and gummy

Color street nails do not like heat. If they are left in a hot car (or a hot mailbox) they will go soft and gummy.

This makes them really hard to work with.

Even warm hands or a warm room can soften them up too much.

The fix – If your color street strips are too soft, try popping them in the freezer for a few minutes (make sure that the package is sealed when you do this).

If you have already opened the package, tear the strips up into pairs then put them back into the little plastic packet they came in.

Seal the packet up with your flat iron then put it in the deep freeze.

Once they are out of the freezer, let them get back to room temperature before you apply them.

My color street strips are not flexible enough

If your strips are not bendy enough to work with, it could be that they are too cold.

If your hands or the room you are applying the nails in are too cold, the strips won’t stretch easily and may even break.

The fix – You can warm up your strips by placing them underneath your armpit for a minute or just warm up the room and wait for them to get to normal room temperature.

Why are my color street nails lifting?

There are 3 reasons why you might be experiencing lifting with color street.

Reason 1.

Are you having problems with color street nails lifting at the bottom around the cuticle area soon after application?

Then it could be because you still have a very thin layer of cuticle stuck to your nail.

Sometimes, even if you push your cuticles back, there can still be a super-thin, almost invisible layer of cuticle there.

If there is a thin layer of cuticle at the bottom of the nail when you apply the nail strips, this can cause lifting.

The fix – Apply a liquid cuticle remover and let it sit on the nail for a minute or 2.

Then, gently push back the cuticles with an orangewood stick or a cuticle pusher.

Here’s a great video that shows you exactly how to do this:

Reason 2.

Are you seeing lifting after 3 or four days of wearing color street?

If so, it could be because your nails have grown out a bit and the regrowth is a little rough around the edges.

You’ll know if this is happening because your nails will constantly get snagged on your hair.

The fix – Take a cue tip and soak it in a little bit of nail polish remover.

Gently and carefully trace around the cuticle areas where the regrowth is. This will smooth out the edges and prevent snagging.

Reason 3.

The third reason you might see lifting is that you accidentally applied the sticker over or too close to your cuticle.

The fix – To get as close to your cuticle as possible without touching it, hold the strip in the center because that way you have more control.

You can also try pushing your cuticle back right before you place the strip, that way when it bounces back, you’ll have a nice close fit.

Why are my color street nails not sticking?

If your color street nails are not sticking properly, the problem is usually that your nail plate is too oily.

This is one of the reasons why color street packs include a prep wipe, which you should definitely use if you want tour nails to stick better!

There are some other things you can try to ensure that your nails are properly prepped and oil-free.

The fix (es) – Wash your hands with dish soap before applying the strips. Normal soaps contain oils to moisturize the skin (and nails).

Dish soap is designed to remove oil and grease so it will strip away oils instead of adding them.

Another thing you can try to make sure your color street nails stick is to wipe your natural nails with acetone before you apply. Acetone does dry out the nails a lot though so do this with caution!

Another great tip is to use a base coat. Any base coat should help and you can even use a strengthening one if you like. Orly does a great one Called Orly Bonder.

How do you stop tip wear on Color Street?

Tip wear after a week or so with color street is normal.

But if the tips of your nails are wearing too quickly then it could be an issue with the application.

Basically, you need to master the filing technique to correct this.

The fix – First, cut the strip with scissors or perforate the strip with your thumbnail and remove any excess.

File your color strips with the file angled towards the pads of your fingers.

File in a downward motion and never side to side.

If you are filing your actual tips, you are doing it wrong!

Why are my color street nails cracking?

Cracking is caused when the natural nail expands and shrinks.

It’s perfectly normal for natural nails to expand and shrink when they absorb water.

Sometimes extreme heat and cold can cause nails to expand and shrink too.

They don’t expand a lot, but it’s certainly enough to cause a crack in your polish!

The fix – Wait at least 30 minutes after washing your hands before applying the strips and make sure that your hands are at a normal temperature (not too hot or too cold).

Why are my natural nails peeling after using color street?

Color street strips contain much of the same stuff as you find in regular liquid nail polish.

There’s nothing in them that will cause your nails to peel.

If your natural nails are peeling after using color street, that could be because your nails need a break.

The fix – Don’t paint your nails for a while and use a nail strengthening product for 3 weeks or so.

Then once your nails are in good condition, try again and make sure you use a base coat for an extra layer of protection.

My color street nails are not smooth

If your nails feel a bit bumpy it could be that you have ridges that need to be either filled in or buffed out.

You could also have little bits of dust from filing trapped under there.

The fix – Use a ridge filler base coat or buff the nails until they are smooth. Make sure that you wipe the nails over with the prep wipe after filing and before you apply the strips.

The strip is too narrow for my nail

If you have wide nails and the strips don’t quite cover them don’t panic!

Here’s what you can do to widen the strips so that they fit flush to the sidewalls.

The fix – The color street website recommends that you stretch the strips a little to get a perfect fit.

For wide nails, gently stretch the strips horizontally until they are wide enough and then apply as normal.

The strip is too wide for my nail

If your nails are narrow and the strips are hanging over the sides of your nails then there are 2 ways to fix this.

The fix – First, try stretching the strips vertically by holding the top and the bottom and gently pulling. This should help to narrow down the strip a little.

If you still have extra material at the sides, apply the strip so that it fits against one side of your nail perfectly, and then remove the excess from the other side.

You can use an orangewood stick or your thumbnail to help get rid of any excess.

The strips ripped at the tip during application

This can sometimes happen. It’s way more common with the chunky glitters.

The main reasons for tearing at the tip are back and forth filing or a piece of glitter getting caught at the tip and causing a tear.

The fix – Make sure that you are filing in a downward motion leaning towards the back of the nail and not side to side right on the top edge.

If you spot a chunky glitter piece at the tip, stop filing and grab some nail scissors or nail clippers and snip it off. Then go back to filing as normal.

Let’s wrap this up.

Color street nails are a popular trend that is easy to get addicted to. However, they can be difficult and frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing. The common problems with color street include lifting, cracking, not sticking well, peeling or bubbling up at the edges of the nail during application, tips getting worn down too quickly or the strips being too wide or narrow.

Hopefully, this color street problems and how to fix them article has helped you troubleshoot any of the aforementioned issues. And be sure to check out our other blog posts for more color street tips and tricks!

FAQ

What are the common problems with color street nails?

The most common problems with color street nails are lifting, cracking, and not sticking well. Less common problems include tips getting worn down too quickly or the strips being too wide or narrow.

How can I prevent my nails from lifting?

Using a liquid cuticle remover before applying color street can help prevent lifting. Proper placement, and smoothing out regrowth with a cue-tip soaked in remover after a few days can help too.

How can I fix my nails if they’re not smooth?

You could try using a ridge-filling base coat or buffing the surface of your nail with a four-sided nail buffer.

My color street nails are peeling/lifting/not sticking. What do I do?

Scroll up to the right section above for your specific problem, then follow the tips.

The strip is too wide/narrow for my nail. What do I do?

If it’s too wide, apply to fit one side and remove excess from the other. If too narrow, gently stretch the nail polish strip to fit your nail and apply as normal.

My strip ripped at the tip during the application. What do I do?

Remove the strip with regular nail polish remover taking care not to get any on your other nails and begin again.

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As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases

The post Color Street Problems and How to Fix Them appeared first on nailhow.