Time to upgrade your Caboodle, girls, because press-on nails are all grown up. A brand-new breed of nail styles has hit the market, even the runways, and they’re stickers no more. In the wake of artsy salon jobs – nails painstakingly painted to look like everything from tuxedoes to strawberries – brands like Incoco have made trendsetting fingertips easy. They’re press-on, yes, but unlike their predecessors these tips are strips of actual nail polish. Open the package, and you’ll even get a whiff of that nail polish smell – so you know it’s good.
Leading up to WAG April’s “Animal Magnetism” issue, I took a sassy leopard-print sample for a test run. For a girl whose nail jobs too often look like whack jobs, this was almost too easy.
Just clean and buff your nails and push back those pesky cuticles. Then remove the strip of polish from its packaging and place it on your nail starting at the base. If you don’t like the initial placement, just remove (gently, now) and start over. Next, press and smooth the polish on the nail, removing any wrinkles. (I didn’t get any wrinkles, which made me feel like an Incoco queen.) To finish the job, file away the excess polish. Just don’t get too enthusiastic here. I demoted myself from Incoco royalty to knave when some fervent filing made my leopard lose one of its spots.
Check out my new nail duds above, and I’m happy to say they’ve lasted beautifully through incessant hand washes, showers and, my true test, doing the dishes – up to two weeks the company says. Now, I’m no hand model (as I’m sure you’ll agree), but I must say I’m starting to feel like one. Plus, it’s so much more fun to watch myself type with all this fingertip flair.
To make your nails something fierce, choose one of Incoco’s 14 animal-inspired nail appliques, or pack a selection with the WILD gift set that includes shades like Call of the Wild, Cobra Couture and – naturally – Purrty. If you’re more inclined for seasonal trends, try Incoco’s adorable Easter collection that features pastel polka dots or chevrons – even bunny rabbits.
For more information and to order, visit incoco.com.
– Andrea Kennedy
