Jamberry Nail Wraps Review*

I was recently contacted by a lovely UK based Jamberry consultant called April, who very kindly asked me to review some of the Jamberry wraps that she sells. Having never tried them before, I jumped at the chance to give them a go.

Jamberry is an American brand that launched in the UK a couple of months ago, so this is a brand new and rather exciting new nail brand on the UK scene. Clearly nail wraps are something that have been done by UK based brands before, but I've never seen any with such an amazing selection to choose from. There are over 300 designs available which is incredible.

Tester wraps.

Left: Carnival

Right: Dove Grey

April kindly sent me a sheet of tester wraps to try, as well as 2 half sheets with different finishes. The half sheets are enough to do one full manicure and one full pedicure. In a normal pack you would get 2 sheets of the design so enough for 2 manicures and 2 pedicures.

Of course I had to start by using the beautiful sparkly Carnival wraps!

I got a few compliments on these and people couldn't believe that they were wraps. I love the design of these so much and they really remind me of mermaids. The colours work so well together and the pretty added sparkle really finishes them off.

Here's a macro shot so that you can really see all of the lovely glitter on them.

I used the plain Dove Grey wraps with one of the tester wraps to liven it up a little.

I wasn't as keen on these plain wraps as I was on the Carnival ones, but I think it's just because I'm so used to having something brighter and more detailed on my nails. I do however love how these looked paired with the Tiki Hut tester wrap. They work so well together and the Tiki Hut design works really nicely as an accent nail.

Now you've seen how they look, here comes the long boring bit and I will start by talking about application. I was lucky that there was a wrap to suit all of my nails so no trimming needed, but there's no getting away from the fact that these are a bit of a faff to apply. You have to apply them with heat to make them bond to the nail so you will need a hairdryer handy. Once you have lined them up it's a case of pressing them down all over with a rubber cuticle pusher or an orange stick to insure that they won't peel, then removing the excess with a nail file and making sure they are neat. Doesn't sound like too much effort? Well try doing that for 10 nails. It soon gets boring. However, there is no drying time like there is with polish which is a huge bonus.

I then had a bit of a battle once they were on as they catch on clothes and bed sheets etc, even though I had filed the edges to make them as smooth as they could be, no amount of filing seemed to help them. This drove me absolutely crazy, especially as I wear tights everyday and they kept snagging on them. I found myself trying to file the edges every few hours. I appreciate that this wouldn't bother a lot of people, but I found it unbearable.

These have a recommended wear time of 7 days, and I have no doubts that they could last for 7 days, if not more, but they started to look a little rough around the edges and a bit worn after a few days so I had to remove them way before the 7 days. Again, this probably wouldn't bother a lot of people but I pride myself on having perfectly manicured nails, and as the days went on, the edges felt rougher and rougher.

One really positive thing about these is the removal. I heated them back up and they just peeled off my nail leaving no damage behind at all. So in comparison to gel polish, these are much easier to remove and there's no danger of any damage to the natural nail.

I really don't think that Jamberry wraps are for me, but I can certainly see the appeal of them and they are perfect for someone who has no nail art skills or someone who doesn't have the time for nail art. You know that you can wear them for 7 days without fear of them chipping which is another very appealing factor.

Still not sure about Jamberry wraps yourself? Here is a list of the pros and cons as I see them which will hopefully help you make up your mind.

Pros

• Available in over 300 designs so there's something for everyone
• You don't need any professional skills to apply them
• Instant drying time
• Last up to 7 days
• Provide a nice alternative to plain polish
• Ideal for people who love nail art but have no time or skill to do it
• Very easy removal process
• No damage to the natural nail

Cons

• They are time consuming to apply
• They catch on material and can snag tights
• They start to lift slightly and look tatty within a few days
• Not necessary for someone who can do nail art or apply their own gel polish at home
• Fairly pricey compared to other nail wraps

As you can see, there are more pros than cons, but it all comes down to what bothers you most, and personally, the cons slightly outweigh the pros for me. I'm not saying I would refuse to use them again, but I think they would be more suitable for me as an accent nail with regular polish.

If you think that Jamberry wraps are for you, then please do check out all of the designs on April's page which you can find here. The wraps are £15 each for a full sheet but are on offer at buy 3, get 1 free. You can also find details on how to use the wraps on April's blog which you can find here.

Have you tried Jamberry wraps before? Which design is your favourite? Let me know in the comments.

Sam x

*This post contains products sent to me for testing*

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