Overview

Rating: 4 / 5 stars ★★★★☆
Price Tag: $15 USD for a set of 18
Where to Buy: Jamberry Nails

In August, I was able to test a Jamberry Nails sample in the design Lace Noir. I’ve tried NCLA wraps before and wanted to see the difference with Jamberry, as the nail wraps require a different application.

Nail Wraps

The Jamberry Nails are very shiny. I believe it is due to this that they are applied differently than traditional nail wraps. In general, the decals appear to be a very shiny plastic, as opposed to the more paper quality of NCLA.

Out of ten or eleven sample designs, I chose Lace Noir. I didn’t realize at the time that it is actually a clear nail wrap overprinted with a black lace design, rather than a typical non see-through design. I thought it would look nice to layer over the pink nail polish Lolli by LVX that I used, but all of the directions I saw strongly recommended not applying over polish.

The full sheet of 18 decals is enough for 2-3 applications, depending on your nail size.

Application

Normally the 18 Jamberry Nails come on clear plastic—great for picking out the correct size for your nails—though my sample was a one-piece decal that needed to be cut into two halves, then further cut down. Unlike NCLA wraps, you do not apply any polish to the nail. They must be bare (according to the official instructions).

Before starting, you use an alcohol wipe on your nails.

Preparing to use the Jamberry Nails sample.
For some reason I’m showing a WnW Base Coat in this photo. You don’t need it.

The focus with Jamberry is to not have too much excess extending off your nail. Makes sense because filing plastic isn’t as easy as filing off excess traditional wraps.

After choosing a wrap and cutting off the excess, you use an orange stick to pick up the wrap and hold it to a heat source in order to activate/melt the adhesive. Jamberry sells a specific heater, but you can just use a hair dryer. I used a high heat setting on low air because it felt like I was burning my fingers using high air.

When the wrap begins to curl from the heat, that’s when you place it on the nail and smooth it on like any other wrap. I only did two nails, but I didn’t have any issues with the bubbling that I normally get when applying wraps.

Again, you hold the nail up to the heat source to seal the wrap to your nail, waiting for the excess to curl around the edge of your nail. Once finished, you take a nail file to file off the excess. I initially used the metal file as shown in the above photo, but it wasn’t sufficient for some reason. I had to switch to a regular emery board to finish the job.

So it’s a little different from traditional nail wraps, but mostly the same process.

Wear Test

If applied properly, Jamberry Nails are supposed to last around two weeks on your hands, and up to four on your toes.

I had difficulty filing off the excess, so I had little bits on the end of my nails for a while. Over time they gradually pulled off. I was worried that the whole thing would come off, like I’ve had happen with other wraps, but they stayed on fine.

Jamberry Nails applied.

My nail wraps were clear, so having a little bit of the decal come off the nail tip wasn’t a big deal. In fact, I didn’t have any trouble with them after all the little end bits had come off.

I didn’t keep track of the exact date of application, but I kept my wraps on for at least a week and a half before removing. That’s definitely longer than when I wear NCLA wraps.

Removal

Removal was a breeze. I just lifted one and edge and pulled off. It was really easy and there was very little resistance. Some clear adhesive was left behind on the nail, but nothing as bad as when I remove NCLA wraps.

The Jamberry website has a couple of removal tips that are different from what I did.

Video

Final Thoughts

Pros: Shiny without needing polish, no polish needed to seal, lasts up to 2 weeks
Cons: Takes some practice to properly apply nail wraps, one time use product

Despite slightly more work involved, the Jamberry Nails are relatively simple to apply. I especially love the high shine finish. I think they do last a lot longer than similar nail wraps, like NCLA, but you’ll also probably need a few tries to get a proper application.

Jamberry Nails come in a wide variety of designs and are vegan.