Essie Sleek Sticks

     I am a huge fan of nail polish. Whenever a new shade or line comes out I am usually all over it! With that being said, I have not tried my fair share of these very popular new nail stickers. I received a set in a previous Birchbox about a year ago and even though I LOVED the sparkly blue color, I hated the staying power. Since that experience I have not picked up another pack and given it a go until about a week ago. I was wasting time at a CVS (story of my life) and ended up finding a lot of new things. On my way to check out I glanced over the nail polish and there were the new Essie nail stickers. After looking at the shades and one catching my eye, I purchased a set and applied them for Easter Sunday/My 21st Birthday (blog of what I wore here).

     I was shocked with how easy they were to apply and how well they stayed! I wanted to share the process with you and what I thought of this new nail polish trend...

Essie Sleek Sticks:
Price: $10.25
Number of Designs: 12
Design I Purchased: Oh My Gold! (what a cute name!)

Application Photos:

     This is everything that came in the package. It comes with the set of 18 stickers, a cuticle stick, and a small nail file.

     The directions stated to begin by wiping your nails down with nail polish remover and pushing your cuticles back with the stick included. After doing so you were to find the sticker that most accurately fit your nail shape and line it up on the nail. Once you have it placed perfectly, make sure to press it down really well and evenly.

     Here is a small tip: Make sure you apply the sticker just above your cuticle. If you stick it on any part of your skin you will have issues in the wearing process. With the set that I received in my Birchbox I made the mistake of applying them on top of my cuticles. When I showered they peeled right up from that area and were ruined! So make sure every part of the sticker is sticking to nothing but your nail.

     After the sticker is pressed down really well grab your small file. Take the file and begin by using short downward strokes on the tip of your nail. The sticker will bend down and you will notice little tears as it comes off the edge. When the excess sticker is almost off you can pull on it very gently. I also liked to press down firmly once again on the whole nail after this step.

     Unfortunately, this will be more difficult for people like me who have thin/brittle nails. This is because the nail will keep bending as you file downward. The end result is not affected but make sure you file very gently and take your time. I found myself even using a bigger file and filing sideways a few times to move the process along. Make sure not to file sideways (like you do when you are normally filing your nails) too much because this can tear the sticker and make your life worse.

     And here is the end result! Even someone like me who is VERY particular when it comes to their nails loved the final look. On some of the tips of my nails the sticker tore off slightly before the end of my nail but it was nothing noticeable. It added just the right hint of color and shine and the design was gorgeous. The whole process took about 20 minutes (and that was with glancing up to watch an episode of Project Runway in between nails). It was great doing these at night also because it was quick and there was no dry time.

How did these wear you ask?

     Here is how they looked at the end of the fourth day. The only problem I noticed was that the design slightly started wearing off on the tips of some nails as you can see here on my index finger. I had no problem with them coming up around the edges or even budging at all for that matter! I believe the day after I took this picture I had to remove them and only for one reason. My nail actually broke towards the tip and left the sticker with nothing to hold onto. I even noticed that my nails had grown out a little while wearing them- it was a nice change from nail polish.

     Removing them was a breeze as well! All you do is peel them off starting at the corner. They did leave a sort of streaky residue on my nails that would easily come off with nail polish remover but I didn't even bother!

     Bottom Line: The Essie Sleek Sticks are something special that I would definitely purchase again. They are a little pricey especially for a product you can only use once so I wouldn't use these in place of polish on a regular basis. However, they were the perfect addition to the lace dress that I wore and it was such a easy way to achieve unique looking nails. For those of you who aren't masters of nail art (myself included) these are a great way to get multiple looks that wouldn't be achievable with just polish. All of the designs are different and beautiful, I can't wait to try more! 

Love, Lacey