I feel as if I am the ultimate nail polish or nail wrap tester. I am so freaking hard on my nails if I make it through 4 days it’s practically a miracle. I’ve tried quite a few different products and brands and within the past year have really been loving nail wraps. What’s that you say? They are basically applied like a sticker on your nail but there is no curing or drying time. They last much longer on me than any brand of nail polish I’ve tried and they come in fun colors, prints, and sometimes with accents! So which is the best brand? And what are the positives and negatives? Here are my thoughts with photos of my nails after a week.
Dashing Diva has gel nail strips that come in solids or packs that contain accent nails. Price is typically under $10 for a pack and you can get about 3 manicures from it. Photos were after a week and a half of wear. The only wear issues I saw is after about 10 days the edge started to ripple a bit.
Pros:
- inexpensive
- lots of choices
- available at Target, Ulta, Walmart, Sally Beauty, Walgreens, and online
- will actually last 2 weeks with heavy wear
- fun accent nails
- high gloss
- no dry time
- no damage to nail with removal
- never dry out
Cons:
- can’t adjust width to help better fit your nail
- must remove with oil and cuticle stick
- can’t reposition
- one nail strip per nail
Incoco is a nail strip that is made from nail polish. It is made by the same company that makes Colorstreet and Coconut Nail Art. You can find it at Walmart, Ulta, and Target and cost about $7 or less for a set. A set will typically get you 2 manicures, especially if your nails are shorter.
Pros:
- least expensive option
- you can use one nail strip on 2 or more nails
- comes off with regular nail polish
- easy to adjust width to fit your nail so every strip can be used
- no dry time
- can reposition for first few minutes of application
Cons:
- more difficult to find variety, but it is available online
- they don’t apply as smoothly and can wrinkle
- they sometimes crack or wear at tips
- should seal any unused strip in bag with straightener and store in freezer because they do dry out over time
- glitter seems to be thicker, easier to apply, and go on more smoothly
- can take a while to remove so I recommend Offly Fast Nail Polish Remover
Basically Colorstreet is the same product as Incoco, but with an MLM business strategy. They are nail polish, and the bottom is sticky. The price point is $11-14 per set and each set can get you about 3 manicures depending on the length of your nails.
Pros:
- you can use one nail strip on 2 or more nails
- many different options with seasonal and holiday strips
- comes off with regular nail polish
- easy to adjust width to fit your nail so every strip can be used
- no dry time
- can reposition for first few minutes of application
Cons
- most expensive option
- only available online
- they sometimes crack or wear at tips
- should seal any unused strip in bag with straightener and store in freezer because they do dry out over time
- glitter seems to be thicker, easier to apply, and go on more smoothly, I didn’t have as much luck with the printed options
- can take a while to remove so I recommend Offly Fast Nail Polish Remover
UPDATED 9/28/20:
I was sent Glamour Nail Wraps free to try. I had not heard of them before and had no experience with them, but wanted to try them out and include them here.
Pros:
- inexpensive, can go on sale for less than $4 a pack
- non-toxic (10-free)
- easy and quick to apply
- lots of print and pattern options
- thicker than other nail polish wraps
- don’t seem to crack after a week of wear
- don’t wear much at tips of nails compared to Colorstreet
- although base/top coat is recommended, I did not use either and they worked well
- 1-2 manicures per package depending if you use 1 wrap on 2 nails
Cons
- to use 1 wrap on 2 nails you need to trim silver tab yourself, it isn’t perforated to make it easier like Colorstreet and Incoco
- not many solid color options
- I don’t think the width of the strips are adjustable like Incoco or Colorstreet, I didn’t try trimming them with scissors, but that may work
- really need to let them ‘cure’ a few hours before hard wear like washing dishes or taking a shower/bath, hot water can lift the nail polish strips in the first few hours
- can take a while to remove so I recommend Offly Fast Nail Polish Remover
- only available online
So overall what do I think? I like the Dashing Diva Gel for the durability. They last the longest and look the best by far after a week. Colorstreet is my second choice. Their glitter options are so pretty and they have a great selection. But I use Incoco when I can find it, too. They are all nice options and I get at least a week of wear from each of them. In comparison to nail polish, the best I’ve used was Essie Gel and that only lasts me about 4 days when it starts to crack or get small chips on the edges and it takes about an hour to do my nails including dry time. With each of the nail wrap options it only takes about 10 minutes. If you are hard on your nails, but love color on them I’d recommend any of these to see if you like them!
Check out my tips on how to apply these too!
Reviews on even more nail wraps
