I always loved painting my nails, even as a little girl. I tried to learn how to make fun designs, add gems and stickers, and so on. Sadly, the only result of most of my efforts was wasted time. I never nailed it (see what I did there?).
A few years ago, I was involved in a US-based MLM (multi level marketing) company that sold vinyl nail wraps. That business went downhill fast, nearly shut down and then got acquired by a supplement company. I did love the products, so I decided to see if the world of Korean beauty has anything similar (and cheaper). And guess what? OF COURSE THEY DO!
The very first Korean nail sticker I ordered was TonyMoly Hatto Hatto Nail Fit Gelato Factory Nail Sticker. It’s sold on eBay, Amazon, YesStyle, and Jolse. You can see it on my nails, as well as in the package, in this video (starting at 1:15).
The set comes with 22 stickers of different sizes - enough for two manicures (you need one sticker per nail). There’s also a nail file, but it’s flimsy looking; I didn’t use it.
The application is quite simple, but takes precision and attention to detail. My instructions are more involved than the official ones, but I have years of experience applying nail decals, while the marketing materials on the packaging simply try to make the process sound as painless as possible.
How to use:
Clean and dry your nails
Select a sticker that’s close to your nail size (slightly too small is better than slightly too large - I accidentally overlapped my cuticle on my left hand and that sticker fell off the same day. Thankfully, the set includes extras)
I firmly push the sticker down from the center outward (I used a rubber tipped cuticle pusher)
Cut off the excess
File the sticker and the nail (you want to go vertically instead of side to side) to make them exactly the same length / give them a smooth edge. You can stop there - you are done.
I prefer to apply a clear coat of gel (the kind that you need to cure under a special LED or UV lamp) to make my manicure as bullet proof as possible. It’s an optional step.
How to remove:
Gently lift the sticker at the cuticle
Slide a cotton swab soaked in nail polish remover between the sticker and the nail
Mine stay on for so long that I can simply lift up the sticker at the cuticle and get into a bath or shower. The water gets in, and since the adhesive has weakened over two weeks of wear, the stickers come off easily. Please use actual polish remover if you are taking these off after a shorter wear time. If the adhesive is still very strong, simply pulling off the stickers can damage your nails.
My impressions:
These are AMAZING! Yes, they deserve all caps. On me, the wear is about 13 days. And even at that point, they looked pretty good, except the index finger’s sticker started to lift at the cuticle.
Freshly applied:
Exactly a week after application:
13 days after application (I know, my cuticles look lovely all zoomed in like that):
After removal:
Needless to say, I am very impressed. And this design looks nothing like a “sticker”. I had people at work asking where I went to get my nails done. The ombre coloring with the lighter part toward the cuticle is a genius idea and keeps the nails looking great even as they grow out. I’m not going to lie - I already ordered these in more colors. I highly recommend them!
Let’s connect - visit my YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook group. Subscribe below to receive blog updates via email.