I got C-3PO nails!

I have wanted to get Minx nails for years. I remember reading about it in magazines and thinking "I am definitely going to try that one day". Well "one day" came last Monday and here's what they looked like.

Tasteful? No. Fun? Yes.

Minx is not nail polish. And it's not a gel. It's what the manufacturers describe as a "protective coating" for the nail. In other words it's a sticker - just like the ones that you can buy in the likes of Sephora and New Look. They are hundreds of designs to chose from - I went for one of the "safest".

I got it applied in a salon. I didn't really know what to expect but it's the same standard process - preparation of the nail, cuticle work etc - up until the application process. Here it's a combination of a little bit of heat and some careful shaping of the sticker to ensure that it fits the nail bed as much as possible.

It took about 45 minutes to get them applied and there's no waiting around for them to dry. It's straight out the door and into the sun where the reflective nails proceed to blind pedestrians/drivers. They are seriously striking - as someone said on Instagram, they are right "bobby dazzlers".

It was love on day one. I was excited to finally have truly metallic nails - nail polish just doesn't deliver in the way that Minx does. I actually got stopped by a woman who asked me what I had on my nails. Whether she was mesmerized by the tacky or just genuinely interested I will never know but still, that hasn't happened before!

However, less than a week after I had them done, I had to peel them off myself. The Minx site talks about the product lasting 14 days on fingernails and 4-6 weeks on toes. I am just not sure about that. They got ropey pretty fast.

I don't know how I feel about this. I did know that they wouldn't last in the same way that gel nails do, it's more of a "lifestyle" nail product - and one that changes to reflect your look of the day/week. I also knew that the sticker itself is susceptible to water and oil exposure so if you want them to last for days and days you have to effectively avoid washing your hands - in fact I was told to do this.

I did try and protect them as best as I could but yes, I did continue to wash my hands (seriously, I can't NOT do this) and so by day 5 the peeling at the tips was too pronounced to ignore. Luckily they came off easily and no damage was caused - they really are a protective coating as the marketing would have us believe.

So after my little experience I would have to conclude the following:

a) Minx looks amazing and unique - it will amaze women and baffle men.
b) It's fantastic for a special event or weekend - ie, something less than 3 days because after that they may/will start peeling.
c) The longevity no doubt hangs on a combination of how you treat your nails and the experience of your technician. I am not going to blame mine as the average length of time it lasts seems to be in-line with my experience. I did read of some people getting a UV top coat applied after application...that sounds sensible.
d) If I wanted to dabble in this again I wouldn't pay for the manicure - I would just go to eBay and buy direct from the many sellers. For £11 you get your own set and after that you just need scissors, a lamp and some serious patience.
e) I would love to get this applied to toes for the summer - I think that would look amazing.

Have you ever tried Minx? What do you think about the whole nail sticker trend?

PS. On my nails right now is good old fashioned nail polish - OPI Vodka and Caviar :)