By Jenna Rosenstein, Allure
Nails Inc. practically broke the Internet (at least, the beauty-centric parts of the Internet) last week when it announced a new product: Nails Inc. Paint Can nail polish, a nail polish that you spray onto your fingers, like spray paint. It was released last week in the U.K. and has since sold out, and there's now even a waitlist for fans in the United States. It doesn't launch over here until March 2016, but lucky for you (and me), I got one of the first samples to play with. So how does it work?
First, paint a basecoat on clean, dry nails just as you normally would. But be extra careful not to have any of the basecoat touch your cuticles. This is critical in order to make sure that the color does not stick. Nails Inc. recommends you use their 2 in 1 Base and Top Coat, but any formula would work.
OK, now you're ready to paint. Please, for the love of furniture and your relationship with your mom/landlord/significant other, place a sheet of paper down on any surface you're using. The paint can get messy. Shake the can really well and then hold it 12 to 15 centimeters away from your nails (that's about six inches, Americans). I held mine a little closer though, and it worked just fine. Do one quick, even coat all over your nails. You really only need one coat, since the formula is very pigmented. Don't worry if the color gets all over your fingers.
Wait about two minutes, and then paint a topcoat over your nails. Again, be careful not to get sloppy and drag it along your cuticles. Wait another minute or two for the topcoat to dry.
Now for the cool part. Head over to your nearest sink and, with hot soapy water, wash your hands. The pigment on your fingers will soak right off. And with a little scrubbing and rubbing, all you'll be left with is a perfectly even manicure. The one caveat: The longer you wait, the more the excess paint will stick to your skin, and the harder it will be to remove it.
So, did it work? Yeah--and it's really freaking cool. A few minor adjustments (being careful about the basecoat, hauling to the sink sooner rather than later) made the results even better. But I do have two minor complaints: It has a really strong, but familiar, paint scent (that fades pretty quickly), and there are only two shades. I want more! Give me more! I used Shoreditch Lane, a metallic silver, and there's also Hoxton Market, a hot pink. But the brand promises that more shades are on the way soon. I've only had on the polish for a few hours, but I'll report back with an update on how well it wears.
Have any questions about the polish? Leave them in the comments below, or tweet me @JennaRosenstein.
Photos: Kelly Sherin
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