Although creme finish nail polish will always be my favourite, I love the way glittery polishes catch and reflect light. However, I was always kind of reluctant to buy or use glitter polishes because of the hassle involved in removing all that sparkle! If you don't know, glitter polish tends to be really stubborn at coming off; probably something to do with all those solid glittery bits getting in the way of the remover. I've rocked the aluminum foil claws (wrapping foil over your finger with a remover-soaked cotton ball on top), but my cuticles and nails always looked much rougher removing glitter polish than non-glitter.
So when peel-off base coats came on to the scene, I was totally on board. Wear glitter polish without the annoying removal?
We wants it. It took a little hunting, but I was able to find Essence Peel Off base coat. But when it came time to remove, it was really difficult. It would come off, with some fighting, in several pieces rather than the one or two I expected.
Next was OPI Glitter Off. At a higher price point than the Essence, I was hoping for much better. It even had glitter in the name! Unfortunately, it performed on the opposite side of the spectrum, with polish popping off easily in one piece (sometimes while washing my hair, sometimes within the same day of application).
Last was NYC Strip Me Off, and finally there's a happy ending because it's
just right. It holds up well for several days with minimal to no chipping, yet my polish comes off easily in one piece with just a little bit of work. The best part is that it's the cheapest of the bunch at under $2 CAD at Rexall or Wal-mart!
After I realized what a winner Strip Me Off was, I promptly picked up an extra two bottles and have been using it regularly for the past few months. I can enjoy allllll the glittery nails now and not scrub my nails with remover or try to use my phone/computer with aluminum foil claws on. It's also been great because handling nail polish remover can sting or irritate the eczema on my hands, so I'm using it even for creme finish polishes.
Quick demo: as you can see, I've totally loaded up on the glitter here, using a total of three polishes that might be a pain to remove by conventional remover (one foil polish and two glitters). I gently worked my thumbnail under the base coat from the side and continued pushing.
With NYC Strip Me Off, the whole thing comes off very easily and in one piece. Protip: it is hilarious if you take them all off and then arrange the pieces on your bf's nails so he is pretty.
And what my nail looks like immediately after removal. Looks pretty clean, not as dry-looking and damaged compared to if I had let a soaked cotton ball sit on it for several minutes. A quick swipe with non-acetone remover and I'm ready for a new colour.
Don't forget to seal your tips with both your nail polish and your top coat by gently running the brush along the free edge; this will protect them from chipping/peeling prematurely at the tips and is something to get in the habit of doing with any polish or base coat!
