I got all hot and bothered with magnetic nail polish a few years ago. They were released in limited edition batches by several manufacturers – Essence and Lancome come to mind. I had such a huge WANT for it. I was willing to pay whatever I had to for it. Sadly, everyone held on to their bottles with a handful of people eventually selling on eBay.
Imagine my surprise one day when I heard about this brand called LCN and they had *gasp* MAGNETIC NAIL POLISH!
Sneak peek pic:
Does it tempt you? If so, more behind the jump!
I schemed and busted out with the credit card, purchasing all 8 of their colors. I got their Magnetic Nail Polish Starter Kit for $116. Included are 8 colors and 2 magnets with a star design and a stripe design.
In an ideal world, I’d have swatched at least 2 colors with 2 different designs. It didn’t happen. Why?
It got to be so frustrating that I just said, “F it. One color, 2 patterns. I don’t have time for this bs.” Why did I think that? Because the magnets were a PITA to work with. First and foremost, I did not, I repeat did not use a base coat because I had read that it can mess with the magnetic particles in the polish. I applied the color directly to my nail…much to my horror and chagrin. I did this whole thing 20 times before a pattern could come up that resembled the pattern on the magnet. I think I needed something to hold the magnet and just using my hands wasn’t enough. My hands hurt a lot because of my years of jewelry making and after even a few seconds, my hand started to cramp from holding the magnet. Arthritis before 40 much? That’s me.
On my thumb, pointer and middle finger I used the star pattern. Pinkie and ring finger got the stripes, but you’d never guess would you? I discovered that because I have such small nail beds, the pattern just was not developing. I tried different ways of getting this to work, but to no avail. The absolute best patterns were always on my thumb, pointer and middle finger, but you’d never guess from these pictures. I had done this in green last week and meant to take fabulous shots, but life got in the way.
I can, however, say that for 8 wonderful days the color really clung to my nails despite NO base coat. I used a fast drying topcoat and my worries about it chipping were unfounded. It was only today, on the 8th day that the green polish gave one huge chip. I was on my way to get a mani, so it didn’t really matter.
Bottom line? I loved the idea, but the execution and the learning curve in my case just wasn’t worth it. I got *tons* of compliments, but when I spend 4 hours just trying to get a pattern to pull up on one hand, I’m feeling like it’s not worth the effort or the price.
Just a note: the bottles are a bit on the pricey side considering how small they are. Here is an idea: your typical average bottle of polish is usually 15mL or .5 fl oz. LCN bottles are nearly half that size at 8mL. Think long and hard before you invest or buy.
When you master the magnet, your polish will be gorgeous and you will get many compliments!
