A cute mani just makes me happy!

So does an early morning cup of coffee in my favorite mug.  Or listening to “Love Hangover” by Jason Derulo on repeat.

My morning coffee is pretty healthy, thanks to the antioxidants already present in the coffee, and the collagen, coconut oil, and ghee that I blend in.  And I don’t see anything wrong with my Jason Derulo obsession!

But nail polish?  Well, that’s another story!  

Most nail polish is loaded with toxic chemicals.  Some of the most common are dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde resin, formaldehyde, and toulene.  Just the smell of some polishes tell me they can’t be good!  DBP is banned in Europe and may cause organ problems and endocrine disruption.  Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, and toulene is known to cause reproductive harm and problems with the central nervous system.

What’s a girl to do?  The best option would be to just stop wearing nail polish.  Let your nails grow healthy and strong with the collagen I’m always raving about, and rub in a healthy cuticle oil before you go to bed at night.  I do that from time to time, but eventually I crave a little more color and excitement.

Recently my friend Shannon suggested I try Jamberry nail wraps.  Last summer I tried some nail wraps that I bought at CVS.  I loved the ease of application, and they looked amazing. Until the end of the day, when they started to wear off at the tips.  By day two they were a disaster.  This happens with most nail polish too.  I’m pretty hard on my nails.

The difference with Jamberry wraps is they are applied with heat and pressure so they actually bond to your nail, staying on for as long as two weeks.  The heat can come from a hair dryer or a special dryer from Jamberry, and you apply pressure with a cuticle stick. Jamberry wraps are free of the five toxic chemicals I mentioned.  The fun part is that they come in a huge selection of colors and patterns, including many that are seasonal.

The first time I tried them, I just did an accent nail.  Look how cute it looks (and matches my favorite mug!)

I finally took it off after a week, but the accent nail would have stayed on much longer.  It was really easy to remove…I loosened them at the edges a little bit and had no problem taking them off with regular nail polish remover.  They literally slid right off.

My nails were naked for a few days…I do think it’s a good idea to let them “breathe” from time to time.  Next I tried an amazing ombre, which you can see in the top photo.  The colors go from green to blue to purple, and remind me of a mermaid.  I used the Jamberry heater to warm up the wraps, which was much easier than the hair dryer I used the first time.  I followed the directions, and for my first try doing all 10 nails, they turned out pretty well.  I sent Shannon a pic and she said I should have applied more heat and pressure and they would have looked even better.  Either way, I was happy.  My nails looked cute and stayed on really well.  I didn’t go the full two weeks, because I was ready to try something new.

This time, I did just an accent nail again.  I polished all my nails the same blue/green, then applied a lacy white pattern as an accent.  I love how my original color shows through!  (And look…it coordinates with one of my other favorite mugs!)

One of the worst things about doing your nails is the nail polish remover.  Even the acetone free kind smells terrible.  Surprisingly, when I looked up nail polish remover on the Environmental Working Group website, most brands rated pretty low for toxicity.  But I still decided to try something different, and removed my nail wraps by soaking my fingertips in warm coconut oil.  It worked great!

I tried looking Jamberry nail wraps up on the EWG website, but there was no data.  The company claims they are non toxic.  I believe they are probably a safer choice than most conventional nail polishes.  The fact that they stay on so long means less exposure to nail polish remover which can dry out your nails.  My nails are pretty strong to begin with, but I felt the wraps gave them even more protection.  I still think the safest bet is naked nails, but let’s face it girls, that gets boring!

If you’d like to try Jamberry nail wraps, here’s a link to check them out: Jamberry.  They are economical, since each sheet gives you several manis.  The hardest part will be deciding which ones you want to try.  I’ve also put a link on the page “Things I love.”  And you’ll be seeing more of them in some of my pics in upcoming posts!

So, can wearing these nail wraps help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  Well, if you like having a cute mani, you’ll definitely be happy.  My friend Sheri and I always talk about how even if we’re having a crappy day, cute nails just make us smile.  As far as the healthy part, I think the Jamberry wraps are a healthier choice than most nail polish, since they are free of some common highly toxic ingredients.  And a woman who is happy and feels good about the way she looks….always very hot!