…meet Nails Inc’s Paint Can.
Ever wanted to feel a bit like Banksy? Ha, ok. Bit much. But there are a lot of innovations in nail varnish these days, I think it’s one of those things where brands are constantly looking for the next big thing. Nails Inc have always been pretty hot off the mark, bringing the crackle polish back as well as being the first to launch magnetic nail polish back in the day, and now they have their new Paint Can. It’s a small aerosol can, used to spray paint the nail to polish heaven. Pretty nifty eh? But does it actually work? I put it to the test to find out.
The first thing is to paint on the base coat.
It’s suggested you use their own 2-in-1 base and top coat, that has to go on before you spray paint your nails. I do think it would work with any top coat to be honest but the Nails Inc one is pretty good. It dries in less than five minutes, and then you’re ready to get spray painting! What i’ll say is, don’t have any clothes you love too close to the spray, and make sure you’ve got a disposable surface behind it as it does spray about – it really is a can of spray aerosol and it behaves like one, too.
It goes all over you – but that’s half the fun!
You need to hold it directly over the nail and spray as evenly as possible. The can says optimum distance is about 10-15cm away from the nail, and that is important to note. You can maybe see on a couple of my nails where I sprayed too heavily too close and it cracked/bubbled.
(See on my index finger where I sprayed it too close/heavily? Not a good look.)
So after you’ve sprayed away, let it dry out. It does dry pretty instantly – the formula itself is like a dry dusty mist that just layers up to create the varnish, but I let mine hold for a few minutes anyway, just incase. It’s kinda weird to master because you need an even coverage, but the minute you ‘go over’ what you’ve already painted, it crackles and bubbles and that just looks gross. I think it would take a few practises to get it right.
Overall it’s a lazy girl’s dream.
So after waiting a few minutes for the spray ‘paint’ to dry, you then paint over the top with the top coat to seal it in. This top coat/base coat hybrid really genuinely is one of the quickest drying i’ve ever tried. I wonder if it works with regular nail polish…
Again, it only takes about five minutes before they’re ready to wash, and you just need to fill your sink with warm soapy water, and rub your hands together. The pink on your skin just scrubs straight off and leaves behind the nail paint! Pretty cool? I was filled with scepticism before using it and i’m pleased it actually works.
Now. It’s not perfect. It’s a bit bubbly and crackly if you don’t master it quite right (I didn’t), and I think the two shades it comes in are absolutely gross, but this stuff really is revolutionary. I’m 1. a lazy girl and 2. always late for things, so should this develop into a regular thing, i’d use it all the time. For quick runs to meetings, to film YouTube videos (I hate waiting around for my nails to dry!) and generally for running out of the house, this is perfect. It does chip pretty easily though and it is a little messy to apply, but otherwise, I think it’s really cool. If they iron out the issue of the vile colour selections it currently comes in, I can see this being a huge winner for Nails Inc. At £10 a bottle it’s not cheap, but the idea could develop even further through to high street should it catch on.
Personally? I like it. It fulfils my lazy girl wants and needs. But what do you think? Is this something you’d try? Let me know in the comments.
*product was sent as PR sample.