
At first glance, these short, squared nails look like they’ve been treated to a French manicure with a white, black, or mauve tip. In most styles, there’s also a nail design and a hint of glitter accenting the bottom of the tip. Others have stars or scrolls on the side of the nailbed, and there’s a plain french manicure nail as well. But that tip holds a big surprise! When you go out in the sun, those tips turn into another color. For example, my white-tipped set called “Sunshine” turned red.
Color-changing products are not new, but there are some innovations with this nail kit. For starters,the nails are attached to little, snap-off tabs that help you hold the nail in place without having to touch it (and risk getting glue on it). You simply snap off the tab once the nail is set. Also, the nail glue that comes with this set is strong enough to last for days. It is slightly thicker than standard nail glues to give you more time to get the nail positioned exactly the way you like before the glue dries, it’s pink, to enhance the color of your natural nail bed and make the nails look like they just might be your own. There’s even a little “glue stand” that is included in the packaging so you don’t have to fumble with it. These are perfect if you’re away for the weekend and don’t want to fuss with a manicure, or especially if you are at the beach. They’re even more fun at a party, where you can at least amuse yourself by admiring your nails if it’s dull or get someone else to admire them (color-changing nails are a conversation starter). The suggested retail price is around $5.99. Not a bad price for days of amusement! You can get them at major drug store and mass market retailers, and you can see all the designs and color combos on the Broadway Nails web site.
Another clever Nail item that’s almost as much fun as the color changing nails is the Kiss Pocket Power File. The wide, pen-style, lightweight aluminum, battery operated nail file has four file attachments: cone shape (to exfoliate cuticles); barrel file (to shape natural nails and acrylic overlays); precision tool file (cleans under nails and removes any excess product from acrylic nails); and a detail cone (to do detailed surface filing). All of these tiny tips store in the pen top under the cap, making this a complete manicure-on-the-go appliance that you can easily pack in a carry-on, or in a purse. This is a novelty, but it’s not a toy! You need to be careful not to over-file with this–it is fairly powerful. If you’re like me, and your nails tend to break or split all the time, and especially when you’re not able to have a maincure, this could be a true lifesaver. The unit requires one AAA battery. The suggested retail price is just $9.99 , and you can find it in major drug stores.