Are Color Street Nails Worth The Cost
Not in my opinion unless you just really want the specific design offered by that company.
They are still a nice option and I am all about supporting other women who are trying to make some money for their family with this side hustle.
I hope you enjoyed this review and find some useful information! Here is a link to my review of Rent the Runway Unlimited Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
Emily
How To Apply The Nail Strips:
1. Read the package instructions. The first thing to do is clean your nails with alcohol. THIS IS THE STEP I SKIPPED THE FIRST TIME. Dont do that. It really made a HUGE difference on my next application.
2. Choose the size that fits your nails best. There are 34 strips in a package so youve got plenty to choose from.
3. Apply the nail and press/hold down to secure and smooth.
4. Use one side of the file to trim the excess. Use the other side of the file to smooth.
Thats it!
Here are my nails after applying them:
There were a few tiny places that I didnt get smoothed perfectly but I didnt mind.
Its now been two weeks since I put them on and while there is a bit of wear and tear they still look pretty great!
After two weeks:
Next time I should put the laundry away before photos. 🙂
On a few nails there are places the strips has pulled up or chipped but it wouldnt be enough for me to remove them or even notice if I wasnt looking so closely.
Up close:
You can see some chips and ridges have formed when you look up close. Probably not enough damage for me to remove them just yet!
I kind of want to change them out just to try something new but feel like I shouldnt waste good nails still. 🙂
Select Best Size Strip
The second step in this Dashing Diva nail strips review and tutorial is to select the best size strip for each nail. Since they come on a clear plastic backing, you can hold them over your nails. If you are in between sizes, the best thing to do is to size down. Any part of the strip that overlaps onto your skin will end up not sticking on your nail.
If you are a small woman like me, you may find that you need to custom fit some strips. I accomplish this by cutting them with cuticle cutters.
Once I have all 10 strips selected, I like to lay them on my work space in order of application to prevent confusion. I even take mine one step further by cutting each strip into individual pieces, but you do not need to do that.
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Fold Over Excess & File
The fourth step in this Dashing Diva nail strips review and application tutorial is to get rid of the excess strip overhanging the tip of your nail. If you have a fair amount of excess, you can cut some of it away with cuticle cutters before grabbing the included nail file, but I find the cutting step to be mostly unncessary.
Use the white side of the nail file and file in one direction. It will only take a few passes before the extra strip section can be easily pulled off.
Then, flip the nail file over and use the gray side to buff the edge of your nail to ensure the tip of the strip is smooth.
Once my pinkies are done, I work my way up to my thumbs. I find going in this order is the easiest for me, but you should do what you feel is best.
This is your finished product!
Have You Tried These Products Share Below
*Editorial Note: This post was sponsored by Dashing Diva. The compensation received in exchange for placement on The Vanilla Plum is used to purchase props, hire a photographer, write/edit the blog post and support the team behind The Vanilla Plum. Thanks to Dashing Diva and The Vanilla Plum team for bringing this post to life.
While compensation was received in exchange for coverage, all thoughts and opinions are always my own. Sponsored posts like these allow for the development of additional dynamic content to be produced, unsponsored. Thank you for supporting our partners!
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Dashing Diva Magicpress And Gloss Gel Strips Review
Ive never been much of a nail girl because a) I suck at painting my nails b) Im a crafty person and use my hands a lot c) every gel manicure Ive ever gotten have never lasted more than a week. I love the idea of having pretty nails and really love the crazy sparkly designs the Koreans do, but I only dream about them and save them on my Pinterest. I first discovered nail strips or stickers at Etude House and thought it would just be fun to try, but it led me to discover Dashing Diva and their amazing line of press on nails and gloss gel strips!
When I Dont Use Them:
These arent a 1-second manicure. Though I would consider doing them in an Uber because they dont smell like anything and there isnt a dry time, they still take about 15-20 minutes to do well and arent quite as fool-proof as the Magic Press . I like to apply these when Im relaxing before bed because they look amazing after Ive slept in them. I also prefer to use their other products if my nails are peeling so I dont risk additional damage.
Also Check: How To Trim Impress Nails
How To Remove Dashing Diva Nail Strips:
You can find a few sets at places like
I prefer to buy directly from their website www.dashingdiva.com because of the perks.
- 15% off your first order with e-mail sign up
- $15 and up qualifies for free shipping
- More of an updated selection
- Rewards program & discounts the more you buy
- $5 referral reward for you and your friends
- Incredibly fast shipping and delivery
- Great customer service
Here is my referral link which will get you $5 off your first order!
Reviewing Dashing Diva Nail Strips
Ive established before that Im a fan of nail strips. In fact, Ive reviewed both Color Street and Jamberry in the past. Basically, other than a professional manicure, nail strips are the only way I can have pretty nails. Which bring us to my latest experiment: Dashing Diva Nail Strips.
Color Street was my absolute favorite, but I figured Id give Dashing Diva a try since they were so easy to buy and they were cheaper .
I picked up my first couple sets of Dashing Diva nail strips on a random Target run on impulse. Here are the exact ones I used for my first try: Dashing Diva Rose Sparkle. They also have their own Dashing Diva website with even more options: Dashing Diva Website.
My initial thoughts were that they were a bit more difficult to put on, had less size options than Color Street, and felt kind of plastic. More like a nail sticker than nail polish.
Now that Ive tried a few different packs of strips over the last few months, I have a few additional thoughts:
Putting Them On: I still find them tricky to put on because my nails dont necessary match exactly with their sizing options. However, one trick I found is once you get them on your nail, rather than using the included nail file, I like to use a nail clipper to clip the strip at the very end of my fingernail to get a perfect fit.
Have you tried Dashing Diva nail polish strips? What do you think of them?
Like what you see? Share me with your friends!
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How I Apply Them:
Step 1: Prep Basically, just push back your cuticles and use the alcohol wipe
Step 2: Size I can get 2 sets out of these packs if I am willing to file down a couple of the nails to fit better. If J Lo does it, why not us?
Step 3: Press
Add custom details when youre done! Here are some of my top picks.
Cons Of Dashing Diva Nail Strips
I really dont have too many cons to list. Here are a few if Im being knit picky!
- Some sticky residue can stay on your nail once you peel these off. I can easily remove this with a nail buffer.
- I dont always use all sizes in the package, so it feels wasteful. A friend suggested cutting them down and using them on their child which I am going to try!
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Why I Need Both Gloss And Magic Press Nails As Part Of My Nail Arsenal
GLOSS Gel Nail Strips are great! They protect my nails and look like-a-million-bucks. I dont need to use a base coat or a top coat. All I need is a little time and a nail file. And my nails can be as long or as short as I want them. But what they dont do is add length like artificial nails do.
I alternate between GLOSS and Magic Press depending on the length of my nails, the shape I want, and what Im doing that week. Press-on nails just dont make sense if your nails are already long! Also, I dont think Id ever want to change the shape of my natural nails too drastically. So, if I want a trendy shape, Im going to file those false nails, not my real ones.
How Did Dashing Diva Get So Fly
Dashing Diva is manufactured in Korea, but based in New York. If youve ever had a conversation with any beauty expert, youll know that South Korea is known for their beauty technology and blow everyone else out of the water, separating them from the rest. Dashing Diva is super quality controlledfrom fit, to high quality nail art details, to the look and feel of their nail polish strips.
I also think theyre awe-inspiring because theyve made sure their products are completely customizable! I brought my DD nails with me on my last trip and added nail art stickers to my press on nails. They turned out so much more personalized than when I go to nail salons.
This color has been cycled out. Currently loving: Galaxy Unknown
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Pros Of Dashing Diva Nail Strips
When I first tried out Dashing Diva gel strips, I had a bunch of house work I needed to get done. I figured theyd for sure peel off while I pulled weeds, painted, and went through the girls clothes. Oddly enough, they didnt budge! Since then, Ive worn them while on a trip to Palm Springs, to the beach and the pool. They held up great! See below for my tips and tricks when applying Dashing Diva nails. Here are my favorite things about these nail stickers:
- They are budget friendly they typically cost around $12 for a set which will give you a couple of manicures
- You can mix and match the sets
- They are really easy to apply
- There are a lot of colors and styles to choose from
- They can be easily removed when youre done with them
- If a gel strip starts to peel off, you can just re-do that one nail vs. having to wait to get to the nail salon
- I also use the small nails/leftovers on my girls!
How I Take Them Off:
Dashing Diva recommends adding a little cuticle oil and then peeling off, but Ive removed them without anything on and my nails were longer and prettier than when they started. When it hasnt been fine to just peel it off was when I had a salon gel manicure that was causing weak and peeling nails. These nail strips do have adhesive, so, I would recommend putting a barrier on first if your nails are in bad shape.
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Color Street Vs Dashing Diva Nail
- Ease of application-goes to Color Street but only by a tiny margin.
- Longevity-there is no contest-Dashing Diva. By the third day the Color Street were starting to show wear. After one week, I replaced the color street nails with the dashing diva strips. It has been two weeks since I put the original DD strips on and they still look great!
- Cost-Hands down the Dashing Diva were a better bargain. Not only were they less expensive at the outset, they lasted twice as long if not longer.
The Lazy Girls Guide To Press On Nails & Wraps
Pictured here: Power Punch and Magic Pop in Hotline Bling. Try these or these instead.
< < < SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOTH PRESS ON AND GEL NAIL STRIPS> > >
My life is busy. I am both the chef and sous chef, run 2 full-time businesses, travel a lot, and I rarely have a fabulous looking manicure beyond a weekeven with gel nails.
Pictured here: Easy Does It has been cycled out. Try these instead.
Even worse, when I do get my nails done, if Im too busy to get the gel polish removed professionally, I usually have damaged nails. Ahem. Because I pick at them. I knowI know
Pictured here: Dashing Diva Magic Press in Open Water has been cycled out. Try these instead.
Part of my job is to find ways to help you look great all the time with our busy schedules. We are the generation of revolutionary, technology paved, nail polish alternatives! So why shouldnt we find new ways to make our manis last?
Enter: Gel Nail Strips and Press On Nails. Though conceptually, theyve been around since the 1950s, theyve upgraded tremendously even in just the last decade.
Personally, Ive tried a plethora of brands for wraps and press on options, so when I finally got around to trying Dashing Diva, I practically begged them to work with me on a project. Dashing Diva has distinguished themselves with salon quality, on-trend products. They do what they claim and dont have that fake nail look. More details on their history in my tutorial below!
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Why I Use Them:
No dry time and they last 2 weeks as advertised! These are my go-to for everyday wear. They dont need an LED or UV lamp or heat that can ruin your hands or nails and last a really long time. A couple times Ive had a mishap, like I didnt prep my nails enough before applying or jumped in the pool and loosened one or two, but enough spares are in the package for a redo. Plus they come off with zero damagelike a nail sticker! To me, this is the biggest reason why I prefer this to gel nails. If I have one chipped gel nail, I feel like the whole set has to come off because I cant redo that one chipped nail without a lot of work or a trip to the salon.
Day 2 These nails have not been retouched to show actual results
I also love that you can use nail polish with these . You can treat this like the color layer for your nails. You can do anything you want to them. This means you can add a base coat, top coat, nail stickers, bling, etc. Or, if you want to use nail polish, but want a barrier base coat, they make clear strips too!
Things I Like About These Nail Stickers:
- There are cool designs to mix and match in each package. On this second manicure I thought I had already used all the marbled strips but of course I found them after I finished. 🙂
- Theyre easy to remove. The package instructions say to use a drop of polish remover on them before taking off but honestly? I just peeled them off last time and they were fine.
- Theyre cheap! Other nail strips or stickers Ive tried were between $10-$15, these are $7.99 at Ulta Beauty, and $6.99 at Target.
- You get 34 strips in a package 22 base color, 3 accents with 4 strips a piece. You also get a nail file.
- They have a lot of different designs to pick from, like these:
I also just took a quick peak at my new Allure Beauty Box for this month and there was a set inside there which Im pretty excited about!
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Dashing Diva Gel Nail Strip Review + Application
September 4, 2019 by
I have gnarly nails. They are always peeling and chipping and I keep them really short so I can play piano without the click clacking of long nails.
For the past few years, I have done gel or powder dip manicures almost all of the time. I love how they look and they last forever. However, they are not without major drawbacks. I was dropping $40-50 every time I got them done, taking an hour at a nail salon, and removing them always absolutely shredded my nails. They would be paper thin and fragile afterwards, which led me to getting them done again, and the cycle would continue.
So I decided to let my nails heal. I tried a few different polishes that promised long wear, but none of them delivered on their promises. Also, there is nothing like having wet nail polish that makes me need to go pee more. Weve all done that dance, trying to get our pants buttoned with wet nail polish. It never works.
And then these Dashing Diva Gel Nail Strips entered my life. I was very skeptical. The gal at the beauty supply store assured me that hers last 2 weeks, but I was unconvinced.
But after trying them out for myself, Im a true convert! They really do last at least 2 weeks, they are super easy to put on, easy and harmless to take off, and so FUN! I get compliments on my nails every time Im out.
In the gel nails vs strip nails competition, these are no contest. Dashing Diva Gel Nail Strips win in cost, time, nail integrity, design, and ease.
