Like most busy ladies with an overflowing to-do list, I’m all about little life hacks that make things quicker and easier. If you can help me with my abysmal time management skills, we can totally be BFFs. Good luck with that though, because I’m pretty sure this t-shirt was made specifically for me.
That said, I was more than a little intrigued when I saw a few posts floating around Pinterest referring to a magical DIY manicure with glue trick. They promised me I could paint a little white glue around my nails and then peel it off to keep my cuticles all neat and tidy and paint free. Most of the pins I saw originated from a post teaching you how to create a marble effect on your nails. But then I saw The (always-awesome) Paper Mama try it out in the exact way I wanted to (here) and I knew I needed to try this business for myself.
So I did.
There aren’t a whole lot of steps to take you through here to show you how it’s done. You apply some white glue around your nail (whether you use a paint brush, a q-tip or you sort of smear it around like I did doesn’t really matter), then go crazy painting and being all glue’s there, don’t care about your application.
Once the glue is dry, you peel that layer right off (which is intensely satisfying, however weird that might sound) and all of your messy nail polish smudges come off with it. Kind of magical, but—and I see it as a pretty major but—there’s nothing really quick about this process.
Maybe you’re more patient than me. Maybe you’re the kind of person who can sit back and relax while her nails dry and be all calm about it. I’m not. My mind races around the 85 billion things I could be doing instead of waiting for my stupid nails to dry and I get all tense and cranky. Well with this little life hack, you have to wait for the glue to dry—which seems like a million years longer than the polish. Maybe I applied too thick a layer. Maybe it’s because I usually use Insta-dry polishes. Maybe it’s because I had a little person tugging at my leg wanting me to do all the things for her. BUT IT TOOK TOO LONG.
That said, if you have a nice chunk of time set aside where you can zen out and relax and you’re free of tiny humans, I would totally recommend this. I also think it’s kind of perfect for painting your dominant hand. That’s the one that always comes out all funky when you’re doing it yourself and this little trick definitely helps with that. It’s also pretty awesome if you don’t have the money for a professional manicure but you want to look all nice and polished for an event.
For those asking: the color is Chinchilly by Essie! 😉
VERDICT: It gets the job done but it takes some time. If you’re ok with that, go for it. If you’re impatient like me, skip it. Madtown Macs did a post on removing the stray strokes with a greasy lotion like Aquafor. I think I’m going to be giving that one a try!
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Hi! I'm Jen, a freelance writer and girl mom who loves reading the newest children’s books as much as I love a good psychological thriller. I believe fiercely in the power of kindness, empathy, and really good quality chocolate. When I'm not knee-deep in glittery crafts and girl talk, you can probably find me sprawled out on my couch in the middle of a Netflix marathon with dark chocolate smeared on my face. The struggle is real. 
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