Dashing Diva Glaze Gel Nail Strips - Ultimate Review & Tutorial
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I love having my nails done. Nothing makes me feel more put together than a mani- and nothing makes me more angry than chipped polish, flimsy press-ons, or the damage left by acrylics. What do I have to do to get nice nails that don't break, fall off, or flake away??
Try gel nail strips, apparently.
Enter: Dashing Diva Glaze gel nail strips. These are semi-cured gel stickers with a ~triple layer technology~ (more on that later). After carefully applying and shaping to your nails, pop them under an LED lamp and you're good to go! These gels supposedly last for up to 2 weeks with no chips or scratches.
The Glaze line is different from regular nail stickers for a few reasons.
First of all, they're not just stickers. These nail strips are a semi-cured gel with a base coat, color layer, and top coat (there's that triple layer tech). When exposed to the UV lamp, these layers harden and inflate to resemble the thickness of a gel polish. I think this makes them look a lot nicer than a flat sticker!
Applying the Gel Nail Strips
Prep the Nail for Best Adhesion
My nails were in rough shape after an impromptu DIY acrylics removal, so I started by tidying them up. I rounded the tips with a file, buffed any ridges down, and finished everything off with a gentle cuticle remover serum.
Fit the Gels to Your Nails
Dashing Diva's instructions say to start by cleansing the nail bed with the provided prep swab. Then you select the strip that best fits your nail, peel it off the plastic sheet, and carefully press it onto your nail. Use the included manicure stick to press the sticker onto the nail to help prevent bubbles or lifted edges. I applied the Emerald Marble pattern. They gel strips come on long plastic sheets, but I cut them apart to better fit them to my nails and remember which size went on which finger.
I found this aspect of the application to be the most difficult part. Since the gels are semi-cured and stuck to a plastic sheet, they're a bit stiff- this made it difficult to manipulate each sticker to see how it would fit on the nail. I ended up with a few stickers that were too small and one that was too big. Pro tip: when in doubt, always go for the smaller sticker!
Once the gels are applied, peel off the plastic top coat and trim them to the length of your nails. I used nail scissors for this, and they worked great! I would imagine nail clippers are a bit trickier but will definitely get the job done. You'll be able to file the gels once they're cured, so don't worry about getting those edges perfect just yet. As a side note, these gels are not a substitute for artificial tips. They can't be used to lengthen your natural nails.
Cure and Shape the Gels
After everything is stuck on and trimmed, pop your nails under the LED light to cure the gels. The lamp included with the starter kit runs either a 45 or 60 second cycle, and it's recommended to cure each hand twice. I also found (and a quick google search revealed that I wasn't alone) that the gels take a few hours to truly harden. Best practice is to pop these babies on before bed and let them fully cure while you sleep. I ended up with a few small imperfections from washing the dishes before they'd set.
To finish everything up, I used the included file to smooth the edges out and make sure everything lined up with my natural nails.
The result?
I was not thrilled. They felt like a ton of work to put on, and somehow I still managed to have a few bubbles and bare spots. Oh well, least the kit was cheap! Time to see how they wear.
The Wear Test
Day One
The next day I attended a training for work and was surprised to receive numerous compliments on my nails. Couldn't they see the imperfections?
To be honest, no. They couldn't. And that can be a nice little reminder for all us perfectionists out there- no one is looking as closely at your nails as you are 🙂 After that confidence boost I was feeling better about gel nail strips as a whole.
Day Six
About one week in I broke out the file again to reshape my tips, which I did with zero issues. I also started to notice that, while washing my hair, a strand of hair would occasionally get stuck under the edge of a sticker. This was a little frustrating, but easy to remove and never caused a sticker to pop off or bend. It's also avoidable by being a little more conscious of how I run my fingers through my hair.
Day Eight
At his point I noticed that the little imperfections I'd caused upon application had gotten a bit worse. I'm not easy on my nails, so I wasn't really surprised. Only one "chip" was really noticeable at this point. Unfortunately the chips were on my right hand, which is also my camera hand! I didn't get any pictures of them until later.
Day Seventeen
Yes, you read that right! These gels were still killing it over two weeks after application. No lifted edges, no new chips, no scratches. I was shocked. I didn't even realize it had been that long since application- I went back to my calendar and counted the days a few times jut to make sure.
The tips showed some signs of wear, but the nails as a whole still looked great. You can see both hands just before removal below. The left hand looks great! The right side took a bit more of a beating. The two visible chips both happened upon application and became slightly worse as time went on.
Removing the Gel Nail Strips
After seventeen days, it was finally time to take the gels off. I used a basic cuticle oil to loosen the edges of the stickers. Next, I grabbed the included manicure stick to gently work the gels off my nails. The more oil you can get under the sticker, the better!
Removing the gels did not damage my nails at all. All the growth I gained while wearing them remained healthy and strong after removal! Next time I need to protect and strengthen my nails while they grow I'll definitely be using these again.
Final Thoughts
Though I started off skeptical, I truly love these gel nail strips. I can't wait to try more colors and patterns! My application skills will only get better and better 🙂 I'm thrilled with how easy they were to remove and how long they lasted. They're an excellent value for the price.
Pros
- Affordable - The starter kit is only $14 and comes with nail strips and a mini LED lamp. Additional sets of Glaze gel nail strips start at $11.
- Tons of color and pattern options - These nail gels are available at Ulta, but Dashing Diva's website has the most options!
- Long lasting - My nails lasted seventeen days. They definitely could have gone longer, too! They were still in god shape and stuck on tight when I decided to remove them.
- Strengthens and protects natural nails - My nails were really weak after my acrylics. These gels provided a protective barrier that shielded my damaged nails from further damage and allowed healthy new growth. The gels also didn't damage my nails at all when removed.
Cons
- Tedious to apply - Application was a long and somewhat tricky process. There's a bit of a learning curve, so I recommend watching a video or two before you put them on.
- Learning curve for best results - There are a few things I'd do differently next time. I tried to mention them all above so you don't make the same mistakes!
- Don't cure instantly - The gels still felt a little tacky after curing. They take a few hours to fully set, which can be frustrating. It's no different than a regular manicure, though.
- Light colors can be transparent - Look carefully at my photos above and you might notice what I mean. The blue especially is a bit translucent. It's not too noticeable, but I do wonder how it would translate to other colors/styles.
Let me know if you give these a try! I think they're a total game-changer, and I'm curious to hear what you think too 🙂 Feel free to ask any questions below! As always, thank you so much for reading. I'll see you soon!
xoxo,
Lindsay
