Staying Stylish in the Heat

This is our third summer in Oklahoma, and generally by this point in July we are stuck inside after 10 AM due to the oppressive heat, unless we are in the pool on base. Growing up I would have despaired at the thought of living somewhere that was regularly over 100 degrees, but after 12 years away from New England I have come a long way. Heck, today it's in the 80s and I'm wearing jeans! (And frankly, I really am a little cold. I have a feeling our first winter in Connecticut is going to be a rough one for me.)

This is by no means a fashion blog, but I have picked up a thing or two about staying stylish in the midst of a heatwave when your makeup will melt and the idea of wearing anything but a tank top is too much to bear.

Accessories are key. Add a statement something…necklace, earrings, bracelet, or my new go-to: bright nails!

A dear, dear friend of mine recently started selling Jamberry nails and asked if I would do a review on the blog. Since I hadn't gotten a chance to try them out yet, I jumped at the chance.

Now I am a klutz with manicures. I almost never make it out of the salon without messing up the finish, and they never last for more than a day or two. That means that unless I'm getting one of those gel manicures, I stick with pedicures. I was curious to see if I could actually get the Jamberry nails on properly myself AND if they would stand up to their claims of lasting up to 2 weeks on your hands.

I watched the application video below and read all the extra FAQ's about putting the wraps on, but when it came down to it, applying them was WAY easier than I had expected it to be.

                     


You start by cleaning the nail. I used the alcohol wipe included with my samples. Then you heat the wrap for a few seconds until it's flexible. My hair dryer was perfect for this.

Gently apply the wrap to your nail (avoiding getting any on your cuticle) and apply pressure to the wrap using the wooden cuticle stick or something like it, focusing on the top of your nail. Trim the excess off the end of the nail. Then alternate pressure and heat as you move from the top of the nail to the bottom pushing the wrap down. Once you reach the end of the nail, just file in a downward motion to remove any excess.

I used two wraps on each hand, and then painted the rest of my nails with a regular polish and topcoat so I could see how they compared. I made sure to do all the things that usually ruin my manicures-going to the pool, cooking and washing dishes, packing boxes, cleaning. Anything I could think of to mess it up.

The regular polish was so chipped by two days that it was driving me nuts. The wraps looked exactly the same as the day I put them on. I left them on for about a week, and then took them off to see how easy it would be to remove them.

A few seconds of heat from my hairdryer and they peeled right off. Super easy!

There are tons of colors and styles, ranging from crazy patterns to subtle french tips. They have a whole kids section that made me really wish I had a little girl to do this with. How fun would matching Mommy and Me nails be? (Ahh, the daydreams of a boy mom!)

Something else I loved? Several sets of wraps support charities, including one Autism Awareness wrap that donates to the Autism Society of America, a cause dear to our hearts.

If you want to know more, check out Jen's website and Facebook pages. She can answer any questions you have!

These were such a fun way to add a little "oomph" to my summer style! I can't wait to try some more.

I received a set of Jamberry samples to write this review, but all the opinions are my own! I would never share anything with you that I wouldn't purchase and use myself anyway.