Every now and then, a beauty product comes along and it actually makes your life simpler. Incoco is one of those products. When I was invited to the launch of this nail applique range - from the people who brought us Broadway Nails - a few weeks ago, I went more out of curiosity than anything else. I'm not madly into nails; I rarely get manicures and I've read about those stick-on Avon nails before, and thought they sounded crap and really cheesy.
Then I had Incoco nail transfers done on my own nails. Wow. Five coats of polish plus top and base coats are condensed into super-thin, flexible, sticky-on-one-side nail-shaped transfers. You select, from a large strip, the shapes that match your nails the best, peel off the backing, and smooth down onto to each nail. Immediately it looks like you've had a salon manicure, and all you need to do is smooth down the strip with your fingers and file off the excess using the supplied buffer. In no time, you've got 10 talons that do not look like you applied them yourself.
It's quite simply, a cinch. No mess - and most importantly, no fuss - means you can pretty much apply them anywhere too, with no worries about spilling polish or fecking up the result. You can apply over fakes and gels too, which is handy, and there are even pedi options too. Incoco is also seriously affordable - each pack costs a mere €6.99, and the brand is available now through Dunnes and pharmacies nationwide.
Colours? 16 shades are available including on-trend darks for Autumn, but the rest of the shades - barring a very fetching pink I'm currently wearing, and a bright red - are quite muted, with a lot of nudes and dusky pinks on offer. That's going to change though, and fashion-led shades will be added, as well as a french mani option. I'd love to see neons, personally, because they're so hard to apply perfectly.
So, do they last? 14 days apparently, but like all polish longevity claims, I take this with a large pinch of salt. What I do know is I applied a set on Saturday evening and they're still going strong - that's brilliant for me.
Advertised
I'm glad I got shown how to put them on, and if you'd like to see how to do it yourself, there's a wee graphic below explaining the steps, and the company are also holding demos in locations around the country too, with two going on this weekend. If you're in one of these areas - go, you'll be glad you did!
- Adrian Dunne Pharmacy, Unit 11 Tesco Shopping Centre, Ashbourne, Co. Meath, Friday 5th & Saturday 6th September 2008
- Mc Cauleys Pharmacy, Blackpool Shopping Centre in Cork Friday 5th & Saturday 6th September 2008 (I don't know exact times, so I'd suggest calling the stores and asking)
