I am absolutely obsessed with nail art – problem is, save for Konad nail stamping, I really can’t do it myself. Plus, I don’t want to pay someone to do it – especially since a professional manicure won’t last me for more than a week.
Over the weekend, after mindlessly looking at nail art on Tumblr, I decided to bite the bullet and buy Sally Hansen’s Nail Art Pen at Walmart for $7. I may not be a nail art pro with a brush, but with an easy-to-use pen? I thought I could make that work.
You can basically find these pens at any drugstore in the nail aisle. They come in a bunch of different colors (I went for black) including silver, white and pink. Fifteen minutes after purchasing mine, I was back at my apartment and ready to start drawing amazing (or, you know, kind-of cool) patterns on my nails.
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My Experience:
The nail art pen is exactly what it sounds like – an actual pen with a pointy tip. If you’ve ever used a felt-tip marker or a concealer pen, you know what you’re doing.
My one gripe with the pen is that it took a while for the product to get to the tip – I actually thought it was defective at first. However, once it’s running, the pen really gives you a perfect amount of nail polish – enough to draw with but not too much so that it will run.
The color was also super-opaque, which is a huge plus. I had my roommate write letters on each of my already-painted nails (thanks, MB!) which took all of five minutes and looked great and seemed to dry pretty fast. Because I didn’t want the polish to run, I decided to wait an extra-long time (45 minutes) before applying top coat, during which I just lazed around watching Spice World.
When I was ready to apply top coat, I saw that almost all of my ‘nail art’ had somehow wiped off, even though I hadn’t done anything that would have caused that to happen – annoying, right? After another quick application, however, and top coat ten minutes after that, my polish plus the nail art stayed put for the same time as a regular manicure.
Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen Review:
This should be obvious, but Sally Hansen’s Nail Art Pen did not make me a nail art pro. It did, however, give me an easy way to make basic designs like dots or stripes on my nails.
If you’re decent at drawing, I would definitely recommend trying one of these pens. If you’re really, really good, then you can just buy a special paint brush – the girls from Hey, Nice Nails! use a 12/0 Round Brush ($5.48 at Amazon) for their fine detail. Since I’m not so artistic, I’m not sure I’d buy one of these again – at least until I get better at using the one I have.
Overall, if you’re looking for a fun way to change up your nails, then buy one of these pens – they’re definitely worth it – but understand that nail art isn’t easy and it’ll take lots of trial and error to get right! And make sure to use a top coat – this stuff can easily wipe off if you don’t.
What do you guys think?
Would any of you use this nail art pen? Have any of you tried it? Tell me everything and more in the comments!
Annabelle. It works if you use a pin in the top of the pointy bit because it unlocks it. It is a really good product. Will be buying some again
It was good to start with, but then I didn’t use it for a while and so now it doesn’t work.. really annoying!
Was not impressed to start with… but then i read on here to put on the top coat immedietly, and it turns out that it is AMAZING with immediate top coat… i have the white btw
I have used these very often.After about 6 months of trial and error and some really professional designs. (I have started doing how-to videos on youtube, I posted my very own how to design video!) Here are some tips to maximize and make this product work better for you!
1.) Shake for like 3 minutes vigorously before using.
2.) Take a piece of paper and press lightly to test it out and get the consistency you would like so you don’t get that runny color. It works well and once you get a feel for how to use it, you will see that the consistency starts to work well.
3.) Apply a background color and all to dry ALL THE WAY, then apply. (You can even buy a quick nail drying solution to speed up the process, check with a local pharmacy, nail salon, or beauty supply store.)
4.) After drawing your design, wait for about 5-10 minutes before adding a top coat and use maybe 2-3 layers of top coat. One at a time. It will not come off easily then. The thing is, when you do designs on nails, no matter what you use, you should always use a top coat to protect from scratching, fading in sun and chipping!
Your nails will take time, its like art, you have to work at it to make a masterpiece. Once you get the hang of it it works well and it is like riding a bike and you can create anything. Seriously. The product works I think the consumers need a little heads up with help on using it!
I didn’t like this either. The polish disappears almost instantly.
Interesting…I wish there was a picture!