How Many Ways Can You Divide a Sheet of Jams?

There are sooo many ways to cut up a sheet of Jams! Everyone has their own way that works best for them. How you cut them up depends on your nail length, nail width, and whether you'd rather do more manis, more pedis, or both. Here are a few examples of various ways you can cut up a sheet. Play around and see what works best for you! Just remember, the key to a good application is to use a wrap that's a little narrower than your nail. If there isn't one the perfect size, just take a slightly bigger one and trim down the sides until it fits! All of my examples here are counting on doing that.

First, here's the standard way that most people recommend. You get two manis and two pedis this way. However, I'm not a fan of this method. I don't like that you cut up one of the big wraps for your little toes. I'd rather save the biggest wraps for my thumbs and big toes because then I can get more out of a sheet! Plus, the fifth one in (from the left) is way too small for my thumbs. I use the second or third one for that. And my nails are fairly short, especially the little ones, so I can easily have lots of little pieces left over, but I don't get much of the big ones left over, so I use the big ones as sparingly as possible.

This is how I do it. And it probably looks pretty complicated. It's not really when you actually do it. Because I won't be cutting all of these pieces up at once. I'll cut out a mani, put it on, do a pedi, do another mani sometime...each time, I just sparingly and very carefully cut out what I need for what I want to do. And sometimes I'll mix and match leftovers with another sheet, which divides things up differently again. I won't do exactly like this every time, but this gives you an idea of what you can get if you have short nails and you're really careful!

If you just want to do pedis and no manis, you can do that too! This one shows you how you can get 4-6 pedis out of one sheet. The fifth and sixth ones will only work if you have narrower big toenails.

Alternatively, if you want to do only manis and no pedis, there are a few options for how to do that. I've heard a lot of people ask "I never do my toes. Why doesn't Jamberry sell just mani packs without the toe wraps?", and here's the answer: they don't have to! Here are three different ways that I've come up with. Again, it all depends on the size and shape of your nails!

Jamberry Wrap Finishes - Glossy, Matte, Tint, Metallic, or Sparkle?

You may have noticed that Jamberry has a lot of options for what sort of finish to get on their wraps. The current options are Glossy, Matte, Tint, Metallic, and Sparkle. Here's a graphic that does a good job showing how they all differ in appearance:

One of the most important things to know about the different finishes is how thick or thin they make the wraps, and how much heat they need. Sparkle is the thickest (but not chunky thick, just a little thicker than the rest), and matte is the thinnest and most delicate. Sparkle needs the most heat (up to 10 or 11 seconds) to warm up the wrap before putting it on, matte needs 3-4 seconds, and the others need about 7-9 seconds. 

Some people find that matte is really delicate and the tips can wear faster, but matte and tint are probably the easiest to get on smoothly (and I love matte!). Metallic and sparkle can be a little bit trickier to get on smoothly, but a lot of people find them really strong and long-lasting (and the sparkles are just so gorgeous!). The main things for getting a smooth application with any finish are to use enough heat and to use a wrap that's a little narrower than your nail - that should take care of most problems. I haven't actually had any special issues with the sparkle and metallic, but I did make sure I got those sparkle wraps good and hot before I put them on! And if I get any wearing at the tips of my nails, I just file them back down. I've generally found that all of the finishes last about equally long for me (I usually keep mine on 10-14 days), and I like them all!

If you want to know a little more about what those finishes look like on hands, let me show you (my apologies for showing you mostly pictures of retired wraps...)

This is a metallic wrap. It's really shiny! This is the color of the metallic rose gold wrap.

This is a glossy wrap. You can see how it's sort of...glossy. Most of Jamberry's wraps are glossy.

This is a matte paired with a glossy. The chevron is glossy, and the reindeer are matte. I love the matte finish! It's so smooth and delicate, almost like fine china. And it's great for small, detailed patterns because you don't lose any of the detail behind the shine! You can just see it clearly all the time. And these lasted just as long as any of my other manis.

This is a sparkle wrap with a pattern printed over it. I really like the sparkles! They are sooo sparkly and pretty in person!

I haven't tried any of the tints yet, but here's one of Jamberry's pictures of them. This is an ombre tint called "It's Complicated". The tints really are just tinted with color, and they're a little translucent. They do a great job of mimicking gels!

If you have a consultant, please order from her, but if you don't (or if I'm your consultant, of course), you can order from me at www.jambunnies.jamberrynails.net/shop. Your order ships directly to you! And don't forget that there's always a Buy 3 Get 1 Free deal!

Jamberry Spring Designs

Jamberry has many, many beautiful designs for spring! Just look at some of these :)

This is "Sunday Brunch" paired with "Get Hoppy". I really enjoyed wearing these! I kept them on for over two weeks because I didn't want to part with them!

This next design is "Get Hoppy" by itself. I've had it on my toes for about a month now. And now it's on my hands :)

...and now you know where the name "JamBunnies" comes from.

This one is "Vintage Chic", a really pretty, feminine design. This is what was on my hands before "Get Hoppy":


"Blushing Floral". This one is sooo pretty!

 

And "Spring Fling" is a fun, happy design. I've ordered this one for myself!


This is "Egg-cellent". This one is so much fun.


Jamberry's image of "Get Hoppy" on hands! Have I mentioned I like this one?

This is a really cute combo of "Sweet Whimsy", "Sunny Lotus", and "Teal Mini Polka".

This "Mint Green and Gold Stripe" is really elegant, classy, and fun.


And "Fresh Fern". This is one of my favorites.

And look! Butterfly nails! This is "Butterfly Effect". There's also a sparkly purple one called "Butterfly Kisses".

If you don't already have a consultant, you can shop for all of these and more on my website at www.jambunnies.jamberrynails.net/shop! And don't forget that there's always a Buy 3 Get 1 Free deal!

How to Make Your Jamberry Pedicure Last Even Longer!

You might already know that Jams last an incredibly long time, but I'm going to show you how to make them last even longer! When they grow out, you can reheat them and slide them back down! How cool is that? I haven't managed to get them hot enough on my fingernails for this work, but I do it on my little toes all the time (seems smaller nails are easiest to do this with). So, here's how to make your Jamberry pedicure last even longer:

These have been on my toes about a month. See how grown out the little toes are? The first thing you do is heat them up. Use whatever heating method your prefer.

When they're nice and warm, gently push on the wrap. If it doesn't move very easily, heat it up a little more. It shouldn't be sliding all over the place, though that can happen, but it should move without too much resistance.

One down!

There, they've all been slid down. Now you just need to trim off the ends of your nails that are showing beyond the wraps.

All done! Welcome to a brand-new-looking pedicure! I usually keep mine on for 6 weeks. I do let the big toe just grow out because I just usually cant get it to slide down. But, you can trim your nails even if they have wraps on them, so I'll do that.

P.S. The pattern here is "Get Hoppy", and, if you don't already have a consultant, you can get it on my site here: www.jambunnies.jamberrynails.net/product/get-hoppy

Mother's Day Gift Sets!

*UPDATE: This is now available! Get yours before they're gone! www.jambunnies.jamberrynails.net/product/ruby--rose

Great news! Jamberry has a new Mother's Day Gift Set! It will be launched next Wednesday, March 25 at 10 a.m. MDT!

The Ruby & Rose gift set will contain three beautiful exclusive wraps that pair perfectly with the exclusive Ruby lacquer. And the Home Office says "We believe that mothers make our lives sweeter so we are sweetening the box with a bag of delicious peppermint taffy." How great is that? Plus, there will be some more goodies in the box, some of them specially for doing a pampering pedicure.

Here's everything you will find in the Ruby & Rose gift box:

-Ruby lacquer

-3 exclusive nail wraps: Rose, Dearest, Delight

-6 ounce bag of peppermint taffy

-2 toe separators

-Pumice stone with brush

-Mother's Day postcard

-Nail file

-Orange stick

If you want one, hurry while they're still available! Gift sets usually go pretty quickly!

  

How to Choose Your French Tips

French Tips. They're a great, classy look. And Jamberry has so many options for them! You can see them all here: www.jambunnies.jamberrynails.net/category/french-tips

Here are most of the options:

But you'll notice that all of them come in three different lengths. How do you choose which length to get?!

Let's start with the basics: long French tips are for long nails, medium for medium, short for short. It all depends on the length of the clear part of the design. If you have long nails, you'll want more clear. If you have short nails, you want less. But how do you know just how long or short your nails are?

A handy guide is to measure your nails against a dime, then compare that with how this dime lines up with this image:

If you're in any doubt about which length to go with, go with the long. Here's one of my fingers lined up with some long french tips. See how there's excess clear at the bottom? I can just cut that away and make the wrap the perfect length for my nail. You can always cut away extra clear, but you can't add any!

I think my fingers are medium size, but I will probably always get the long ones, just to be on the safe side. And I'm very tempted to get some orchid tips (see below). Aren't they pretty?

How I Remove My Jams (Jamberry Removal Tutorial)

Now that we've covered how to put Jamberry nail wraps on and you have fabulous nails, you probably need to know how to take them off. Let me show you how I do it. Again, one of my favorite things about Jams is that nail polish remover is not required! Like with putting them on, the main ingredient for taking them off is HEAT!

To start with, here are some 11-day-old wraps. They still look pretty good, don't they? Seems a shame to take them off...

First, heat them up. Heat them up really well. Use a mini-heater, a hair dryer, a rice baggie, anything that will get some good heat into them without burning or scalding yourself. Once you've heated them through, gently start breaking the seal around the edges and lifting them up. You won't always get as much up as there is in this picture.  Only peel up what will come up easily! If you feel any resistance at all, stop. The adhesive is so strong that it can peel your nail if you try to pull it up too soon.

Now that the seal around the edges is broken, I like to soak my fingertips in hot water with a little oil mixed in. I use mostly water because it's easier to get to the right temperature, and it's cheaper than oil. The little bit of oil keeps my skin from getting too beaten up by the hot water (again, not so hot that it's scalding). The oil also helps to neutralize the adhesive and makes it easier to slide your opposite nail back and forth behind the wrap to peel it off. So, keep gently working on each wrap a little at a time until it comes off. When you meet resistance, stop, let it soak, and move on to the next wrap. Just work on each one in turn.

And then you're done! And you should have nice, clean nails with no damage! The main keys to having no damage are heat and patience. You might have to do a little final cleaning or buffing if there's any adhesive left, and then you can put on some new wraps!

How I Apply My Jamberry Nail Wraps (Jamberry Application Tutorial)

One of the great things about Jams is that there are many different methods for putting them on! You need four main ingredients: clean nails, heat, pressure, and heat. And then you can find your own style of putting them on that works best for you. This is how I do it.

Phase One:

Get the wraps cut to size.

I like to cut out all of the nails that I'm going to use at once. I'll often do this in the morning, then apply them at night.

The first thing you need to do is to pick the wrap that's the right size for your nail. Pick the one that is slightly smaller than your nail. You want a little bit of a gap between the Jam and your skin on the sides.

Next, put some tape on your nail and mark the beginning and end of your nail. Give yourself a little bit of extra length in case you have to trim a little off to get it the right shape.

I like to get a precise length because that means I have more left over in the middle!

Put the tape on the wrap that you've chosen for that nail. Normally, I would line up the bottom line with the bottom of the wrap, but I know I need to cut most of that bottom curve off for my thumb. 

Do not put the tape on the front side of the wraps! You might wind up pulling the wraps off the backing, and you don't want that.

Now, take out your scissors and cut the wrap out. You will want curved nail scissors for all of the trimming you'll do to the wraps (next step). They make it a lot easier to get smooth curves at the cuticle end.

After cutting out the wrap, peel the tape off the backing, and hold the wrap up to your nail. Don't peel off the backing! Look at the wrap carefully and determine how closely it matches the shape of your nail bed. If it doesn't match, make a mental note of the parts that need to be trimmed. 

Trim the wrap to the shape of your nail. Trim as little as possible, and only do it if you have to. It's really easy to overdo it! Keep trimming and comparing until it's just right. (I held the wrap in place with tape for this photo - you can see how the bottom of the wrap now matches my nail bed).

Repeat for the rest of your nails.

And there you go! you have all of your nails cut out and ready to stick on! You can either put them on now, or I sometimes put mine in a ziploc bag and put them on later in the day.

Phase Two:

Apply the Jams!

It's best to do this at night, after all the chores are done. The adhesive needs a little time to set and become fully waterproof. If you wash the dishes or go swimming too soon after you apply your wraps, they can come off. If you apply them at night, they set overnight and you're ready to go in the morning!

First, push back your cuticles. All of them. And make sure you get rid of the invisible cuticles. If you don't, you'll wind up applying the wraps to your skin, and they will not stick (or not for long).

Wipe down your nails with rubbing alcohol to get them nice and dry and clean.

You can also use nail polish remover for this, but make sure it's the kind without conditioners in it. Conditioners will make your application worse!

Take the wrap you've cut out for that finger and use tweezers to peel the backing off.

Never touch the adhesive side with your fingers! Oils from your skin will neutralize the adhesive (which is why you just cleaned your nails with rubbing alcohol).

Heat the wrap up. Most wraps need 5-7 seconds of heat. Heat them until they look a little soft and flimsy.

And yes, I'm holding my wrap up to a mug. That's my heat source. I fill a mug with boiled water, and it gets nice and hot and works pretty well! Make sure you don't stick the adhesive side to it, though :p

I've found that I have much smoother applications if I really heat the wrap up well.

I forgot to get a picture of this with my thumb...but now, take the heated wrap and place it on your nail. Get it as close to your cuticle as you can. And be aware that you can't peel it up after you press it on. Make sure the wrap does not overlap with your skin. If you do wind up having the wrap extend over your skin when you press it down, take your nail scissors and cut that part off.








Firmly press the wrap all around your nail, especially the edges, to get it sealed to your nail. Then push your finger into a plastic bag (like a ziploc bag). This helps provide pressure, especially at the tips.

With your nail in the bag, hold it to a hot rice baggie (or a microwavable teddy bear, in this case). You can make something for this pretty easily by filling an old, clean cotton sock with rice. Get it hot in the microwave, but not so hot that it starts burning!

And there you go! You have a wrap sealed to your nail! Do this for the rest of them.

One hand done!

Let the wraps cool a little bit before trimming the ends. They shrink as they cool, so you may have a white line at your tips if you trim them too soon and they shrink down. 

After they've cooled a little, file them down. Some people like to clip them, but it works better for me if I file them. I get a smoother finish. And I file at a 45° angle in a downward direction.

Keep filing until the excess of the wrap comes off.

You're done! Now, just a word about sizing. See how I have a gap between my wrap and the edge of my fingernail in these two pictures? That's actually perfect. You'll never notice it unless you have your nails two inches from your nose, and you'll have a much smoother, less bubbly/ripply application than you would if the wraps were too big.

Done! Now you have pretty nails! And by the way, this design is called Vintage Chic. You can get it here: http://www.jambunnies.jamberrynails.net/product/vintage-chic (if you already have a consultant, use her site. If you don't, I'm happy to serve you!)