'Bling Up' my nails!

Hello wonderful readers, it's about time I revealed my latest obsession - nail deco/art/polish :D Recently I have been hauling new nail polishes and stickers (all to be shown in another blog post) that I have used to practice nail art... which I'm not so good at. A girl like me sadly lacks in the artistic skills department and feels that she will never improve :(

So, what is my resolution for nail decorating? To leave it to the experts. And by that I don't mean to go to a nail salon and get my nails done. I've never had my nails professionally done in a salon before, I just don't think it's necessary when I can purchase false nails with pretty designs and patterns on them. I know it can't compare to acrylics etc. but I'm really not fussed.

Let me introduce you to an online company that does 3D nail art and Japanese nail art - 'Bling Up'. I received a set of decorated nail tips to review and my gosh, they are stunningly gorgeous. Take a look for yourself:

This photo was not edited in anyway (only added watermark) and you can see the light reflecting off of my thumb!

I was really excited about receiving my first set of bling nails and since I've become more interested in Japanese styles, these are perfect for me. Just in case you didn't know, the bling trend is popular in many Asian countries, especially in Japan (bling nails, phone cases, cameras etc). These nails are just so pretty to look at, I love anything that sparkles! The pink ahh, my favourite colour =)

Not only was I extremely impressed with the nails but also the package itself when I received it in the mail :) I didn't expect it to be in a box - silly me thought it would arrive in a padded bag so I was surprised when I found the boxed package in my letterbox haha. It was sealed at every edge and corner with sticky tape and the only way I could open it was with a pair of scissors.

1. I neatly opened the box to find everything neatly placed inside!

2. Two separate packets, bubble wrapping around the box of nails

3. Each nail order comes with nail products such as glue, file, repair package and tape

4. Page of instructions of how to correctly measure your nails using the sizing kit

5. Opened box of nails, neatly aligned with a clear plastic protective cover

Pink French Nail Tips with Dots, 3D Bow Ribbons and Large Rhinestones - $43.99

US customers are eligible for FREE shipping with this product

I chose this design from their selection and they were made to perfectly fit my nails. I really appreciate their time and effort to design each one individually, it seems as though it would take quite a while and would require much patience.

The nails are stuck using a double-sided foam tape, on top of a spongy cushion for the box. This is quite a clever way of storing the nails as it very neat and easy to use (detach and stick back onto the tape). Inside the box there were replacement rhinestones, so convenient!

I ended up using the double-sided nail tape to put these nails on because I didn't want to have them glued as I would probably ruin them if I wanted to have them removed. And I don't want to ruin these nails... ever *_* Also, long nails like these aren't ideal for daily wear, though some may choose to wear them daily. With double-sided tape, the tips are stuck to my nails very tightly and comfortably without having to worry about them falling off. They stick amazingly well yet they can be removed quite easily with applied pressure and force. There is minimal sticky residue on your real nails after removing the tips :)

I'm impressed about how identical the designs are for both hands. Amazing nail artist ♥

The main reason for my choice of this design was because there were dots on a pink base which TOTALLY reminded me of Dolly Wink ^_^ I had always been interested in doing my own Dolly Wink/Tsubasa Masuwaka inspired nails but as I said before, I'm really not great with nail art - I don't have a lot of patience, I can't draw and I don't have a very steady hand =/ But now I don't have to worry anymore because I've got these awesome nail tips! No way would I be able to design something as pretty as this.

See the similarities with my French nail tips and my Dolly Wink eyeliner? Oh and the bows! Hehe

 If you don't like the flat edges or sharp corners, you can use the nail file to fix them to your liking

My thoughts on Bling Up:

They were very professional by responding promptly and addressing my name in each email. As they are a company based in the US, their emails were very formal with well-written, precise English. I received notifications about the nails being made and sent out which was great because it allowed me to be updated on my order. I think it took a little over a week to reach me which I had no problems with.

The service:

Each nail set is made to order so that they are created to perfectly fit the customer's nails. This is much better than purchasing a set of pre-made nails where only selected nail tips would fit. I guess it's the most sensible thing to do anyway because it would be such a waste to design various sizes of nail tips and send them all to the customer to fit themselves. I like how Bling Up allows people to fill in their nail measurements before adding a product to the cart. If they had this at the checkout then customers might forget to fill it out and yeah... it would cause unnecessary trouble for Bling Up. And if you didn't correctly measure your nails the first time, they send you a measuring kit with your first purchase. And if you did measure correctly, the kit is good for double checking. Most of all I like the nail package that comes with the nail tips. Great to have a new bottle of nail glue!

Bling Up = Just for nails?

Nope, not only Bling Up design for fingernails but also toenails! But other than nails they sell accessories, jewellery and DIY deco kits for cases for electronic devices. Here's what they have on their front page at the moment:

Halloween is in about a week's time so you might not be able to get an order in fast enough to receive your nails before Halloween (maybe if you live in the States). But even if you don't order, their designs could perhaps inspire you for your Halloween nail art :)

They also sell these cute furry pom pom ball accessories n_n

Pros and cons about Bling Up - Nails

+ Many designs to choose from

+ Custom-fit

+ First order comes with measuring kit

+ Neat packaging overall

+ Box storage gives protection

+ Free nail package with order

+ US customers are eligible for free shipping

+ Excellent customer service

+ Reasonable prices but - may be seen as pricey

- Flat edges and sharp corners = not ideal for me

It is evident that the positives outweigh the negatives and I must say that this is an unbiased review with no influence of receiving the package free of charge. I am unsure whether registered mail is an option but I assume that it would be. My package was not sent by registered mail which some may see as a flaw due to the products being of slightly high value and perhaps registered mail be compulsory for all orders. Honestly I am not fussed - registered mail is actually more troublesome for me!

Overall thoughts:

I was very satisfied and impressed with Bling Up's customer service and their attention to detail. It made me see that they put in a whole lot of effort and really care about their customers. I know the nail art bling is seriously impressive but I was actually more impressed with the way they dealt with me via email. I felt that they were friendly and professional at the same time, which to me is the perfect way to deal with customers. I highly recommend them and they are a company/store that can be trusted.

That's it to my review, I hope you found it interesting and/or helpful. Do let me know if you plan to purchase from Bling Up, I'd love to see which design you choose and how they'll look on your nails =]

One last picture of mine:

It's not common for people to wear nails like these in Western countries so I reckon one would either love them or hate them, since they're so 'out there'

My questjen of the week for you is:

Would you wear 'blinged' nails?

It doesn't matter if it's for a day/night or to wear everyday, I just want to know whether you would wear something like these out in public loud and proud. Everyone's taste is different, some may find these to be very tacky and whatnot but I still want to hear your thoughts.

As for me... I haven't had the chance to wear them out yet but for a night function I can see myself wearing these. The bling would look super pretty under shining lights, I can just imagine!

Be on the lookout for my next blog post which will be about my Halloween look!!