For the past few months I’ve been eying the DIY caviar nails at Sephora and finally broke down and bought them. For $25 a pop, the Ciaté Caviar Manicure includes an irresistible ribbon-clad Ciaté polish and a bottle of tiny glass “caviar” beads. Let me start off by telling you, I really wanted to like this product.
On my first application, I followed directions and applied two coats of the light pink Ciaté polish and poured on the caviar beads. Instructions say to press down on the beads so they stick to the polish which is good idea in theory but poses a serious problem when the beads fall off when you touch them. With a recommended 15-minute dry time I waited 2 hours for my nails to set. Within minutes of normal wear and tear, the beads fell off. Not individually, in large very noticeable chips. I tried to salvage them by applying a clear top coat which didn’t work because the beads bleed color. I then tried using less clear topcoat and the beads looked normal, but fell off.
Next I used a clear polish as a base instead of the Ciaté polish. Didn’t work.
I decided to go all out and busted out the acrylic nail glue. I brushed on a thin coat of glue and poured on the beads. Although the beads stuck a little longer, my nails looked like a wreck after a day.
Here are some photos of right after I applied the caviar with acrylic glue. Cute, right?
After the acrylic adhesive fail, I scoured the internet for reviews and application tips and was surprised that the product has gotten so many great reviews. Don’t get me wrong, it looks amazing but I just can’t get it to stick.
The Ciaté Caviar Manicure is available at Sephora locations and online at sephora.com. If you try it out, let me know how it works and if you discover any life changing sticking secrets.
The Daily Glamourista 