Review & Tutorial: Pupa Milano Magnetic Nail Art Kit in Red

Unless you have spent the last months living on another planet, you should be aware that the latest nail polish trend is Magnetic Nail Polish.  Most nail polish companies have come out with their different colour propositions and magnets to create the different effects and Pupa Milano was no exception! Medimports, the distributors of Pupa Milano in Malta, have kindly permitted me to experiment with this new trend thanks to their Magnetic Nail Art Kits!

Out of the 9 shades available, I chose Red and I'm really pleased with my choice as the actual colour is a nice berry red that is very on-trend at the moment!  Each kit comes in a very professional looking box and it contains a 5ml bottle of polish, two individually wrapped magnets (one to create diagonal lines & the other to create horizontal lines) as well as an instruction leaflet in 5 languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish & Russian).

Although the nail polish is small, it will last you a long time as the formula is quite thick (mainly because it contains metallic particles) and just one coat is enough for the polish to be completely opaque.  It is important that you shake the polish well before use as since the metallic particles are relatively heavy, they will sediment at the bottom of the bottle if it is left to stand.  Thereby, if the particles are not evenly distributed, you may fail at achieving the magnetic effect.  Moreover, the nail polish can still be used as a regular polish with a metallic finish if you so desire; just apply one thick coat, leave to dry and seal it with some top coat!

Metallic particles sediment at the bottom when polish is left to stand for a long time

All Pupa Magnetic Polishes (image from press presentation)

Left to Right: Fuchsia, Red, Blue, Silver, Black, Green, Khaki, Purple & Brown 

As for the magnets, I like the fact that the kit comes with two different ones however, I think I would have preferred it if there was a different design such as a star for example instead of two striped designs.  Having said that, I still like how both the horizontal and the diagonal lines look.  Also, they are very easy to work with thanks to their curved shape which fits nicely on your fingers.

Onto the application! First and foremost, the polish cap is very ergonomic and allows for easy application and the brush is also nice to work with.  Here is a quick step by step tutorial as to how to use the Pupa Milano Magnetic Nail Art Kit.

1. Start off with a base coat to protect your natural nails and leave to dry thoroughly.

2. As I said earlier, one coat of polish is enough but make sure you apply thick enough otherwise, the magnetic effect cannot be exhibited.  

3. Working quickly while the polish is still fresh, position the magnet slightly over the nail taking care not to touch the polish so as not to ruin the design.  Leave the magnet in the same position for 10 seconds.  Make sure you position the magnet in the correct way with the arrow pointing towards you.  I advise to work one nail at a time and shake the bottle in between to make use that no metallic particles will start to settle down.

4. By now, the magnetic effect should be visible on the nail. Allow more time for the nail polish to dry fully before applying a top-coat to seal in your design.

I quite like the end results achieved with this kit and I found it really easy to use, considering this is my first time working with magnetic nail polish.  I also like that the polish dries quickly and the magnetic effect is achieved in a short time. 

How both designs look on my nails

For those who want to jazz up their nails further, check out this video for a few more nail art ideas that can be achieved without masking the magnetic effect:

With regards staying power, the polish has lasted for a whole week on me before there was some tip wear. Here is a picture of my manicure just before I took it off without any retouching:

Lastly, a point worth mentioning, is that the polish is easily removed with your regular acetone free polish remover and it didn't stain my nails as can be seen from the next picture.

Pupa Magnetic Nail Art Kits retail for €10.50 and are available in leading pharmacies, beauty stores and perfumeries across Malta & Gozo.

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PR Sample