Layla Magneffect Polish

After my odd fascination with magnetic polish was ignited, I just had to get more. Another line going mainstream is by an Italian brand called Layla with their Magneffect polish. They offer 16 beautiful shades but my wallet limited my purchase to three, at least on my first order.

Supposedly, you don’t need to use a base coat. My nails have gotten discolored one too many times from various polishes that I stillchose to use one. You only need to use one coat of the polish. Keep in mind that that one coat has to be slopped on to make the right effect. Put the magnet near your nail IMMEDIATELY since the polish dries pretty quickly, at which point it is too late to work. I found it easiest to use the magnet of a secondary polish nearby instead of fussing with trying to close and flip the brush of the one you are using.

The main difference with this brand is the magnet included and the design it makes. The magnet is actually glued to the top on the polish with a single black line across the middle. When you place the magnet over your nail, the direction of the line will control the angle at which the design will appear. I found this to be extremely hard and frustrating.

It was tough to get the angle how I wanted for each nail and get a good effect. The moment I did get it right it was all too easy to touch the top to my nail, therefore ruining it. You can always throw another coat on and try again but, since each coat has to be so thick, it ends up looking nasty and never drying fully. The above pictures were taken after I had given myself about 20 manicures (paint, use magnet, dry, remove, then paint, use magnet, dry, remove again, etc.) just to figure out how to do it right. Basically, get it right the first time or plan on starting from scratch over and over again.

The polish is thick and needs thinner added regularly. The lines are fairly far apart so this polish is pretty much a waste for those with short nails or children. I tried it on my daughter’s friend and you couldn’t see any design except for in one tiny corner. The brushes are coarse, pick other particles up quickly (like tissue fibers), and are not consistently even requiring you to trim a bristle or two.

CONCLUSION: Layla Magneffect polish comes in a wonderful variety of colors and I love the diagonal line design. Still, it’s a pain to work with and, unless you are totally skilled (which I am not), it’s close to impossible to get consistent results. Magnetic effect more visible on long nails. At $15-$16 a bottle, save your money and treat yourself to a professional manicure.

You can find it at online retailers such as Amazon and DrugStore.com (though Drugstore is HORRIBLE with packaging).