2-way Nail Art Pen by Nail Star -- is it Right for You?

Detailed nail designs are no longer reserved for the licensed nail technician or salon manicurist. Although there are other competitive brands that also produce nail art pens, this review will be specifically about the 2-way Nail Art Pen & Brush by Nail Star. All accounts are a result of a personal purchase & experience using the product for more than a month.

Product Description
Nail Star has main offices in South Korea & England. The set I purchased from EBay.com is a 24 bottle set of nail polishes that have a 2-way nail art pen & brush making it possible for an amateur nail artist to create their own intricate nail designs. Various EBay sellers offer the 24 color set of the nail art pens/brushes. Prices ranged from $11.43 to $22.98 which also includes shipping fees.

The unique feature of Nail Star's nail polish is that it allows for the use of both a thin nail art brush and a nail pen. By uncapping the cover, a hollow metal tip is exposed constituting the 'nail art pen.' By replacing the cover and unscrewing the cap, the striper brush or nail art brush is revealed. The bottle itself is made out of plastic and contains about .20 fl oz of nail polish. The colors range from frosts, cremes, dark & light shades and even glitter polishes. Taped to each bottle is a small metal wire, thin enough to pass through the nail pen's hollow tip for the purposes of unclogging the tiny hole that allows nail polish to flow through.

Pros
1. The two methods of application is a "plus." One is able to create dots, curved lines, swirls and even circles with the nail pen method. These are popular nail art decos found in today's current nail designs & abstract nails. It allows the nail artist to incorporate detail into a nail design versus the standard wand brushes found in most nail polishes.

2. The thin nail art brush is excellent in creating additional detail as well as the thin strokes commonly seen in nail designs.

3. The cost of the product is clearly for the nail art enthusiast on a budget. When broken down, the cost of one Nail Star bottle of polish range from $0.47 to $0.96 each.

4. The wide variety of colors available is also an advantage of the Nail Star 24-piece set. With cremes, frosts and glitter polishes, the array of colors present ample selection to incorporate into a nail design.

5. Lessens time to finish a detailed nail art design.

6. Once empty, bottles can be easily refilled & reused.

Cons
1. The seller on EBay was located in China, so the average arrival of delivery advertised was 10-20+ days after shipping for international addresses. Unfortunately, my experience with this particular seller led to 60+ days for actual delivery. Despite the sellers' offer to refund my payment, I would have really preferred to just receive what I ordered.

2. Because the hollow tip is narrow, obstruction of the flow is commonplace. It clogs as a result of the nail polish drying within the pen tip.

3. The small wires provided to unclog the pen tips are flimsy & easily bend out of shape. Because they are so small, they are also easily misplaced.

4. Although the glitter polishes are amazing and sparkly, the glitters are too large to pass through the pen tip. The pen tip either clogs up or only the runny clear polish manages to flow through.

5. The nail art brushes are randomly uneven. The brush hairs can be pulled apart by manually pinching & pulling them out of the wand.

Overall, this product indeed allows the nail artist to create curves, swirls & dots with ease at a very low price. It lessens the time required to create those abstract details versus traditional dotting tools, acrylic paints, etc. Because of the exceptionally low price paid to obtain these tools, the Nail Star disadvantages are actually tolerable. For those with a little patience, Nail Star's 2-way Nail Art Pens may be a bargain. To those who are quickly frustrated by possible interruptions such as a blocked nail polish flow or shedding brush hairs, Nail Star may not be your choice of nail art pen. As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for."