Peeling off a layer of clothing can be sexy. Tugging at a dried, gummy face mask can lead to fewer blackheads [1]. Picking off your nail polish [2]? Yeah, there's nothing good on the other end of that sentence.
It's not that the act itself isn't fun (because oh baby, is it ever), but doing so can remove the top layer of the nail [3], leaving it brittle and more prone to breakage [4]. That's why, in my many years as a beauty editor, I've all but avoided polish [5] — especially of the glitter variety — entirely: I simply can't stop myself from ripping it off. Then, a slew of six sparkly Butter London [6] Peel-Off Nail Lacquers landed on my desk, claiming to safely peel away the color . . . no harm, no foul, no kidding.
A marvel idea, to be sure, but do they work? I swiped on three of the six shades, one of which you can see in action ahead, and couldn't believe how easily they lifted off. I didn't have to scratch at my nails, like you often do with gels, and it only took one satisfying pull to get the color off every time. It is worth noting that the scent is like polish remover on steroids — you can smell this stuff from two rooms away.
Still, for people who can't commit to a glitter mani for more than a few days or just can't seem to keep one on without picking it off, you can certainly see why these would be a-peel-ing. (Sorry.)
Before
This is Butter London's Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Black Magic before peeling it off.
After
The polish dries at lightning speed, but I waited at least 30 minutes to an hour before lifting it off.
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Aura
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Aura [7] ($12)
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Supernova
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Supernova [8] ($12)
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Glitz
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Glitz [9] ($12)
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Gold Rush
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Gold Rush [10] ($12)
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Galaxy
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Galaxy [11] ($12)
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Black Magic
Butter London Peel-Off Glitter Nail Lacquer in Black Magic [12] ($12)