Review: Lippmann Collection Stripper To Go

Disclosure: PR sample

Sarah and I love a bit of Lippmann, not least because they make some of the most original, unusual, gorgeous glitter polishes we've ever seen.  Glitter polishes, beautiful as they are, are a bugger to remove, requiring lots of scrubbing with harsh polish removers to get the nail totally clean.  I'm not sure if the Lippmann Collection Stripper To Go finger mitts were designed with glitters in mind, but they sure do help loosen up even the heftiest of glitter polish applications.

Essentially, these are little pockets of cotton, saturated with polish remover.  You stick your finger inside, and whilst you remove polish from your other nails with the outside of the mitt, the remover on the inside is soaking into your lacquer and making it easier to remove.  Randomly, they're lavender scented - in the name of fair experimentation I had a good sniff, and after I'd finished coughing I did indeed detect a trace of lavender after the polish-remover-smell had disappeared.

Supposedly, each mitt will remove ten fingers worth of polish (or eight fingers and two thumbs for the pedantic).  I'm sure this is true for non-glitter varnishes; there's plenty of remover soaked into the mitt itself, and the dual soaking/scrubbing action is sure to help remove every last drop of (normal) lacquer.  For heavy glitters, though, you're unlikely to get everything off with the one mitt - by moving it from finger to finger, however, you get enough loosening of glitter to reduce the number of cotton pads + normal remover used.

At £14 for 6 sachets, each containing a single mitt, this definitely isn't a cheap way to remove your polish.  Compared to the cost of using normal cotton pads and remover, these are undoubtedly expensive, and given that they're not going to fully remove a really sticky, glitter manicure, they're not something you absolutely desperately need in your life.  That said... I really like them.  Mostly because they're so very portable - if you wanted to be able to remove your polish quickly if it chips, popping one of these in your bag is much, much easier than conventional cotton pads and remover, or even pre-soaked thin cotton pads in a pot.  

So, while this isn't a product I'll be clamouring to buy regularly, I can see myself buying the odd pack for travel - particularly as I find it very difficult to leave a manicure alone once it chips, and can scratch off a chipping polish application quite quickly, damaging the nails underneath.  If you'd like to try these for yourself, you'll find them at House of Fraser's Apothecary, where they will cost £14 for 6 sachets.  These (and the glorious Lippmann nail colours) should be available online in early January.

What do you think?  Worth the price for portability?  Waste of cash?  Let us know in the comments!