3 in 1 'Nail Art' duo pen set by NPW, available at Topshop [REVIEW]

Back in December I was sent a duo pack of 'Nail Art' pens to review, designed and distributed by impulse-gift company NPW.

NPW's products are stocked in many stores across the UK, including Topshop, Paperchase, Urban Outfitters and John Lewis, and the company boasts an extensive product catalogue comprising more than 1,000 gifts. Check out npw.co.uk to see them all (I LOVE the look of the owl hand cream jars!)

The 'fluro yellow' version of this kit is currently available to buy from Topshop, for £7.50, along with a selection of other products from the 'Nail Art' brand (prices vary).

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Hot pink/silver 'Nail Art' duo pen review

The structure of each pen means this kit is quite versatile.

The side of the set's box.

The lid of each pen pulls off to reveal a nib...

...and the varnish barrel of each pen screws off, so each can also be applied using the traditional brush method.

A screw-chamber (that sounds like something from 50 Shades...) containing sparkly gemstones meanwhile, features at the opposite other end of each pen.

The silver nail art pen comes with silver gems, while the pink has, uh, pink. Go figure.

I have experimented with this kit quite a bit, and so I can inform you of both the pros and cons of this product.

Note the shakiness - I need practise! 

More wobbly application. I don't bite my nails any more but they do snap an awful lot...

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Nail Art pen set - The Pros

• As I mentioned before, the kit is quite versatile. My various nail designs pictured above should demonstrate this nicely. 

• £7.50 isn't a bad price to pay for those new to nail art (a hobby which has regained popularity amongst beauty fans in the last year), looking to experiment without investing too much money. 

• The crystal gems included in each pen are very shiny  and made of glass, not plastic as I originally suspected. Pretty! 

• The pens sit comfortably in the hand, making application of the varnish via nib, or brush, a breeze. 

• The box in which the pens are supplied is attractive, meaning this Nail Art set would definitely make a great gift. The inclusion of hot pink and silver varnishes makes me think this kit would be most appreciated by the younger end of the teenage girls' spectrum. 

Nail Art pen set - The Cons

Every product has its downsides...

• Unfortunately, the nail varnishes are not strong enough to securely hold the gemstones in place. In the images above, I have secured the gems using some nail glue remaining from a set of false nails I bought previously. 

• The ingredients contained in the nail varnishes seem to separate fairly easily. As such, a vigorous shake /energetic stir is required before every use, to ensure smooth, even application. 

• You have to be careful to remember to open the varnish chamber the right way - opening it upside down sees things get really messy (not everyone is as much of a klutz as I am though!)

Overall I think this is a pretty nifty gift - I'm going to have lots of fun experimenting with these pens more in the future!

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Have you ever used a Nail Art product? Will you be keeping an eye out for such during your next Topshop visit?

/KatSick.