Abstract: Waterless thin adhesive films bearing ink or pigment are transferred by pressure and/or heat (e.g. body heat) without using water to release the film from the backing. Excess film on the skin adjacent the sides or cuticle is not a problem, as this can be wiped clean following a top coat cure on the nail. Because the waterless thin adhesive is already dry and clean, a greater number of top coat formulations can be applied to the film remaining on the nail without delay to secure the film, providing an effective and durable nail covering lasting longer (up to 3 weeks in some cases) without losing its shine or decorative benefits.

Abstract: Transfer nail coating application strips have an adhesive layer that is attached to a clean and dry nail without water, and can be immediately encapsulated with any type of top coat for nails. An ink layer bonded to the adhesive layer can have any desired color and/or pattern. When the strips are larger than the nail, the adhesive layer and the ink layer will completely cover the nail and tear at the edges of the nail with a remainder of the layers attached to a base layer of the strips when removed from the nail after application.