1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to coloured, self- adhesive fingernail foils which may be issued in substitution for nail polish.

2. Prior Art

Traditional nail polishes have a number of well-known disadvantages. When applying nail polish, the drying time is slow as up to four coats may be required (eg. a base coat, a colour coat and one or two clear cover coats), with the consequent danger of smudging the polish. After application, the polish is liable to be chipped or scratched, especially at the tips of the nails, and the damage cannot be easily repaired. Both the polishes and the polish remover damage the nails, at least in the longer term. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide fingernail foils which can be substituted for nail polish to provide colour to the user's nails.

It is a preferred object to provide such foils which are easy to apply, relatively long wearing and not susceptible to damage. It is a further preferred object to provide such foils which can be easily removed, when required, without the requirement for nail polish remover.

Other preferred objects will become apparent from the following description. In one aspect, the present invention resides in a coloured, self-adhesive, fingernail foil, to be applied to a fingernail as a substitution for nail polish, including: a planar, coloured, waterproof body having a layer of adhesive on an underside face to secure the

body to the nail.

Preferably, the body is formed of metal or plastics (eg. vinyl) sheet material having a maximum thickness of 0.2mm, more preferably 0.1mm, most preferably 0.05-0.08mm. Preferably, the foil is temperature stable in the range of -40°C to +90°C.

Preferably, the colour is provided throughout the thickness of the body.

Preferably, the adhesive is a contact adhesive on the underside face of the body, to releasably secure the body to the user's nail.

Preferably, the foils are provided in sheets in pre-cut form of different sizes, the user selecting the most appropriate pre-cut foil for each nail. Where the foil extends past the nail tip, the foil may be fitted to conform to the shape of the body to the shape of the nail using a nail file, emery board or the like.

In a second aspect, the present invention resides in a method of applying a foil as hereinbefore described to a nail, including the steps of:

(a) placing the body on the nail with the adhesive on the underside face in contact with the nail;

(b) rubbing or pressing the foil from the middle of the body towards the outer edges to secure the body to the nail without any wrinkles in the body; and

(c) optionally, filing the body at the tip of the nail to conform the shape of the body to the shape of the nail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG 1 is a plan view of a sheet of fingernail foils in accordance with the present invention; and FIGS 2 and 3 show the steps in applying the

foils to a fingernail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The fingernail foils 10 are die cut from a sheet of waterproof vinyl sheet 10, preferably 0.05- 0.1mm, more preferably 0.06-0.08mm thick (ie. approximately equal to the thickness of two coats of nail polish). (The foils may, alternatively, be cut from the sheet using an electronic film cutter.)

The sheet 20 is mounted on a backing sheet 21 and has a layer of contact adhesive of its underside to enable the sheet to be peeled from the backing sheet 21 and the foils 10 to be secured to the user's fingernail

30.

As shown in FIG 1, a plurality of foils 10 of (eg. ten) different sizes, with two foils per size, are cut from each sheet 20 to enable the user to select the most appropriate for each fingernail 30 to which the foils are to be applied.

A preferred sheet is the electronic vinyl film sold under the "Scotchcal" Trade Mark by the 3M Corporation. This film has a thickness of 0.07mm, can withstand temperatures in the range of -40°C to 90°C and does not shrink. The "Scotchcal" (Trade Mark) vinyl sheet comes in a wide range of colours and the colours extend throughout the thickness of the sheet.

As will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee, the foils 10 can be produced from other plastics and/or metallic sheet materials having the desired characteristics and performance. The user selects a foil 10 for each nail 30 and as shown in FIG 2, applies the foil 10 to the nail 30 using tweezers 40 so that the adhesive on the foil contacts the top surface 31 of the nail.

The user rubs the foil 10 outwardly from the centre, towards the side edges, so that the foil 10

adheres to the nail 30 without any wrinkles.

Using a file 50, the user shapes the foil 10 to conform to the shape of the nail tip 32.

When the user wishes to change the colour of her nails, or after the foils 10 have been in place for, eg. 7-10 days, the foils 10 can be peeled from the nail 30 without any damage to the nail 30.

The advantages of the foils of the present invention include: (a) nil drying time;

(b) no more smudging of polish;

(c) quick and easy application;

(d) consistent, deep colouring;

(e) durability of the foils; (f) the foils support the nail and make them stronger;

(g) the foils are waterproof; (h) the foils are easily peeled off; and (i) no nail polish remover is required. Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention defined in the appended claims.