BestSkinsEver iPhone Protection {Review}

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I got an iPhone 4 right around when the iPhone 5 was coming out. Obviously when there is a new product release, companies want to get "old" product off the shelves to make room for the new stuff. When I got the phone I already had a case that a friend had given me because it didn't work for her. I did get some screen protectors though. I've known me for a long time and I knew that phone needed all the protection it could get!!
The first screen protector was put on by the guy at the Verizon store and I replaced it once after that. There were always a few bubbles and loose corners in those screen protectors. The case I had actually cracked and I bought another one off a different friend. I have dropped my phone a few times, but it only has one little mark in the corner because I was stupidly carrying it without the case for some reason.
I am not easy on electronics. I honestly try to take good care of them and I teach my kids to do the same. Inevitably, I get careless though and things happen. I'm actually surprised at how well my phone has fared considering my track record and the amount of use it gets; from me and from the kids.
When I saw the opportunity to review something to protect my phone, I jumped at the chance. Anything extra I can do to keep my phone in good condition is awesome in my book. A case is nice to protect your device from being dropped (but obviously not a perfect solution), where a Skin is meant to give protection against scratches.
I was sent this Skin for my iPhone 4 from BestSkinsEver to review. This Skin is regularly priced at $8.99, which I think is very reasonable. As I mentioned earlier, I had a screen protector on my phone and that is honestly what I was expecting to get for this review. This product turned out to be much more than a screen protector and I was very impressed.
I'll be honest, the time between being accepted for the review and receiving the product was much longer than I have been accustomed to. However, communication was good and I am going to chalk it up to them making sure they sent me the exact product I needed. They did email me to be sure that they knew exactly which kind of phone I had because their skins are tailored specifically to each device. I have also contacted their customer service to ask a few questions and was responded to quickly and professionally.

See all the pieces?

I received two skins, instructions and helpful tips. I read through the instructions to make sure I knew what I was doing and then I got started. I honestly meant to make a video of the whole installation, but the first part of it got deleted on accident and the second part is very long, so I'm kind of glad I don't have the whole thing.
The application is not terribly difficult but it can be a bit confusing because there are lots of different pieces to apply. I started with the back since that was the largest, least complicated piece. You spray your hands and the Skin with a solution of 1/4 tsp. dish soap and 1-1/4 cups water in a spray bottle. This solution keeps the Skin from sticking to your hands and prevents you from leaving fingerprints on it.

This spray bottle usually holds "Monster Spray" AKA nothing

After you spray your hands and the Skin, you apply it to the correct place on your device. It does not adhere right away which gives you the chance to wiggle and smooth it into the correct location. The pieces are very precise, so it does take some careful attention to detail to get them in the right spots. The good news is that means your phone is very precisely protected!
After you have applied all the pieces and carefully squeegeed the water away from your phone, the directions say to let it cure for 24 hours. That's the hardest part of the whole application!! I did have to take my phone with me fairly soon after I finished applying the Skin, but I handled it as little as possible and none of the pieces shifted. Now, three days later, the Skin is fully adhered to my phone. Immediately after I finished there were a few tiny bubble in areas that would not affect my view, but now they have mostly gone away. I lifted a small corner to see what happened and it went back into place fine and does not seem to have lost any adhesiveness in that spot. I also ran my fingernail along the back of the phone with as much pressure as I could. It left a mark that was completely gone within three minutes.
I'm going to go ahead and post the video I made of the more complicated part of the installation. I'm sorry you have to stare at my chest in the background, but aren't you glad I wore a pretty necklace? I am posting this because as I said above, there are many small pieces and initially I had trouble figuring out where each one went. They are even so precise as to have a 5mm long piece that fits exactly between the volume buttons on the side of my phone!

See that 5 mm piece between the volume buttons?

Overall I am very happy with the product I was sent for review. If I could give two suggestions they would be to include a diagram of which pieces go where on the phone since there are so many pieces. Also I would hope that the shipment delays I experienced were not typical of the company. I think this is a great product that will protect your phone from scratches on all visible surfaces. Please note: this Skin is not meant to protect you device from being dropped. I will still be using my vinyl case for that purpose, but now the screen is protected as well.

If you would like more information, I will gladly answer any questions that you have. Additionally you can contact BestSkinsEver directly through any of the following means:

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.