Sip Tips: the nail stickers that check your drink

Key takeaways

• Sip Tips are gold nail-art stickers with a colour-change test that checks a drink for GHB and a range of other drugs.
• Orange-red means stop: don't drink it, and tell someone you trust or the staff.
• It's an extra check, not a guarantee: a clear result doesn't prove a drink is safe.
• Pre-order now for guaranteed delivery before 10 December, in time for party season.

Party season is coming: Christmas dos, work nights out, house parties and New Year. More nights out mean more chances to look out for each other, and now there's a new way to do it that looks like part of your manicure.

Meet Sip Tips: gold nail-art stickers with a built-in colour-change test that checks your drink for selected drugs. No strips to dig out of your bag, no fuss, and nobody needs to know you're checking.

What are Sip Tips?

Each pack has 15 gold stickers in three designs: 5 hearts, 5 stars and 5 cat heads. They sit on your nails like nail art, but each one has test pads that change colour if they pick up certain substances in a drink.

• Discreet: it's on your nails, so a quick check doesn't draw attention.
• Fast: look for a colour change straight away.
• Simple: orange-red means stop.
• Pocket-sized: the pouch fits in any bag.

What do Sip Tips check for?

According to the manufacturer's instructions, there are two test pads:

• Pad 1: GHB, at a cut-off of 12 mg/mL.
• Pad 2: amine-containing drugs, at a cut-off of 4 mg/mL each: amphetamine, benzodiazepines, cocaine, etomidate, fentanyl, ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, morphine, oxycodone and scopolamine.

Lower amounts may not show, and a colour change can't tell you which substance is there. Sip Tips doesn't check for extra alcohol, which police testing finds more often than anything else.

How to use them

1. Read the guide that comes with the pack, find the two test pads and check the expiry date. Don't use a sticker with discoloured pads.
2. Add your drink to each test pad as the pack's guide shows.
3. Check straight away, in bright, natural light if you can. Coloured club lighting makes it hard to read.
4. Orange-red? Stop. Don't drink it. Tell someone you trust or the staff.

Each sticker is single use. Milk and coconut milk can give a false GHB alert, so creamy drinks may give a misleading result.

An extra check, not a guarantee

We'll be straight with you. Sip Tips checks for selected substances only, so a clear result does not mean a drink is safe. The government has said home self-test kits lack formal accreditation, so if you think you've been spiked, report it and get tested by the police. Use Sip Tips as one more reason to stop and think, alongside the basics: watch your drink, don't accept drinks from people you don't know, and look out for your friends.

Why it matters

• Nearly one million UK adults believe they were spiked in the past year (Drinkaware, 2025).
• About 3 in 100 people aged 18 to 34 believe they were spiked in the past year (Drinkaware, 2025).
• Around three in four people who believe they were spiked didn't tell the police (Drinkaware, 2025).
• The Metropolitan Police received more than 2,700 spiking allegations in London in a year (December 2024 to November 2025), according to figures reported by the BBC.
• Spiking isn't just a nightclub thing: people also report it at social events, at home, at university and at work. Where people knew who spiked them, about 1 in 7 said it was a co-worker (Drinkaware).
• The Crime and Policing Act 2026 created a specific offence covering spiking in England and Wales.

See all the figures, with sources, on our UK drink spiking statistics page.

Sip Tips or SipSafe?

We make two drink checks. Sip Tips are the nail-art option: worn on your nails, gold designs, checking for GHB and a range of amine-containing drugs. SipSafe are discreet stickers you keep in your bag or phone case. Compare them on our drink spiking tests page.

Perfect for party season

Sip Tips make a thoughtful stocking filler or Secret Santa gift, for a friend heading to uni, a sister off on a hen do, or the whole group before the work Christmas party. They're on pre-order now, with guaranteed delivery before 10 December.

If you think you or a friend has been spiked

• Stop drinking and tell someone you trust or a member of staff.
• Get to a safe place, and don't go off alone or with people you don't know.
• Call 999 if someone is very unwell, unconscious, struggling to breathe or in danger.
• Call 111 for medical advice if you feel unwell.
• Report it to the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Report quickly: some substances leave the body fast. You don't need a positive test to report.

Never wait for a sticker result before getting help. Read our full guide: drink spiking: signs, what to do, and how to check your drink.

Common questions

If nothing changes colour, is my drink safe?

No. Sip Tips checks for selected substances only, and lower amounts may not show. It's an extra check, not a guarantee.

Can Sip Tips tell if I've been spiked?

No. They check a drink, not your body. If you feel unwell, get help straight away.

Are they reusable?

No. Each sticker is single use.

Do they work on gel or acrylic nails?

Check the application guidance in the pack, and don't cover the test pads.

When will my pre-order arrive?

Delivery is guaranteed before 10 December 2026.

Sources

Checked 6 November 2026

1. Drinkaware: nearly one million UK adults experienced drink spiking (2025)
2. Drinkaware Monitor 2025: spiking statistics
3. Drinkaware: drink spiking research report
4. BBC News: One in 20 London spiking incidents leads to charge (Met Police figures, Dec 2025)
5. Home Office: understanding and tackling spiking (Dec 2023)
6. Home Office: spiking statutory report, December 2023 (PDF)
7. MoJ: Crime and Policing Bill spiking factsheet
8. Police.uk: spiking advice
9. NHS: When to call 999

Written by

U-Test Health Content Team

Researched and written by the U-Test team using NHS and NICE guidance.

Meet the team behind our articles →

Medically reviewed by

Dr Rohit KulkarniMedical Director

Published 6 November 2026

Editorial standard: This guide was developed using peer-reviewed UK medical evidence, NHS guidance, and NICE diagnostic frameworks. Self-testing kits from U-Test (UTest) provide rapid screening markers and do not replace formal clinical diagnosis or emergency medical care.

Check at home

Sip Tips Drink Test Nail Stickers – Pre-Order

★ 5.0 out of 5 · 1 review

See what the kit includes, how to use it and when to seek medical advice.

Free delivery over £25 · Discreet packaging

See the test →