Review of New Sally Hansen, Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

While browsing my local Rite Aid this past weekend I noticed something new and cool looking on the outskirts of the nail polish shelf. They were nail polish strips! Now I had tried just about every nail concept available, from silly decals that peel off in seconds, to ridiculous looking hanging charms, and mini rhinestones that ended up yanking out my hair whenever I ran my fingers through it.

For me, when it comes to Sally Hansen, we have a love/hate relationship. In the past most things by them have either really impressed me, or really let me down. When I spotted these Sally Hansen, Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips, I had to admit, I initially thought they would be a huge disappointment. I mean a strip, that sticks to nails, and stays put for up to 10 days? Yeah right.

Being the beauty junkie I am, and someone who loves trying things before most do, I went ahead and bought them anyway. I figured why not, they would make for a review regardless. I went with #220 Cut It Out, which feature black and white flowers drawn onto the strips. They were pretty, and I knew if they worked well enough it would go really well with just about any outfit. Plus Cut It Out, had a semi retro type of flair to them, one in which I really liked.

The problem I was having with them when deciding on whether or not to buy them was the price. The kit contained only 16 strips, and it cost just as much as it would cost me to go get an airbrush design at a real nail salon. Nearly $10.00. Yup, I could have paid a salon to airbrush some nice neat design for exactly the same price. But God, I hate salons, and hate waiting.

In The Box:

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips are supposedly made of real nail polish, in the box there are 16 adhesives in 8 different sizes. Basically you get 2 of each size. This odd man out number miffed me, because you literately only get 1 use out of this $10.00 purchase. I wish they would have included 24 strips, giving me at least 2 uses.

Besides the 16 strips, in the box you will find a mini nail file which acts as a buffer, and a 2 sides file for rough and light filing. You also get a cuticle stick.

My Use:

Knowing I had no room for mess ups, I hoped that my first time attempting to apply these strips would be flawless. Unfortunately I ended up ripping one strip while applying, which was not such a horrible thing since I was able to use a larger strip on that nail and file and shape the sides from it. So it worked out OK.

You must first have clean dry nails, and you must buff the nails using the included file. This allows for the strip to more easily stay on for a longer period of time. Failing to buff, and apply the strips to clean nails will lessen the life of the sticking agent.

Before applying you will want to chose the right strip that seems to fit the nail you will be working on best. This was simple. Once you decide what strip goes where, you then peel of the protective clear sheet of plastic on the top of the strip, and then peel the strip off of the protective backing and carefully apply it to your nail.

This part is actually very easy, and I was surprised at how perfectly the strip stuck to the nails, and how easy it was to press it into place, and under the cuticle giving it a salon professional finish.

The adhesive strip will hang over the nail. The instructions say to file it off, but I ended up ripping my first strip doing it that way. I found that bending the excessive strip down against the nail, and pressing hard, allowed the strip to rip and peel away with ease, leaving behind a perfect salon quality styled nail.

After applying the first strip I was in awe at how simple, and beautiful it looked, as if a professional had done it.

All in all, applying the strips took me about 20 minutes, and the finish was flawless. I loved them!!! Now I worried about how long they would stay on before signs of lifting or peeling occurred.

Last:

I am at day 6 now, and there are absolutely no signs of peeling, lifting or wearing. I believe that the life of these strips will be even longer than 10 days. I expect longer results due to the fact that I applied a topcoat of clear nail polish on top of the strips, to ensure the sides do not lift up. I recommend doing the same if you want the strips to stay put longer.

Overall:

 These strips are totally awesome, totally fun, and beyond beautiful, and best of all, the results last! I am going out to find another box with a different style sometime today.