Update: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

I just want to give you a quick update on the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail strips. I think that overall they worked out pretty well. I was brutal on my hands because I wanted to see if they would last through dishwashing and cooking and all the normal stuff I do. They looked just as they did when I put them on for 4 days. Then they started to chip a little at the tips. They also either shrank a little or my nails grew which you can see in the photos. The second set of photos is at seven and a half days. Even though they started to chip around day 4 they pretty much stayed the same until day 7 (they didn’t get much worse). I think my nails looked a little junky by day 7 but no worse than they look by day 3 with regular nail polish. From a distance I don’t think the chipping was especially noticeable. I think it would have been more of an issue if I had on a solid colour or a less busy design.  

I was reading other reviews of these strips and some people said that using a top coat helped them stay on with no chips longer, so I think I will try that next time. I think I will buy these again. I think they would be best for when you go on vacation and don’t want to worry about your nails or for someone like me who isn’t really good with traditional nail polish.

DAY 1

DAY 7

Nail Polish Strips and High Shine Copper

Last night I put on the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips. These are thin strips of “nail polish.” They come in many different colours and designs. I have been wanting to try these for a while but really wasn’t sure they would work. It took me about 40 minutes to do both hands. The strips were not that hard to apply and I was able to find strips that were a good fit for just about all of my nails (each packet has a set of strips that goes from small to large). The hardest part was getting the nail strip on the right place on my nail and then smoothing it out. On a few of my nails I have little overlaps but most of them went on without a hitch. The patterns are cute, although I wish the colours were a little more vivid. Once the strips are on you take off the excess and file the edge. There are 16 strips in the box. It would have been nice if there were 20 strips so that you could do your nails twice. I suppose if you are careful (and your nails are short) you could use one strip for two nails. I wish I had thought of that while I was doing my nails last night! Each box is about $8.50 so they are quite expensive for one application. I suppose the idea is that you get a manicure that you could only get at a salon and hence it is cheaper to use the strips than to get a manicure in a salon.


The strips have a saran wrap feel that I am still getting used to. I have only had them on for less than a day but they are holding up pretty well so far. I will let you know how long they last and what it is like to take them off. Overall what I do like about them is that there is no dry time which means less opportunity to mess them up!

EYES:

Primetime for eyes,
50/50 mix well rested/clear radaince all over,
Honey under brow,
Camp in crease and outer corner,
High Shine Copper lash to crease,
Big and Bright Charbronze lined top and bottom,
Tarte Mascara.
CHEEKS: Balance blush
LIPS: Tarte Moody