Sally Hansen's Salon Effects: Real Nail Polish Strips

Okay, I know everyone has already blogged and reviewed this item to death, but I just got the houndstooth print design and I'm excited to share. One of the down sides of living in Los Angeles is that there are 10 million people living here, which means every Target, Walmart, Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens is out of everything. Literally. You walk in and the shelves are either empty or dangling with the last opened/broken item of a product. I had been looking for the Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips, specifically in the Houndstooth design, for over four months. Every place I tried only had the solid colors, and really, who wants those? I can paint my nails with one solid color just fine, thank-you-very-much. Imagine my delight when my neighborhood Rite Aid  finally restocked this item, and the adorable black-and-white print was shining like a beacon right at me as I mused the beauty section. Was this a mirage? My heart literally leapt out of my chest. I snatched that box so fast, it was like a frog grabbing a fly with its tongue.

Several hours later: I was home. I buffed and filed my nails to perfection, and wiped each nail clean with rubbing alcohol (to get rid of the natural oils). I took out a nail strip, removed the clear strips from both sides and shaped it onto my nail. The product comes with a nail file which you are supposed to file away the excess with, but to be honest, I found this to be wasteful. If you keep your nails short, then each nail strip, if you are careful, is enough for two nails. If you file them off, they come out ragged and unusable. Here's my way:

1) Place the strip on the nail and press it down, making it fit all over. Don't worry if the strip is too big for your nail.

2) Turn your blowdryer on LOW- HOT and blow on the nail strip for five seconds.

3) The heat from the blowdryer melds the nail polish strip to your nail, and then you can carefully rip the excess off the top of your nail off, saving it for your next nail.

4) This product comes with a little pointy stick that you can use to scrape off the extra if the strips end up too big for your little nail.

Here's another one of Sally Hansen's designs I tried. It lasted about six days (then again, I'm a major dish washer):


Sally Hansen Nail Strips in Gold Glitter

 I've tried Sephora's version of this, Sephora by OPI Chic Prints, and while I think that Sephora has more variety in the prints, their product feels more like a sticker. It's not very flexible and doesn't last as long as these.

Chantal wearing Sephora's Chic Prints

Sephora's Chic Prints on my big toe

*Sidenote: My sister said her Chic Prints started peeling off within 24 hours. Then again, she works at Lush and constantly has her hands in water. The one on my toe lasted two weeks. I would say if you are going to purchase the Chic Prints, only apply them on your toes-ies. They are pricier anyway. $15 compared to Sally's $8.