While I can paint a house inside and out, I find painting my nails to be an arduous task that I avoid by keeping them clean and short. September's beauty guru assignment on nail art had me scouring the internet and calling my daughters and girlfriends to get some pointers on how to create nail art. I found hundreds of patterns and instructions. But I failed to master even the simplest design. My attempt at zebra stripes in pink and black looked as if I needed to wash my hands, and quick! My attempt to create one cute little pumpkin used up half a bottle of orange nail polish and all my patience.
I was ready to throw in the towel, or at least that pile of acetone soaked cotton balls when my daughter asked if I had heard of Sally Hansen's Salon Effect's Nail Polish Strips. I hadn't but as she described them I thought, "After hours of wasting my time and nail polish who wouldn't be interested in checking out the 20+ colors and patterns that Sally Hansen currently has to offer?" Priced from $8.50 to $10 you get a set of 16 strips, cuticle stick and mini file/buffer.
I chose Tattoo Much. I found that the strips were easy to put on and looked amazing. Sally Hansen's claim of lasting up to 10 days did not hold true for me. I was in the midst of remodeling my kitchen. I use my nails as tools, scraping up mortar or paint. Which is probably why my nails were chipping and peeling after 3 days.
Step 1: Prep your nails.
Remove any polish on your nails. Gently push your cuticles back using the cuticle stick provided in the kit. File the tips and buff your nails smooth with the mini file/buffer. Wash your hands to remove any debris.
Step 2: Apply the "Salon Effects" strips.
Applying the strips consists of removing the top and bottom protective covering by peeling them off the nail strip. Find the best fit for your nail bed, pressing and smoothing the strip onto your nail. (NOTE: After I applied the first strip, I started pre-warming the strip by rubbing between my hands before I took off the protective covers. It made it more pliable and easier to align it to the cuticles edge.)
Step 3: Remove the excess nail strip.
File the excess polish strip from the tip of your nail.
From start to finish, it took me 20 minutes. I love these strips. No waiting for your nails to dry and you don't have to go to a specialist to achieve a professional look. I would purchase this product again even though I think $8.50 is a bit high for a single use of nail polish, it is cheaper than the cost of nail stylist. For me, the convenience and end result make it well worth the money.
The one thing that gave me pause was the fact that there are 16 strips in the kit. Most people have a total of 20 nails, so I do not understand the reasoning behind a box of 16. Do you know why there are only 16?
