Sally Hansen Salon Effects Hisss-terical
Happy Monday! It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving 2012 has came and went. It’s time to divert my attention from food to manis! Today I’m showing you something different. I must be the last person on the planet to try real, no kidding, nail polish strips. I bought two packs of Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips on clearance at Target. They were intended for my daughter’s Christmas Stocking…but she found them! The pattern I’m sporting is 004 Hisss-terical, a green/black snakeskin print.
It took me a nail or two to get the hang of it. I have narrow, curved (from side-to-side) nail beds. So a strip narrow enough to fit my cuticle line didn’t cover my entire nail up at the tip. What I didn’t realize was how much the strips stretch. I was able to position the strip along one side of my nail and then gently stretch it to reach the other side. With a snakeskin pattern, you can get away with a lot of stretching…but I imagine most patterns aren’t that forgiving. You can see on the tip of my pinky how too much stretching can make things look a little mangled.
I really like it. The color and pattern are cool and it really doesn’t look any different from a regular mani with a stamp. Plus…no dry time. My only gripe was taking them off. I used pure acetone. It was a hot mess…smearing, globs, pieces stuck in the cuticle. Next time I’ll be a little more strategic with the removal. Have you guys ever tried them? What did you think?
One more thing…don’t forget to enter the Giving Thanks for You! giveaway before December 5th!
Ok, one more thing to buy when I get to the states next month, I love them! Did you paint on the base coat or does it come like that?
I didn’t use a base coat…I just went for it! LOL. I only wore them for two days so I don’t know if using a base coat would help or hurt the wear time.
I havent tried them yet! Fun design!
Thanks! It is fun, isn’t it? (which is why I can’t wear it to work…bummer)
Wow, i really love this! G o o d j o b!
Thanks! My application wasn’t 100%…but it’s good practice for the next time. :)
Love the design! I didn’t try them yet, but sure want to! There are lots of different designs/brands available which makes it hard to choose…
I know. Too much to choose from!
OOoooOOOoooh! i haven’t seen this print before! Where did you find it?
Target… duh. LOL sorry!
No problem. I ordered a Big Mac from Burger King yesterday. LOL
i’ve never used this stuff.. i think they’re too expensive and i’m not crafty enough to get these nails on my first attempt, so spending 10 dollars every time, thanks, but no..
but these look amazing. just amazing.
Yes, they are expensive. You could buy a nice bottle of polish for that. I definitely can’s see using them for the plain polish colors…but for an intricate design for an event…it might be worth it.
i agree.. this one for example.
Hi there!
In the next couple of weeks I am going to put up a post comparing different nail patches, stickers, etc. I don’t have any Sally Hansen though, may I link back to your post?
Thanks = o)
Absolutely! I’d love that. I can’t wait to see your comparison.
Thanks !
If you feel like checking it out : http://brijitsdigits.net/2012/12/02/nail-patchesall-over-stickersstrips-models-ownsephoranail-rockloreal/
This design is lovely!
I know. I would have never chosen this one if it hadn’t been on clearance! Lucky for me.
I’ve been a chicken to try but I have silver strips with skulls (surprised?) that I’m dying to use. Your snakeskin looks fab – did you put a top coat on? And, how long did the mani last?
ROFL. I did think of your when i did these. I did not use a base or topcoat. The Sally instructions don’t mention it. What’s weird is that they’re really just like polish when you take them off (the smearing and stuff) so I don’t know if a topcoat would smudge them. I only wore them for two days and they were fine. That’s about the length of my attention span on a good day.
Ha. Heard and noted!
I love the pattern and colors!
Thanks for reading, Kristin!
Those are really pretty! I used these stripes once about a year ago before I was into nail polish. They lasted for.ev.er on my nails. And they were a pain to remove like you said.
That’s good to know. I just can’t commit to the same design for more than a day so it’s not really worth it for me. Maybe if I were going on vacation or something?
I have tried a few kinds of the appliques. I didn’t care for the Sally Hansen which is a shame because they have the best designs.
They do have a great variety. Have you tried the OPI ones/
Not yet. I have INCOCO which I have to try. I like Nail Fraud.
You definitely aren’t the last person to try these! I bought a couple sets myself but haven’t gotten around to trying them yet. What do you recommend for making the removal easier, I’m curious?
Shannon, I think the problem was I just went to town smooshing and rubbing a cottonball with remover all over them. I think regular polish remover would work…but maybe soak the nail a bit and try to get most of it in one deliberate sweep. Like what you do with glitter.
oohhhh how fun are these1!! <3
Hi Amanda! Yes, they are/were fun! :)
The Sally Hansen Strips are the best! I frequent Target enough that I always catch them on clearance… I’ve also gotten some off of ebay for around $5-7. I don’t do stamping or other nail art, so these are worth it for me! I keep them and wear for special occaisons and/or holidays. Or for a pick-me-up :-)
Shelby, Target does seem to have styles on clearance often. I think they’d make a great gift for a non-polish-hoarder who likes nail art but has zero interest in doing nail art.
I’ve never used wraps and don’t really want to, but I love these!
Girl, you don’t NEED wraps! You could hammer out this design freehand in your sleep!
My last nail post featured some of these strips. They were easy to apply. I caught mine on clearance at Target for $2.98! Target always has polishes from various brands & the SE strips on sale or clearance. Im Known for writing companies to ask for coupons. This one might be worth it.
You did great and this is such a nice pattern.
Oooo. I just “checked” it out. (Sorry…I’m a dreadful comedian..LOL) I love the checkered design. There’s so much you could do with it.
Nice! I still haven’t tried out strips, but I’m excited to see how they work!
Sorry I missed this comment earlier. Thank you, dear! Let me know when you try it!
I bought these same strips awhile back, but still haven’t gotten around to applying them. I’ve tried the other patterns before and was a little obsessed with them for awhile, but it started getting a little expensive. I did find that I could use just one of the packages included and cut the strips in half so I get more for my money. Also wanted to let you know that I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Not sure if you’ve already been nominated before (and I’d be surprised if you weren’t), but I thought you deserved the recognition. Check it out: http://becauseitslimited.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/very-inspiring-blogger-award-oh-what/
Are you going to try the Essie Repstyle Polishes when they come out? I would love to know what you think of them. I haven’t been able to find them in my local stores in Los Angeles yet.