Product Brand and Name, Price (CDN), Where Purchased
Sally Hansen Nail Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Number 340 Girl Flower, $8.97 CDN @ Wal-Mart
Reason for Purchase
The ads for this product sucked me in. I have seen the print ads in magazines for awhile now, and when I saw they were finally in-stock at the Wal-Mart nearest to where I live, I had to snatch up a box to try out. I really wanted the black-and-white houndstooth print strips, but they didn’t have any; this was the print I settled on.
Notable Features
Everything that you need to apply the nail strips comes in the box. You do not have to have any special supplies on hand. I would recommend you have a bottle of top-coat or clear polish handy, though.
Packaging
You get the strips, a nail file, an orange stick and instructions all in a small clear plastic box. The box is no bigger than the box eye-drops come in (that’s the only thing I can think of that compares to the size, right now!)
Experience Using Product
Oy vey. Where to begin!
I bought these on February 26th, and decided to apply them during the red carpet of the Academy Awards, as something to do between watching the interviews and admiring pretty dresses.
In total, it took me 1 hour and ten minutes to apply these strips. Granted, I took my time because I wanted the finished product to look good - but application was no easy feat, either.
You get 16 nail polish strips of varying sizes and shapes; the hope is that you will be able to find 10 strips in the selection provided that match the shapes of your fingernails. Apparently I have large fingernails, because there were not many that were the perfect shape for my nails.
Reading the application instructions for these strips is not too critical. You may want to try following the instructions verbatim for your first few nails - but odds are you will end up modifying the instructions in some way, like I did. I found that applying the strips to my nails from the center of the strip (rather than matching a shaped end to my nail cuticles and nail bed) gave me better coverage and more control over the strip itself. The orange stick included in the kit was perfect for pressing the strips to my nails, and for ensuring even application. The file included in the kit was not too good; it’s buffer side worked great for cleaning my nails before applying the strips, but it was lousy for shaping my nails and removing excess strip from the tips of my nails. After I applied the strips, I put on one coat of clear top-coat to help seal the strip on.
I was pleasantly surprised with the longevity of this product; I was expecting to see chipping and peeling within the first 3 days of application - and I didn’t! I am not sure if that is because the strips are made to be tougher, or because I applied the top coat.
The first day I had these strips on, they felt like stickers on my nails; it’s a bizarre feeling. Ladies who wear acrylic or gel nails probably won’t notice that feeling at all.
While I got plenty of compliments and ‘that is so neat!’ when wearing them, I could not help but feel that the print was a little juvenile for me to be wearing to work.
Here is what these strips looked like on my fingernails:
Would I Re-Purchase, Recommend, or Reject
You are spending a lot of money for the convenience mess-free benefits of this product. Granted, a box of these strips is still cheaper than a bottle of OPI polish, but it’s still a lot of money for nail polish. Not to mention, these strips really are not all that convenient due to the time you have to spend applying them.
I would recommend this product to someone who is willing to spend the time required applying them; they are probably best worn for a special occasion, not everyday wear. They would be a cute activity for a girl’s sleepover or birthday party.
I cannot see myself re-purchasing this product unless they go on sale. I would likely pick up the houndstooth print or the leopard print.
Want to learn more about this product? Go to the Sally Hansen website.
