When I was little, like most pint sized girls, I wanted to be a "big girl." This meant wearing dangly earrings--out of the house, carrying a purse, collecting as many Avon lipstick samples as I could find in grandma's room, and putting on eyeshadow with my index finger. But no such item was quite as coveted as having long nails. I yearned for it. The desire to outstretch my arm and fan my fingers to see long, red, gleaming oval tips (it was the 80's) was insatiable. To me it symbolized the utmost in sophistication, glamour and "big girl-ness." I begged for Lee Press-On Nails, but they were to big for my little fingers. So my Mother, always creative, used scotch tape to make fake stick on nails. She would cut the edges into perfect ovals and I'd run all over the apartment picking things up and putting them down, admiring my fingers at every turn. Since they were pretty fragile I could really only get one use out of them. But try telling that to an obsessed 6 year old. Every night we'd stick them onto the refrigerator door to use again "tomorrow." And of course the next day mom would cut me a new pair. Eventually the fridge was covered in scotch tape.
And here I am today, twenty-five years later and I'm still sticking things onto my nails. Which brings us to this weeks product, Sally Hansen's Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. Inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Bneato, I decided to give these fun, flirty strips a try. Now these have been in the stores for a little while and initially I just sort of glanced over and dismissed them. I'd felt the pictures looked to graphic-y and was skeptical about their ability to "stick on" effectively to your nail. But low and behold I've been proven wrong by a fellow blogger. Basically, they're exactly what they claim--nail polish strips that you press onto your nails. Each strip feels very similar to paint that's dried on skin and been peeled off. Sort of like dried acrylic paint or very thin vinyl. They even smell like nail polish but not in an overwhelming way. They come in a variety of cool graphics, colors, and shimmery glitters. Each box contains 16 nail polish strips, a small file, cuticle stick and direction sheet. Use regular nail polish remover to dissolve each strip once worn.
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CONSENSUS
Let's start with the cons : the price/one-time wear, application.
The strips retail for $10 bucks a box. Considering the long lasting wear ability, cute little file/cuticle stick and coolness factor, ten dollars should be reasonable. BUT! Technically the box only comes with 16 strips, enough for one application. Now for those who are not savvy, thrifty, or don't want to fuss with it ---this can be a bad thing. For ten dollars you should be able to get more than just one use out of the product. Being the Recessionista that I am, I decided to use each strip twice. Once I'd applied one end to a nail, I carefully ripped the second half and applied its other edge to a different nail. So I was able to get more use out of the product than the directions listed. All it takes is a little time and patience.
Again for those who don't want to fuss with it, application might be an issue. I found it to be really easy, and honestly don't see why anyone else wouldn't feel the same. You start with clean/dry nails, find the strip that best fits, press, give it a slight stretch and press some more. Pull the remaining tab off and file the edge for a clean look. That's about it. But I have read some reviews from people who found it very difficult to apply and were unsuccessful in getting the strips to stay on the nail? I did not experience this so I feel if the desire is there it probably won't be that difficult.
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Pros! This product is pure fun. Cool graphics, neon colors and glitters all to fit any funky mood. I love that there's no drying time! You can press and go in literally the same amount of time it takes to paint your nails. The first two you try might be a little awkward but stick with it, application does get easier. And as you can see with my shorties, they look good on nails of any length. I would recommend covering them with a top coat for long lasting wear.
*find them at CVS, Walgreens or any other drug store. I had no luck at Target.
