REVIEW: Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips

Happy Manicure Monday!  

I decided to give Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips  a second review. 

To read my initial review, click HERE. 

* Prep

 I took extra care this time around to prep properly and thoroughly. I removed my polish, making extra sure to remove every speck from my nails. I applied cuticle oil and pushed all my cuticles back. I made sure all the oil was removed and then I buffed with the included nail file. And used the remover one more time. Whew!

 * Application

Pretty simple. Remove backing and clear protective top layer and stick them on. However.... my nail beds are small, so this part was a pain and not so simple because I had to trim every strip. Only one strip actually separated (like ripped apart) but the gap is very small and not noticeable.The package has 16 strips that are quite long. I had the idea to get twice the strips by cutting them all in half because they are plenty big enough to cut and still have some left over. So, a process that should have been quick and easy, became a bit frustrating and time consuming. Filing them down seemed easier this time than the last time. I suppose because I knew what to expect. Although somewhat tricky to align, once I stuck them down, those little strips stuck pretty well. Some wrinkles formed but most of them I could smooth out.

  * Finished Product

I applied a top coat, even though the directions didn't say; they just felt so vulnerable, I had to top coat. The leopard print graphics are clear and better looking quality than the floral design I tried previously. The background is a glitter gold with orange-ish dots outlined in brown. The whole design is glittery. The edges showed wear on the first day but they didn't chip until day four, which really surprised me. I was expecting to chip sooner (I really think without a top coat, they would have definitely chipped, possibly the day of).

* Overall

I like them for a fun pattern occasionally. I got many compliments. If your nail beds are not as small as mine, then I'm sure you wouldn't have as much trouble. These strips could be a more budget-friendly option for a special event or a vacation instead of going by the salon. There are several designs available. I saw a French tip set out now that I would like to try, so I will at least buy one more box eventually. 

I do prefer to paint myself, though. I think I'll stick with that.

I added a gold accent nail on day 5 (no chips on this hand yet).

Have you tried these nail polish strips before?

REVIEW: JamBerry?

JamBerry nail wraps are the next
little trendy nail thing.*

I got some samples in the mail. What the heck? I'll try them. They come in lots of designs and various sizes. You get 2 manicures per sheet. Each sheet is $15+ for 18 wraps. The samples I had were a pretty floral print with a white base. 

You clean your nail. Heat half the wrap without touching it with your fingers (to avoid oils). Then you stick it on your nail and smush. Heat again and smush again, just to make sure I guess. So I didn't buy their tiny "Jamberry" heater and I don't have a hair dryer .. (I'm low maintenance haha). So heating it was a PAIN in the butt. I had to hold it next to my curling wand

without burning my fingers or getting to close to the strip in case it stuck.

I took me two hours to figure it out (after even watching the official application video three times) just for TWO NAILS and painting the other eight nails. So I put them on one night. Washed dishes. Cooked some hamburger egg rolls. Still good. The nails were too ha!

Side note: the strips were not wide enough to completely cover my nails.

All in all they lasted me ~4 days before the edges started to wear down. But once the edges wore down, they looked awful. The edges continued to wear down.

This pic was taken four days later. Note the worn edge.

 When my nail grew, there was a visible GAP. This happened relatively quickly, within a week or so, because my nails grow so fast because I take awesome vitamins. Other people may not experience a gap forming that quickly from new nail growth, but for me, it was a bit frustrating.

Note the huge gap. This was taken after about two weeks when I took off the mint polish.

This is what the edges looked like after two weeks.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how long they lasted (not the edges though). I literally left them on for a while. I was testing to see how long they would last. I removed them after two weeks, only because the edges looked so beat up and my nails grow so fast there was a gap. Also, after about a week and a half,  the edges started to peel up a bit away from my nail. But they lasted longer than I thought they would. I was very disappointed that the edges started to show wear so soon. Four days? Really? My plain polish usually lasts longer than that before chipping.

HOWEVER, it was too much trouble. I wold rather just paint my nails. It took two hours to put on TWO strips...I can base coat, paint, and top coat all my nails in two hours myself. 

I do NOT recommend JamBerry strip wrap things. 

They're just like Sally Hansen nail strips. BUT more annoying because you need heat. You can read my review of Sally Hansen nail strips by clicking HERE. I was not impressed by them either! I would much rather just paint my own nails! They would look better and last longer. 

Have you tried JamBerry? Hopefully you did have as many issues as I did! Please comment below and let me know about your experiences! 

* Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are my own. I am not affiliated with JamBerry in any way. I did not receive any compensation. I do not represent JamBerry or make money by the opinions stated here. I don't sell them, don't plan to, and don't want to sell them.

REVIEW: Salon Express

I'm sure everyone has seen the commercials for Salon Express. The first time I saw the commercial, I knew it was a Konad knock-off and said it probably wouldn't work. I saw it in Walmart several times. Finally, I broke down and decided to try it. It was only $10. The package looks like this:

(Front)

 (Back)

These are the instructions.

And the contents. 

A scrape plate. Scraper. Stamper.  

 Here are the plates. 

These are reason I broke down and bought Salon Express. 

They are different from Konad plates. Plus, Konad plates are like $8 a piece. 

For $10, I got five with this set!

I was really excited to try the new designs on the plates.
But.... I wasted my money on Salon Express.

 Don't waste yours too, if you haven't already.

Salon Express is crap. 

It doesn't work. Period. Not even a little bit. The plates are super shiny, almost blinding. I like the stamper. I would like it better if it worked. Almost every time, the polish stayed on the stamper. The very few times it did transfer to the nail, it was so faint you couldn't even see it.I even tried dark polish and it still looked very faint. I glanced back at the directions, just to make sure I was doing it right or didn't miss anything. I noticed it said to use nail PAINT. Nail paint? Hmm. Obviously that doesn't mean regular nail polish.  

I was excited about this, and then let down. I might even just throw it away.

I think I'll just stick to Konad. No more knock-offs. 

REVIEW: Sally Hansen Salon Effects

Hello my lovely readers!

We went to walmart today to stock up for the blizzard like conditions coming and I stumbled upon these little things. They are Sally Hansen Salon Effects real nail polish strips. Pretty much, you peel and stick and they come in many different colors and designs. The box claims they last up to 10 days with no drying time. 

Overall, I was not impressed and would not recommend these.

This is what the box looked like.

All the different designs.

What's inside the box.

The package comes with 16 nail strips, a cuticle pusher, a mini file and buffer combo, and instructions. The instructions are simple: choose the best fit strip, apply, and shape with nail file.

Finished product (with flash)

I have mixed feelings about this product as of right now because I just put them on (I'll check in again in a few days-let's see how long they last) but my feelings are overall negative. Here's why:

CONS

*price*

These things were $8.50!! 

I do NOT think they are worth that much. 

That is a little ridiculous.  

*unclear graphics*

When you look closely, 

the pictures and designs look grainy.

They are not as brilliantly colored as I would have liked, either.

*didn't quite fit every nail like box said*

The box says "fits all nails" but I disagree. 

The strip was barely not wide enough so a few of my nails have the back corners exposed.

*why so big!?*

Each strip was really big. Like really big. 

Almost too big.

Each strip is a good inch long and I only used a third of that.

*shaping with nail file*

This was really annoying. And difficult.  

After you stick the strip on, you are supposed to bend the strip down and then file the excess off. 

Well that's not as easy as it sounds. I eventually would just pull it off and then file the edges down, 

which was alot easier than trying to file it all off. But it wouldn't always tear cleanly. 

*not sticky enough*

  After I would stick it down initially, it would peel back up as I moved to smooth down each side. 

You can also peel the whole thing right back off after you stick it on and smooth it, 

which I guess is good if you mess up, but not ideal overall. The free edge would also peel up is I tried to do anything with my nails, like apply the next strip! 

I think these things will chip tomorrow, especially after I make a snowman and go sledding!

I will apply a top coat tomorrow or the next day and see if that makes a difference.

*time consuming*

The way the package has the instructions in three seemingly simple steps, you get the impression that these things can be applied quickly. 

Wrong! 

Because of all the problems I had, which was mainly them not sticking and having to go back and smooth them down more several times, it took me at least 30 minutes to get them all on and actually sticking.

PROS

*....well, there IS no drying time*

Obviously.

*cute mini nail file/buffer* 

I love those things! They are much easier to maneuver than a full-sized file.

*cuticle pusher*

I can always use more of those!

*cute flower design*

The design I picked was cute...even though I wanted leopard print.

OVERALL

Sally Hansen Salon Effects real nail polish strips are a good idea in theory...

but not so great in execution.

You might have better luck than I did,but I would not recommend them.

Don't waste your money.

.

REVIEW: Kiss Everlasting French nails

Everybody likes acrylics, right? But let's face it, they are expensive and it's time-consuming to go get them put on and maintain them. Well, I have discovered a cheap and easy solution: Kiss Everlasting French nails!

Two weeks ago I stumbled upon a youtube video reviewing these nails and the girl in the video loved them and they looked amazing on her nails. You can't even tell they're press-on nails! I had always been curious about trying press-on nails but was a little hesitant and I didn't know what brand to use so I was pleased when I found this video. I decided to give them a try... aaaaaand I love them! They're cheap, only about $6 a box, and they last longer than the box say they would.  The box says they will last 7 days but I had them on for about 10 days when I finally took them off.  For 7 or 8 days, they showed no wear, no chipping, and didn't appear like they were about to fall off....until the next day when I put some on my mom's nails and the filing messed up some of mine and they were about to pop off so I just decided to take them all off.  The box says wearing them longer than 7 days is not recommended but the girl from the youtube video wears them for a month at a time and she said she has no problems. I didn't have any trouble either wearing the. The glue didn't turn my natural nails into mush or anything like that, but if you're paranoid, then take them off after 7 days. They also don't take very long to apply.  This was the first time I had applied them and I still got them on pretty quick. It only took me about 30-40 minutes to get them all on both hands. They would be great to stick on for a wedding or special occasion instead of swinging by the salon and paying $50 for a full set.

Here is what the box looks like:

I used the Petites but they also come in other sizes and lengths.

What's in the box?

28 nails in 14 sizes

cuticle pusher

two-sided nail file

nail glue

Here is a link to the youtube video where I heard about how great these nail are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPts_vsUDxI

Here is the product website: 

http://www.kissusa.com

If you're still reading at this point, thank you! I know this is a super long post and I appreciate your perseverance!