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.

.

HOW TO: Whiten Your Nails

 As I'm sure all of you know, nail polish can sometimes stain nails. 

Nail stain easier especially if it's a dark color or a red polish. Using a good base coat will help prevent this most of the time but if you forget it or use only dark colors or always have polished nails, like me, then staining can become a problem. What can you do? You could just repaint them and hide the stains or wait for the nails to grow out or you could try some of these methods.  

*GO BARE
Remove all nail polish and leave your nails unpolished periodically.  Having the nail cover with polish prevents oxygen from reaching the nail plate and is needed to maintain a healthy nail color.

*SQUEAKY CLEAN 
Remove all nail polish from nails and wash hands with soap and water while using a nail brush to scrub the nail surface and underneath the nail.  This step is just a good place to start; you might not notice any changes in the stains yet.

*TOOTHPASTE
Scrub nails with toothpaste using a nail brush or even an old toothbrush.  A whitening toothpaste may even work better. The toothpaste will remove surface stains and give your nail a nice shine, too.

*LEMON
Grab a lemon and squeeze a few drops onto each nail and rub for about 30 seconds and rinse. Or soak your nails in lemon water for about 10 minutes.  Your nails will already be noticeably whiter because lemon juice acts as a natural astringent and aids in removing stains but you might have to repeat this a few times to completely remove the stains. Lemon juice can also dry out your skin and nails so be sure to apply cuticle oil or a moisturizing hand lotion afterward.  
Also be aware that if the lemon juice doesn't work at all, you might have a bigger problem on your hands than just stained nails. Yellow nails can be a sign of diabetes.

*PASTE
Combine a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of lemon juice and mix well until it forms a paste. Apply some paste on each nail and leave in place for about 5 minutes then rinse. You could even scrub with a brush if you want while you wait. A lime can also be used in place of a lemon. 

*SOAK
Drop a denture cleaning tablet into a bowl of warm water and let it dissolve.  Soak for several minutes.

*BUFF
Use a buffer and gently buff the nail surface. Wash hands with soap and water and then apply a moisturizing hand lotion. Just be careful not to buff too much. Small  amounts of buffing can remove stains, smooth ridges, and promote nail growth but too much will weaken nails and lead to breaking.  (I speak with experience here.)

There are also great products available at Sally Beauty Supply or drugstores that can help whiten your nails but I would recommend trying these homemade-do-it-yourself methods before you go out and spend money. 

 

FINAL NOTE: Whitening your nails is a great way to clean them and brighten them. I recommend whitening your nails once a week if they are really stained. In order to maintain your new cleaner, whiter, happier nails, you need to continue whitening them at least once a week. You can't do it once and expect it to last forever, especially if you continue to paint them all the time or with dark colors or if you don't use a base coat.

Hope these ideas helped!

If you try any of these methods, please comment and tell me about your beautiful nails!!

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!