Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

Since I've dived head-first into the exciting world of nail strips, and, as you all know, I completely swear by Sally Hansen products, I decided to try out Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. This post is basically going to be a review of how the Sally Hansen product compares with the Funky Nails, which I reviewed here. There is also a post on CurlyGirl Beauty reviewing the "Frock Star" style, so check it out if you want to learn more!


The first style that I bought was "Laced Up," which is supposed to look like your fingernails are covered in black lace (honestly, my risque side just couldn't resist). Later, I bought "Check It Out" (hounds-tooth), "Sweet Tart-An" (pink argyle), and "Love Letter" (an actual love letter written on your nails!!). Since the only one I've actually used in "Laced Up," this is the one I'll review.

The first thing I noticed was that the kit actually contained what it was supposed to.Unlike Funky Nails, which was says that it comes with a cuticle stick and buffer, but doesn't, everything that was advertised on the box was inside of it (major plus there). When I took the strips out of the box I notice that a) they smelled like actual nail polish and b) the designs were very high quality. On some of the Funky Nails styles, if you look very closely you can see the tiny pixels. The instructions with the Salon Effects is much more detailed and easy to follow than Funky Nails, and the strips are easier to apply. There is no need to cut them out, or soak them in water, so they are actually less messy that Funky Nails, and you can even touch them with your fingers because they don't stick to your skin! I did my nails before I went to bed, and when I woke up, the nail strips had actually hardened on my nails like nail polish!

With that being said, I did have some major problems. For one thing, I have very small fingers, and therefore very small finger nails (I can't stress this enough; I have to wear toe rings because most rings don't fit my fingers). Even when I paint my nails, it's impossible for me to not get paint all over my skin, so you can imagine what a hassle these pre-cut nail strips can be. They went on fine, but there was a lot of overlap on my skin, which meant that as the strips dried, the part on my skin began to peel up. What I had to do was use one of these nail hook thingies (sorry for the super technical terminology, but I have no idea what these are called) to trim the excess nail strip around my cuticle. Since I did this after it had hardened a little, more of the nail strip began to come off my fingers. I recommend that If you do have a problem with the strip covering your cuticles, use one of these tools as soon as you finish applying the strips, and don't wait until they harden. I also recommend adding a top coat for extra sealing, although it isn't specifically mentioned in the instructions.

Other than the above mentioned situation, the Salon Effects lasted for nearly a week, which is drastically longer than Funky Nails. The package says that the nail strips last up to 10 days, but I really can't say for sure because I had to take mine off early for a job interview, since it's probably not a good idea to interview with scanky black lace finger nails.

So, here are my conclusions:

Pros

• Very detailed, high quality designed
• Very Easy to use: no cutting, soaking, and mess in general; just peel and apply to your nails
• Kit comes with everything that is advertised on the box
• Easy to remove with nail polish remover
• Large assortment of designs and colors

Cons
The only real con I've found is that the Salon Effects can be a little expensive. Depending on where you buy them, they can range from between $8.50-$10, and you only get one set (16 strips) each, whereas Funky Nails was $6.99 for 12 sets (16 strips in each set).

Honestly, I'd say that both products are good in their own ways. Funky Nails are great for special occasions, or just to wear for one day, and if you are on a budget and need a lot of designs for a small amount of money. Salon Effects, on the other hand, are definitely high on quality and selection, and last at least a week.