I spied this in the store the other day and promptly snapped up 2 to try!
I’ve bought the Nail Rocks nail sheets (that need to be set with the heat of a dryer, which I haven’t experimented with just yet), and tried out the Incoco-brand Color Enamel Strips in the past, which I enjoyed but were a bit tough to apply.
The Sally Hansen version of this idea takes the difficult application inherent with other brands and makes it super-easy, with an orange stick and nail file included in each set. And what I haven’t seen before with these stick-on nailpolish sheets is the amazing range of colors: Sally Hansen is offering glitter, photo-realistic effects, fun patterns, and bright colors. And they’re super-easy to use!
There are 16 sheets in a packet (and though you could probably use a single sheet for 2 nails if you were super-careful and enterprising); they’re meant to be used one sticker = one nail. You need to find stickers that approximate the shape of your nail bed, peel off the protective coat, peel off the back, snap off the paper tip (I found it easier to do the last two steps in reverse order), and place onto your nail.
You use an orange stick (included in the set) to press down the edges, and then the included nail file to crease the sticker sharply at the nail tip, and the sticker rips off.
Pros: Easy to use, fast (once you get the hang of it), brilliant colors and effects, long-lasting (I hope – the package says 10 days!), no drying time required, no need for other things to buy to do your manicure (topcoat, base coat, etc), no bumpiness to the glitter; DBP, toluene and formaldehyde-free.
Cons: A little smelly (like real nailpolish), packs come vacuum-sealed so they’re kind of hard to rip into, stickers prone to ripping if you press too hard with the orange stick, difficulty in finding a shape match to your nail bed, waste of sticker part that you rip off, a little pricey.
At about $9.99 a pack they’re a little more expensive than your average nailpolish, and they’re only single-use, so once they’re done, they’re done. But the effects are amazingly bright, pure color, with a streak-free and consistent finish, and the tops are smooth without the need for a topcoat!
Right now I’m trying out the pink glitter (“Bling It On”) and the blue glitter (“Blue Ice”) is next on my list!
Already in stores like Walgreen, Target, and CVS, this product is supposed to be available throughout drugstores in the U.S. by February 2011.
What do you guys think? Something cool you’d like to try? Or a little too pricey and bothersome to mess around with?
xoxox
Carly
I'm wearing the leopard print and I love it. They are buy 1 get 1 50% off at walgreens and cvs this week so I also bought one in gold. It's been 3 days and they still look great!
Oh man, these look rad. Thanks for sharing, your pics are great!
Another friend suggested to me and she said they definitely lasted longer than regular nail polish. How hard is it to find ones that fit okay, and/or is it really difficult to press them onto your nail? (per your cons)
Thx for sharing! Ill have to see if they sell them in canada!
The result looks way better than what I expected. Probably because you have short nails. I think it would look tacky on long claws.
While they look cool, there looks like there is a lot of waste unless you have really long nails and especially for the price – it is probably not something I would try other than a special occasion.
They look pretty awesome, and the fact that there's no drying time is a big plus! On the whole, though, they're too expensive for me so I won't be trying them.
cheaper than a manicure!
Here is a slightly cheaper alternative and use the code SSblog for 5% off. They are $7 and can be used for at least 2 applications! http://www.bonanza.com/listings/Gold-Glitter-nail-polish-strips-dry-press-patches/43895845
Awesome! Thanks so much for the link!:-)
I saw some of these when out shopping the other day. They were Paris Hilton ones :/ I was not too sure about them so didn't buy them lol..but after your post i may go and try some 🙂 x
I'm totally going to try this — looks amazing!
@Tara, in 3 PartsIt's not exactly hard to find a match…but I found that for some of my nails there wasn't an exact match to the curve of my nail bed. So when I applied the strip, I used the orange stick to tear around the sticker at the nail bed to get a perfect fit. They're sticky, like flimsy stickers, so they stick to anything (your nails, your fingers, the orange stick, the floor), so you do have to be careful when applying them that you don't get them stuck/crumpled onto something else. It's now Day 4 and they still look pretty nice (though some of the stickers have worn away about a half millimeter at the tips of my nails, but it's really hard to tell unless you look closely).:-)
@KatarinaYou're right…I definitely wouldn't do any of the glitter/patterns on nails longer than the fingertips!
@Mama VioletI wavered over the leopard print too! And mine were buy one, get one 50% off so I wasn't too put off by the price, just like yours!
@Mama Violet
I've had mine on for a solid 14 days and aside from a bit of nail growth, they still look like a fresh manicure and polish!!!
Definitely love these! I tried the fishnet-looking ones and thought they were SO easy to use… and mine stayed on for almost 3 weeks! Definitely more efficient than a manicure, at $10 a pop (I have plenty left to use the fishnet ones again, I used one strip for two nails) and it isn't too hard to get them to fit your nails.
@Kathryn
If you have short/semi-short nails you can cut them in half before peeling it off the paper so it's like 2 manicures per box instead of one. That's what I do and it works fine.
My friend showed me these and said that after a week they still looked perfect (she has 2 small children and is a teacher, so her nails get beat up). I went out and bought the butterflies pattern and the fishnet pattern immediately, and the CVS had $1 off coupons, too!.
After 7 days the only problem I had was that near my cuticles they seemed to “lift” a little, but I put a clear topcoat on and haven’t had any issues. (I think though that because I wanted to give myself a “manicure” that I had used cuticle oil before hand, and even with washing my hands and swiping some polish remover over them, there was still some oily residue on the nails).
I’m used to nail polish chipping after 3-4 days (if I’m lucky) and I’m soooo happy with them. I even used what was left over (either with the tabs I didn’t use, or the remnants of the ones I did) on my toes! The only caviat is that you must use the leftovers immediately, otherwise the adhesive dries out.
I can’t wait to go back and get more sets…some were already sold out! I’m looking for the champagne color and multicolored glitter sets…I was hesitant about the butterflies but I have short nails so they don’t look tacky.
I highly recommend and just like @Anonymous before me, I will cut the next set so I get an extra mani out of them! I also discovered when doing my toes that I have a cuticle pusher that is rubber on the end and a hard plastic on the other (I got it in some kind of kit) and I was able to push them down more and rub harder without worrying about a possible tear…I will be using that from now on instead of the orange stick that came with the kit.
i love them. everyone should get these. i just went to walmart to buy them and they were almost sold out. they are amazing, easy to put on, and look so cool!
LADIES WHO GET FULL SETS..TRY THIS!!
i always get my nails done and when i saw these i couldnt resist! ..i bought the pink glitter style first and i do agree covering the whole nail definitely looks a bit tacky and cheap..so i cut them into strips just big enough to cover my tips and finished with a top coat and let me tell you ive never gotten so many compliments on my nails! (p.s. they do last a super long time..i’m goin on 3 weeks now and my job consists of washing alot of dishes..0 scuffs!) I’m currently wearing the leopard print and i will continue to do my nails like this until i find a better product. These definitely beat airbrushing and nail polish!
They are fantastic. Easy to apply and much more durable than a $40 manicure. No chips, no peels, even after dishes and snow shoveling. I’m hooked.
i was able to use 8 strips on all my fingers and toes! the toes are still perfectly intact 3 weeks later 🙂
I just posted your blog on my fcbk fan page http://www.facebook.com/vstylist and I’m trying the stickers today, as part of my preparation to Miami Fashion Week!
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Thanks Tamy! Please share your nails when you’ve tried these out – I love to see everyone’s different take on them!
xoxox
Carly
I adore these! I am done with acrylic nails and considering the time and expense involved with acrylics or gel nails these strips are a real treat. I had heard about them and was not sure if they were in Canada yet but I was able to find some at London Drugs and Walmart. I bought the zebra print and the leopard print and i tried the zebra print first and I found them pretty easy to apply. I used one strip for 2 nails and i heated the back of the strip with a blowdryer for a minute or two and they seem to adhere better that way..very smooth.no peeling at all..and 10 days later they look great, no chipping and no grow out from the cuticles. I also applied a topcoat and expect a few more days of wear or longer. Highly recommend these and I get lots of compliments. My nails were fairly short and I wasn’t sure if they would look good on really short nails but I am really hapy with them, they look great!
Love these!! I do cut mine in half & only open 1 pack at a time. They last forever-esp on toes. If you have left over put them in a ziplock w/ no air asap. I got a mani, a pedi & a mani for my daughter out of one full pack. With a $2 coupon that is a great deal. I usually skip fingernail polish because it chips instantly, but not with this stuff!!! AWESOME!
That’s a great suggestion! Cutting in half will definitely help you get maximum bang for your buck – and the ziplock will help save them til the next time you use. Thanks for the tip!:-)
I just tried these yesterday and I am in love!!!
since they are kind of expensive I used TWO STRIPS FOR ONE NAIL!! I still have one more use out of the box, i made sure to cut the strip on the first nail close to the nail, then used the other side on another nail. just thought i would share!!
i luv them! i buy them every month! they last forever!!!!!!!!!!
tO CARA FROM THE LESLE,USE BABY OIL FOR CUTICALL.LIFTING. THE MEN LOVE THE FRAGRANCE…
Does anyone know if you can use these on acrylic nails? Because I have acrylics but I wanted to try these instead of going and getting them done again.
Hmmm. I’m pretty sure you can…but I’ve never tried it. I think they might be hard to remove since you remove them with nail polish remover, which as far as I know will also weaken acrylics. Sorry I can’t be more certain!
Its fine…Thanks though 🙂
thank you sally!!! lol!!! i love these things and use them all the time!! not only am i saving money from using them but im getting compliments i didnt get when i was going to the salon spending alot more!!
I love, love, love these. I also cut mine in half so I get two goes out of one buy. So good <3
Hi,
I really wanted to know about the nail polish strips, and all the comments were really useful. For people who have really thick toenails,and want to be able to thin them down, before using the nail polish strips, we sell the PediNova III Electric Nail and Foot Care Kit at my on-line store, http://www.footwellbeing.com. Just click on the shopping cart and check it out.
I use the part you rip off to do my toes! so I have a mani and pedi for just $10! my friend used the extra ends to do her other hand and saved the second pack so she can have another mani later. so when you say a con is “waste of sticker part that you rip off” it doesnt have to be!
Oh, awesome! How thrifty! I must do that next time I use these. Thanks for the idea!
you can even do french tips of othere colors.
me and my 11 year old got them at walmart one day we did our nails. they were so easy to do so we did our toes too. i have got so many complaments on my nails. i have been wearing this set for almost 2 weeks and they still look great. we r now trying to find who has the best deal on them so we can stock up. we have even got creative with them. we french tip 2 different ones like the raise the glass base with kitty kitty tips.
I got the butterfly set and I’m going to try a top coat on them this time. I’ve done the flowery black lace ones before and I had a bit of a tough time “filing” the top off to get an edge. I’m not sure if there’s something special I’m missing or if I just have to practice. It was like it didn’t want to file because they’re stickers, so it just kind of folded them instead. Oh well, the ones I have now are cute so I’ll give it another try!
Yes, sometimes getting that angle exactly right to quickly file off the excess is a little difficult. Usually if you don’t do it on the first couple passes with the file, it just weakens the stickers and makes them all bendy near the edges. If you’re having trouble filing, you could always snip off the excess with nail scissors and then file the edges downwards to “wrap” them over your nail edge…
Hope that helps!
I usually skip fingernail polish because it chips instantly, but not with this stuff!!! i just went to walmart to buy them and they were almost sold out.
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