The Low Down on Nail Polish Strips

I love having pretty nails.. what girl doesn't?  But I don't always have the time to paint my nails and let them dry properly.  98% of the time, I bump them on something and mess them up, and they never seem to look pretty after about 3 days.  They start chipping or peeling off, no matter how many different top coats/gel coats I have tried.. so I have ditched my trusty polishes for nail polish strips!

The Sally Hansen Salon Effects dry nail polish strips are to die for.  They come in multiple patterns and colors (my fave is Kitty, Kitty) and they're easy to use.  They last much longer than polish and you don't have to have a super steady hand to make them look good (no more bits of polish all over your fingers!).

Each box comes with a set of 16 strips, for ONE application.  You get two sealed pouches of strips, and once they are opened, after a few hours, they cannot be used again -- the adhesive will be no good.  You'll also get instructions, a dual sided nail file and a cuticle pusher stick.

The strips have two different shaped ends, which enables you to find the best fit for your nail/cuticle shape.  The packaging says to use one strip per nail.. but I never follow the directions, and I actually can cover two nails with one strip.

After shaping and cleaning your nails, hold different strips up to your nails to determine what size you will need, then peel off the clear backing.  Now you can carefully peel the strip off the paper backing and place it onto your nail.  The adhesive isn't very sticky, which allows you to move the strip around for perfect placement.  Once you get it where you want it, smooth it out with your finger or the cuticle stick. 

I stretch the strip out a bit over the tip of my nail and bend it downward to create a crease, then run my nail file over the edge to cut if off with a smooth edge.  I take the cut off portion of the strip and size it on another nail for placement (usually the same finger on the opposite hand). Of course, if you don't have another nail that it will fit on, then toss it in the trash. 

Voila, you're done!!  No drying time at all.. and that's the best part!  You can grab your favorite color or pattern at places like Target, Walmart or Walgreen's.  Although, I find that Walmart is the cheapest, at around $8.50. 

If you are more a visual person.. check out the link at the beginning of the post on the Sally Hansen website, or hit up trusty ole YouTube for a video tutorial on how to apply them.

Lots of love.
-- Kali @ The Pink Leopard