Sally Hansen Salon Effects – oh you fancy huh?

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.

Sally Hansen Salon Effectsphotos: we heart this

I am fancy! Why? Just look at those nails! Courtesy of Sally Hansen Salon Effects. This new product from the drugstore brand is placing them in a position to rival the big wigs (with the help of Tracy Reese of course!)

Salon Effects are real nail polish strips with adhesive backing that allows you to peel, lay them on your nails, file off the excess and go. If you are thinking of Minx, you’re right. The differences being that you can apply these yourself, no heat is needed and you’ll have about 40 bucks more in your pocket with Sally’s (I paid $8.50 for mine at Walgreens).

I definitely was most drawn to my chosen pattern; Misbehaved, a black fishnet design overlaid on a nude metallic. I found the printing on some of the other patterns to be kind of shoddy. But my next purchase will be the neons; bright, pure, streakless neons. Imagine!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects

The set comes with 16 polish strips (2 each of 8 sizes), plus a mini cuticle stick and file/buffer duo. What does it not come with? DBP, toluene or formaldehyde.

The pros outweigh the cons on these…

PROS:
No waiting for nails to dry. A big pro for me, I’m a habitual smudger!
Easy to apply. There is some flexibility with placement. Get them crooked? They’re easy to peel up again and re -do (prior to pressing them and filing off the excess). Plus, they’re strectchy so you feel like you’re getting a really snug fit (careful when stretching patterns or you’ll distort them).
A long wear time. Chips were almost non-existent (way less that with polish).
Wicked cool! They are really eye-catching. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so many compliments on a manicure before.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects CONS:
They’re expensive. Nine dollars isn’t a lot of money, but compared to how many applications you get from a bottle of polish, versus these one-time strips, they’re not cheap. I’m hoping in the future they may sell them with the strips only for a bit less. Because as cute as the mini tools are, most nail addicts won’t need them.
The sizes are a bit off . I know everyone has different sized nails, but there seemed to be a bit too many on the large end of the scale. Check out my thumb versus the largest option in the set. I guess it’s for a big toe! But it’s un-usable for a finger. (My thumb also shows the strips on day 10, grown out more from the bottom then chipped from the top)

Here’s the whole range…

Sally Hansen Salon Effects photo: Sally Hansen

Sally Hansen Salon Effects

So readers, what say you? Want to be fancy too?

Author

  • Stef Andrews

    Stef is a plethora of things. Amongst them: co-founder of we heart this, photographer, condiment connoisseur, Philly girl in the California desert, borderline hoarder and a hardcore beauty junkie. She also has a touch of wanderlust and, arguably, the cutest dog in the whole world... skin tone: NC 25/30 skin type: oily with a fear of rosacea favorite beauty product: high end skincare and lip products

53 Comments

  1. This is possibly the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! I can’t believe they’re so inexpensive, durable, and easy to use. I must have the fishnet, the leopard, and ooh, is that glitter? And can you imagine the neon flowers on your toes for summer? A whole new world has just opened up to me thanks to @stef and Sally Hansen!

  2. I actually just bought some last week and am going to try them this weekend. I picked up the houndstooth print and they’re so cute! I keep hearing good things about them so I’m excited!!!

  3. Oh this is great! I just got an expensive mani done for NYE and they ruined my nails! I have never got fake nails before and the lady talked me into getting the Gel paint, which is basically the same as fake nails I guess, but she totally didn’t expalin that to me. I was so mad!

    These sound like they would be much better and cheaper. I’m liking all those looks! I can’t wait to get my hands on them!

  4. I saw these in my local RiteAid the other day, they’re just as pretty in person as they are in photos! But I agree, they look huge, way too big for my fingers. That, and I have a weird aversion to filing (the sound or watching it happen literally makes me vomit) so I’m not sure how I would get the ends to fit. Looking at all those patterns, it seems worth the experimentation!

  5. I had this same mani last week! It really is everything that @stef says, and the con’s are spot on. I bought mine as part of a “Buy One, Get One” at CVS, but they were $9.99 retail, so I didn’t save much more than you can get them for at other stores.

    I do hope that they come out with more styles and designs. I got great compliments on them and if they were cheaper, I’d do them on a regular basis!
    I also rocked the black and white flowers in the upper right corner, I had an impulse to decorate them with my nail polish before applying. I think I might do that next time, just to change it up.

    @mandaleem, the filing seems to be a bit minimal, the strips themselves are paper thin, so I didn’t experience a whole lot of grating when I filed. And in truth, I didn’t do much filing when I applied them; I was able to fold them over my nail tips and just break it off at the fold for the most part.
    My husband HATES filing also, so I feel your pain, but I think this might be less of a horror than you imagine. :-)

  6. Thanks Janell!

    @mandaleem@lyssachelle is right, the filing is very minimal (I was able to pinch most of them off with my fingers too). But I have to ask, how do you keep your nails from growing too long? Are you a biter?

  7. These do look super cool on you @stef! I recently (yesterday)saw a full page ad of these..Wow, they have soooooo many others to choose from.. How easy and affordable!

  8. I love Sally Hansen! But I had yet to see these awesome strips. How neat! Your nails look super fly @stef. I am absolutely going to give these a try. Yes, they are expensive for every day use. But for special occasions when one must do there nails quickly these are just the ticket! Yay!!

  9. I just saw these at Wal-mart and I was really intrigued by them–I especially liked the fishnet pattern you used, @stef
    I also like that houndstooth pattern & the lace one…
    I know what I’m buying this weekend :)

  10. These are awesome, I’m def going to try the butterflies on my toes in the summer. And I love the fishnets on your fingers.

  11. I have seen these all over, but I haven’t taken the plunge yet. Kudos on the precise application, @stef! They look great! My favorites are the leopard and multicolored glitter!

  12. @Stef – Nope, not a biter. (That actually really squicks me out, too.) My nails stay pretty short naturally because I play the guitar and piano and go rock climbing, but when I have a break or just need to shorten them (so they don’t break) I just clip. I’ve gotten pretty good at being able to clip nice, smooth edges and shapes.

    Good to know they’re so easy to shape and cut off! Maybe I can do it just by using little surgical scissors or even clippers. I think I know what I’ll be experimenting with this weekend!

    For those who are tempted to try, I think RiteAid has a BOGO1/2 Off sale on all Sally Hansen products until Saturday or Sunday! I know that if you check out @NouveauCheap ‘s blog she has all the deets on the good sales. Have fun!

  13. How fun are these! I know what I’m shopping for tomorrow.

  14. kim lehman says:

    I love these!!! I’ve gotten so many great compliments, even from men!! The thing i dont like is that you get 16 instead of 20. i’ve had them on for 8 days and only 1 was not looking so good, so i tried to use one of the 6 i had left, which the pack was opened and it was all dried out and didnt apply. Why not sell 20 and make each pack 10??
    Other than that, it’s an AWESOME product just wish they were a bit cheaper or like i said sold in a 20 pk.

  15. I am in love! How cool are these!? I must try them asap! I donlt think I will be able to apply them as expertly as @stef, but I will attempt!
    Now I have to decide which style? The lace looks fun!

  16. I love the idea of these, I don’t like the price, especially since I’m a polish chameleon. I just can’t seem to stick with a color for more than a week. I wish they included more than just a pair of each size since I think a few of my nails are the same size.

    The lace one is incredibly cute though!

  17. Just curious, do they come off in the shower, or do they stay on? I just put the zebra stripes on and I love them, so much cheaper then getting them done at the salon like i usually do. But I was just wondering how they do in the shower.

  18. @Jess-

    These do NOT come off in the shower. No peeling at all. I had 1 chip with these, and it happened within the first hour! After that they stayed put until I removed them. Very impressed.

    Thanks for your comment!

  19. I have the pink camo on and I love them! I am wondering, can you put a clearcoat on after a couple of days to extend wear time?

  20. I am wearing the leopard print. I used one tip for two nails, and it worked like a charm. I keep my nails medium-short, and it was easy to cut them in half with cuticle scissors (after removing the backing). You have to be a bit more careful applying them this way, but to get two manicures a box is worth it.

  21. @kim – you make a great point, why not 20 instead of 16?! I would feel much better about the price if you got 2 applications.
    (Which I know sounds so ridiculous, coming from the girl who buys a $65 toner!)

    @T – I put clear coat over the one nail that chipped to avoid any further chipping. The directions don’t say anything about a top coat at all. Honestly, I don’t think it really helped. I was very impressed with the wear time without it.

    @Tammy – good job with the 2 nails from one strip! I’m totally trying that next time.

  22. Actually, the sizes aren’t off for everyone. I tried these last week, and I have really wide fingernails, so the biggest option was the only one that fit on my thumbs.

    Also, mine were super chipped after 5 days, but so worth it!

  23. I just bought a set and I love them! They were super easy to apply and they look great!

  24. I actually bought some of these today — the Laced Up version, and I LOVE them! They’re super easy to get on, and for us habitual smudgers, there’s no worry that you’re going to screw up your kick butt mani! Yeah, they’re a little on the expensive side, but like you said, they are so worth it! I can’t wait to go back and buy some more!

  25. @sarah – lucky you getting to use the big ones! Though I would imagine you couldn’t use the small ones then? They should do different sized kits. Maybe put a thumbnail sized one on the outside of the package so you can measure what size you’d be. (Hey, that’s actually a really good idea! That combined with @kim’s idea of 20 instead of 16 would be awesome!)

    @Amy – I know, the non smudge factor was one of my favorite things too!

  26. if this stuff really stays on good they might have found another fan.. i can’t get past day 1 without chipping on my fingernails with typical polish!

  27. 1 strip= 2 nails. Walgreens has coupons :).

  28. Just tried these for the first time today – Can we say ADDICTED!?!?!?!

  29. @Kristi – agree! I’ve been having to stop my self from running straight back to the drugstore…

    Well, today I could wait no longer! But really, it’s in the name of science – I wanted to check out the 1 strip = 2 nails theory that @sasha and @tammy said. This was NOT the case for me. I tried it on a couple of nails, and I just couldn’t get the strips to stay on well. With the whole strip you can really stretch the strip for a super tight fit. So I either got my fingers all over the adhesive of what was going to be the other side (and it didn’t stick well). Or, if I cut off the other half with cuticle scissors, there wasn’t enough to pull on the other nail.

    I admire you girls that can be thrifty with these and get 2 manicures, but I was not one of them.

    I got the lace ones this time. Pretty! I still like the fishnets better though.

  30. these look so cool!!!!! so much easier than doing your nails youself! and with cool designs!! can’t wait til they hit my CVS

  31. omg i half to have these i’m going today to get them i’m just worried about the size alot people say there big i have small nails but i’m still going to get them can’t wait

  32. I’m currently putting on the leopard ones!! These are so awesome. I’m a polish addict, and this seems like an awesome alternative to painting and repainting at least twice a week for me. I always get compliments on my nails, so I’m crossing my fingers and hoping these are a hit over the weekend!

  33. I was so excited for these. Bought several looks, but used 60’s flowers first. SO. EASY. They are large, but one you run the orange stick around your cutical, the fit in and the excess comes off. The excess length came off just by my smoothing with the stick. The end creases along the edge of your nail and comes off. I suppose if had very small nails or a little girl you could use the excess length to do that. I did 10 nails in maybe 7 minutes, and only a slight buff on the ends of my nails (I used my crystal file). $9.99 at Wagreens and they gave me coupons AND SAMPLES!! If I can have nice looking nails for 10 days, so worth it. Have fun, and smile. :)

  34. I bought the black and white floral print because the design had caught my eye. They were super easy to put on- one thing i did that was not mentioned on the package was to put a top coat, i figured since they do that with a regular manicure it could’t hurt to do it with these. I love the way they look! totally recommend them :)

  35. i purchased these in the houndstooth print and got so many compliments! i wore them to vegas with my little black dress and my red pumps…so perfect. mine lasted around 3 weeks – and only because i removed them. i applied top coat every 4-5 days and that helped protect the polish. i am a nurse and wash my hands a million times a day.

    my nails are also skinnier than the strips. what i ended up doing was using the stick and scraping around the cuticle to fit the nail bed. or if you used the angled end of an orange stick, you can push a little bit of the nail strip in between the skin and the nail itself. you just have to be extra careful!

  36. Jaclyn Mendoza says:

    I love these! I tried them out just now- with the Laced Up design, and they’re wonderful! I don’t think I like them as much as Konading my nails, but a good alternative for when I’m in a hurry.

    Also- I’ve found one of the packages can give me a full hand and foot, as long as I finish my hand, the leftover random sizes fit my toes perfectly! Plus the Laced Up design is super classy looking as a pedicure :]

  37. I just tried them last night. They look pretty great, I’m a fan.They went on really easy….even though I have tiny fingers I still got them to fit.
    And I didn’t have the use the nail file I used nail clippers and it worked just as well. Frock Star (the glittery one on the bottom row of the picture) looks awesome in person.
    The only down side is the CVS charged $11.00 per package.
    Over all if I get 10 days out of them I will be pretty happy.

  38. Maggie Folkestad says:

    i’m going to go get some of these but i would also just like to say that i’m very glad that they make different sizes. i have odd thumbs, my friends often call them toe thumbs. they’re short and chubby so the fact that they have bigger ones that will actually fit makes me happy.

  39. Amazing! I love this product. I also put a quick drying clear top coat on top of the strips. I also use them on my toenails, and I get so many compliments.

  40. I just put these on my toes. They look cute and they got easier to apply as I went along. I’d like to see what others think as far as wear and durability. I bought the booty camp and the pink glitter. Wearing Booty Camp now. Hope they last.

  41. Okay, it’s been 8 days and they are still going strong. I was out planting and weeding in flip-flops yesterday and they stayed looking great until I stubbed my toe. So far, Target and King Soopers (Kroger) has them for the least $$$, Walgreens is more $$$, $1.50 more. Also, if you have any strips left over, they WILL DRY OUT. I suggest putting them in a zip lock baggie or, like me, sealing them in a food saver bag. I will be able to get 3 applications on my toes with one box making them much more economical. I am guessing that no one is goin to read this since I was the last person to post a week ago but just in case, I give these 2 thumbs up.

  42. Hi Princess – we are absolutely reading this, thanks for weighing in! Glad you liked them, I really do too. As a matter of fact, I think I may go get some more today!

  43. Looovvveeeee these! But I have some trouble keeping them on… Any suggestions? And thumbs up to the patterns! So cute, and not too cheesy! Haha

    1. Hi Sophie – I don’t have trouble keeping mine one. Are you particularly rough on your hands, i.e. do you use your nails as tools, and things like that? I’ve had friends put a clear top coat on but always found I didn’t need it. But try that, it should help.

      Thanks for your comment!

  44. btw Stef, thats a really pretty pic! but i would enjoy some advice abt keepin them on, im sure ur busy, so take ur time, reply when u can! :)***

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *