I am a nail fanatic. That doesn’t mean that I have great nails, or that I’m even particularly good at doing them. However, I do own an LED curing lamp (for gel manicures), nearly every kind of nail decal imaginable, and every embellishment I can find (stickers, studs, hoops, etc…). I really have tried them all.
Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of complements on my nails (not to toot my own horn, but kinda. Toot toot lol)
Today on the train, a woman asked how I did the cheetah print I have on my short, trimmed nails, and when I told her they are Sally Hansen Polish Strips, she was shocked!
So, since I’ve had so many questions recently, I figured I would do a run down of the best (and not so great) one’s that I’ve tried.
TODAY:
Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Kitty Kitty
These are really my favorites. I love me some animal print, and they go on so smoothly, I think it’s tough for people to see that they’re actually decals, which is always a plus. I’m pretty sure I got a total of 5 complements the first day I put them on, and have averaged about 1 complement per day since then. Oh, and they really do stay on for over a week. They get a bit ratty by the end of two weeks, but I think that’s fantastic for around $10.
PREVIOUS NAILS:
Kiss Gel Fantasy Glue On Nails
These nails are great. Unfortunately, these color combos aren’t available online, but I saw them the other day in Duane Reade (although I don’t know their color names). They stayed on for weeks. My favorite glue to use did not come in the package, but was a brush-on gel glue that I picked up at a beauty supply store. The lighter colored nails I filed to almond shaped, and the black ones were already shaped that way. These are definitely my favorite glue-on nails overall.
KISS 2 Looks Nail Dress in Eyelet
For this one, I decided to mix and match a bit. I did the nail decal on one finger, and then used Essie Luxeffects “Set in Stones” and some embellishments I found at H&M for the other nails. Set in Stones is one of my favorite polishes overall, and I thought this was a fun way to mix and match. These decals from KISS have fun designs, but are a smidge too vinyl-y for my taste, since they do buckle a bit. But, like with a phone protector, a credit card or orange stick, and maybe a little extra nail glue, gets them to stay down just fine. See below for another way I used the H&M embellishments (this time with CND Rock Royalty)
VARIOUS DECALS (I don’t remember the brand)
I think the reason I love nails is that its such a simple way to feel polished (pun intended) and be creative! If you have any favorites, post a comment. I always love hearing about new things to try!
gif c/o vivid-vodka-visions.tumblr.com