Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips "Glitz Bitz"

I was really excited to see that the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips are finally launching in the UK. They have been out in America for a while and I have been eager to try them!

I feel I should confess straight away that I hate nail wraps with a passion. They were definitely one of the biggest beauty disappointments for me, as the patterns and designs are beautiful but the wraps themselves are useless. They never stick to your nails properly, they always peel off at the edge and its the most uncomfortable feeling. I think I lasted half a day before ripping them off.

Now whats exciting about the Sally Hansen strips is that they aren't wraps, they are actual strips of real nail polish, if you don't believe me smell them (they stink of nail polish!). They actually stick to your nail and look pretty good. There's definitely some pros and cons which I will go into, but overall for my first attempt at using them I was really impressed.

These are what the strips look like and you can get various different designs. These gold glitter ones are called "Glitz Bitz". You get 16 strips in a pack and they come in a variety of different shapes and sizes to fit each nail. The trickiest part is finding a strip to fit every one of your nails, there wasn't a shape that really fitted my pinky nail and generally you will have to make do, as nails come in all shapes and sizes and Sally can't cater for everyone.

Before you apply the strips you need to make sure your nails are clean, wipe them over with nail polish remover (even if you don't have any nail polish on) this will remove the natural oils from your nail, making the strips stick better and last longer. In the pack you also get a mini orange stick to push back your cuticles and a mini nail buffer. I would recommend buffing your nails too, as again it will help the strips to stick. Once you have done that and selected what strip you are using on each nail you can begin to apply them.

The strips come on a clear adhesive backing, peel off this backing and place on your nail. Be careful as once its on your nail its difficult to move it. Once you are happy with the positioning, press down and smooth out the nail strip with your fingers. Make sure you press firmly to ensure there are no bumps or air pockets.

Then push the strip slightly over and around the tip of your nail and file off the excess. Now this is the bit with normal nail wraps that never works, but because these are so thin and made of real nail polish I found this bit really easy and I have no rough edges or peeling on my nail tips at all.

I would definitely try these again, however at £7.99 a pack they are quite expensive and as you only get 16 strips in a pack you can only use them once before needing another pack, especially as the ones that are left over tend to be the ones that don't fit any of your nails particularly well. I think they would be great for accent nails and that way your pack will stretch a bit further and you can play around with different designs .

They are really easy to use and once you've done a couple of nails you will be on a roll. For me the biggest cons are just the sizing of the strips and also although they are very thin, they are slightly raised around the nail bed area and I have found myself picking at them. I doubt most people would even notice this though, as I do have a habit of picking off my nail polish when bored, stressed or anxious.

Overall these are really fun to try and I am excited to see what other designs they bring out. I think they would be great for special occasions, my nails are screaming Christmas right now. If like me you have been put off by nail wraps in the past, try these out I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

You can pick these up in larger Boots stores (I found mine in Boots in Bromley) or Boots online for £7.99

(See what I mean about my pinky nail!)