Clearance Minx

Last week I snagged these Minx Nail Strips at Ulta on clearance for $5 instead of $18!

I had just been thinking how I never got any super gold or silver polish like I wanted last year. The really mirror finish ones. So when I saw these, I was pretty pumped. Well, on the inside. I can't be too excited in Ulta. I like to play it cool in front of the products.

The patterned set is called Technical Tribal and the silver is called Silver Moons. Both of which I can't find online so I guess they really are clearanced. 

I like the flat cd case type packaging that makes it easy to store. I also like how it opens up to perfectly sized slots for the strip sheets as well as 2 alcohol wipes that you can use to prep your nails. Great packaging for on the go!

These nail strips seem to be taking over really fast and I can totally see why. They're fun. They're easy. There's a great selection and more coming out every day. They're not permanent. But most of all, there's no mess, no nail polish smell and no drying time! As a chronic smudger, this is the best part.

I know a lot more companies have come out with nail strips. Maybelline has recently fallen into line and Essie has come out with some really special ones, complete with rhinestones and studs. Most of the drugstore brands run about$7-$10 a box/envelope, which isn't bad depending how many uses you get from them. I keep my nails short so I can easily get 3 full mani's out of a set but that's not true for all and it depends how careful you are with the strips to save the extra.

Minx is the first set I've seen that includes a set for your toes. Pretty cool! That means I can probably get a lot more uses out of these sets! And for $5 each?? That constitutes a pretty good beauty buy!  (though the regular price of $18 probably wouldn't have stopped me to look at these)

Pro Tip: if you only have tiny bits left, keep 'em! Cut those scraps into shapes or lines to make designs! Boom! Custom Nails!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Polish Strips

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips $10

So the legend said that there would one day be an easy way to have ones nails polished without the messy smells and drips of polishes and removers. That day came has some with the advent of Nail Polish Strips, particularly the Sally Hansen Salon Effects.

I tried these on for size a year ago after visiting my friend Tiffany and seeing her perfectly polished hounds tooth nails. She explained her process of using the Sally Hansen Salon Effects and was very pleased with the results and how well they kept.  So naturally, I had to get them immediately!

I bought a small box of a gold and black fishnet pattern called, "Misbehaved". The application is completely foolproof. You find the right size strip for each nail from the MANY that they give you in each box. You peel it off the sticker paper and apply it to clean, buffed nails. Press firmly with your finger and enclosed orange stick to adhere it to your nail and buff the end to get rid of any excess. That's it! No drying time. No going back over for another coat. Not even a top coat!! It's by far the fastest manicure out there. 


They strips aren't very thick and feel exactly like nail polish and not like thick stickers on your nail. I had a completely polished manicure for a full 10 days with these strips and that's including the painting and moving of a garage! They give you 2 full sets, so long nail wears would probably get 2 uses per box, but with my short nails I was able to use only half of each strip and save the rest and got 4 full uses from 1 package. Not a bad buy for $10, and they comes easily with regular polish remover.

Sally Hansen offers tons of patterns and colors now and even puts out seasonal patterns but I've noticed many other brands popping up. Sephora has a line, along with NailPatch.net and just about every drugstore an beauty supply store has their own version, all ranging in price from $3-$12.  

The convenience factor can't be beat. You can do your nails anywhere and never have to factor in your drying time. They take no special tools or skills and are safe for kids or mess-prone adults alike. 


Don't forget, these can even be cut and used to make shapes, stripes, or your own patterns! Easy nail part that's even customizeable for $10 or less, that lasts? Don't mind if I do!

Plaid Nails

Anyone with access to Pinterest or the internet itself has been seeing these photo tutorials about making your own nail stickers or strips with nail polish and scotch tape. I decided to give it a try.

It's a pretty straight forward process, here's what I did:

I painted some scotch tape with nailpolish. I did this first to give them time to fully dry. Then I painted my nails in a neutral grey and let them dry completely. A simple clear coat would work just as well.

Once the polish on the tape was dried, I cut the colors into very thin strips so I could create a plaid.  This was way more time consuming than regular stripes or shapes. Next time, I'll stick with something easier. For now I kept the same pattern on every nail. Tad overload?? Maybe. But it's only nail polish!

The long ends that were left I cut off with cuticle scissors and then pressed each nail well to make sure everything stuck.

I covered everything with a good top coat and VIOLA!! 

Plaid Nails!!

Colors I used:

Base grey: Petite Color Fever in Vintage Grey, Turquoise: L'Oreal Color Riche in Club Prive, Lime Green: Sinful Colors in Innocent, Hot Pink: NYC In A Minute in MoMa, Orange: NYC In A Minute in Spring Street, Silver: Milani Nail Lacquer in Ms Milani, Top Coat: Sally Hansen No Chip Acrylic Top Coat

Oh Scotch Tape...turns out you are so much more than just something to create funny faces and tape up my hands with when I'm bored.