Merry Christmas! Sally Hansen Nail Strips in Prep's Cool

It's rare that I post a manicure on the actual day I happen to be wearing it, but tonight you're getting my *actual* Christmas manicure. Sally Hansen Nail Strips in Prep's Cool are currently adorning my nails, and I couldn't be happier. I actually picked this up last year, but have been saving it for a special occasion; this Christmas certainly qualifies! Not only were these relatively easy to apply, but they look amazing. I'm thrilled with the pattern, and as always, the wear time is second to none. Because we're travelling a bit this holiday, this was the perfect choice- no need to worry about repairing a chipped manicure, and I get about a solid week of wear from the metallic Sally Hansen nail strips before any major flaws show up. I do slap a coat of Seche Vite overtop, and that seems to help ensure extra long wear time (not to mention making my manicure brilliantly shiny). 

And some obligatory manicure pics + seasonal props:

Merry Christmas, dear readers! I hope you're all having a good one.

Happy Halloween!

I want to begin by apologizing for being a bad blogger- I haven't been updating as frequently as I'd like! The same goes for those of my lovely readers who also have wonderful blogs that I haven't been able to visit as regularly lately- I hope you'll forgive me for my infrequent appearances! 

Maybe I can make it up to you with some Halloween photos? We'll start with the nails, of course. Sally Hansen Nail Strips in "Corny Candy", a light metallic silver imprinted with adorable candy corns. I have to say, I'm majorly impressed with these. Not only are they incredibly cute, but this manicure is on it's third day and it's still going strong with nary a chip in sight. That's a rare experience for me! 

Application was quite easy, and I topped this off with a coat of Seche Vite (which I find helps protect the strips and ensures they'll last extra long). And of course this Halloween manicure needs a Halloween-ready Domo to go along with it:

Here's a photo of a recent pumpkin carving event; bonus points to anyone who guesses the origin of the design on the left pumpkin!

Lastly, I'll share with you a look outside my window (taken about a week ago).

As you can see, winter has arrived in earnest, and any kids out trick or treating probably wore their costumes overtop of a snowsuit! I do have to admit, though, I love when the trees are thick with the first frost of the winter. Beautiful.

How was your Halloween?

Sally Hansen Salon Effects - Laced Up

This past weekend was really busy for me, and I wanted to choose a manicure that would have some staying power. For me, that's a cue to do a manicure with Sally Hansen's Salon Effects Nail Strips. I usually can't get past two days without major chipping when I paint my nails (no matter what products or technique I use when doing them). I love that I can get up to about 4 days with a manicure using Nail Strips.

I have to admit, I was hesitant to try these the first time, but the application wasn't really that hard to get the hang of, and some of the designs are really amazing- not something I could ever create just with stamping/nail art.

This is Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Laced Up:

Pretty cool, right? Just make sure to follow the package instructions, and application should be fine. One helpful tip is to make sure to just gently stretch the nail strip over then tip of your nail when applying; too much stretching will distort the image, and too little might mean the strips won't be totally smooth and flat. I also like to finish the manicure with topcoat, just to seal it and give it some extra shine.

Here's a look at a manicure I did for last Halloween using nail strips (sorry for the poor photo quality- this was way before I even contemplated a nail blog):

This was a seasonal release for Halloween 2011, and I almost wish I'd picked up two. Yes, those are interlocking white and orange ghosts. How freaking cute is that?! I think the design was called "Ghoulie Girl". Here's hoping they bring it back for Halloween 2012!

What do you think of Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips? Have you tried them, or something similar?