Best Sally Hansen Salon Insta Gel Strips Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $13.73
Sale Price: $8.95
Today's Bonus: 35% Off

First, some background on me. I've been using Harmony's Gelish and OPI nail gel polish for a year now. I love that they don't chip for over 2 weeks and most times I change the color because they've grown out rather than because of chipping issues. I thought Sally Hansen's Insta Gel Strips would cut down on the application time of regular gel polishes so I decided to try it.

Here's my review:

Pros:

1. Nice color choices, including patterns that I can't create with regular gel polish.

2. As easily removable as regular nail gel polish.

Cons:

1. These strips DO NOT LAST 2 WEEKS. My box said I would get 10 days of chip-free wear. Again, I'm experienced in applying and sealing gel nails and usually go almost 3 weeks without needing a polish change. I carefully applied and sealed these strips, didn't do excessive dish washing or anything that would promote chipping, and 3 of my nails chipped in less than 48 hours after applying them. By the end of the 5th day 5 of my 10 nails were chipped.

2. The size of the strips: one package contains 16 strips, 2 each of 8 sizes of strips. Of these 16 strips the smallest ones were too tiny for my pinkie and the next size up was a huge size up (rather than slight). I have medium-sized hands, not petite or large. I ended up having to trim two larger strips to fit the sides of my pinkies. I also had to trim two more strips to fit the sides of my middle fingers since those strips were too large.

3. The shape of the strips: the strips themselves are shaped different on each end, one end is square-ish while the other is more oval, so you can use the end that best fits the natural shape of the cuticle end of each of your nails. While some might think this is a Pro, rather than a Con, the problem is that the strip tapers in shape. So if you have chosen the square-ish end for a longer nail the strip narrows (tapers) toward the end of your nail leaving your natural nail showing on both sides.

4. The time involved in choosing appropriately sized strips for each nail and trimming each to "fit" takes longer than just brushing on gel polish from a bottle.

5. Per Sally Hansen's instructions, you have to stretch the gel strip as you apply it to your natural nail so it will curve to your nail (kind of like a plastic cling wrap idea) but you have to be extremely careful to not stretch it too hard or it will rip in the wrong place. Yes, you are supposed to rip the end of the strip off on the tip of your nail, but doing so without tearing in the wrong spot proves difficult. I used the Pinkies Up pink sparkle strips so I was able to "mend" the rips with additional pieces of discarded strips without anyone noticing my mistakes. I believe this wouldn't be fixable if you were using a patterned or solid colored strip.

6. The price: Again, you get 16 strips, enough for one manicure. At $13 a box I get more bang for my buck with a $15 bottle of gel polish that I can use many, many more times.

OVERALL: I wasted $12.99 on trying these strips. I would NOT recommend these Sally Hansen's Insta Gel Strips. They need to go back to R&D and come up with a better executed product. Stick with Harmony's Gelish or OPI's nail gel polish.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I just did the Get Juiced on my nails last night. ADORABLE color and super quick and easy to apply. And with all the different styles available, there's a strip for every occasion.

As far as sizing issues go, I always pick a strip that is too big rather than too small. The reason is once you have put the strip on your nail and pressed it down, you can use the wood stick that comes in the box to "trim" it to fit perfectly. Hard to describe in writing but I'll try... Use the angled side of the stick and press down on your cuticle where the strip overhangs. Do this the entire length of where it doesn't fit, and you will soon have separated the overhang from the part that is on your nail. Do this BEFORE the top coat step.

The other REALLY IMPORTANT APPLICATION TIP: **ROUGH UP YOUR NAIL before applying the strip** (even on a regular manicure you should do this as it gives the polish somewhere to cling to, never paint smooth nails the polish will come right off). So use your buffer #1 on all your nails, then wash them with soap and water to remove the dust and excess oil, THEN apply the color strips. Then do your top coat, and be sure to cure under the light several times (I usually do 3 or 4 times just to be sure, once is NOT enough) and then wipe them off with the alcohol pads to make 'em shine.

I've never been a big nail person as it just takes too much time. But seeing as these are easy to put on and LAST I have been wearing nail polish for a couple months straight now. UNHEARD OF for me!

Best Deals for Sally Hansen Salon Insta Gel Strips

I have not had the chipping issues that other reviewers have had I've had the poppy flower strips on for a week now, and have not had a single chip. I also noticed that another reviewer said that the UV light doesn't dry the polish if you follow the directions, it will. The top coat feels tacky until you do a final wipe with the cleanser pads. I am super happy with these strips. I obsess about nail polish colors and chipping, and these look great and last. I cut the strips to better fit my nails with sharp scissors. Then clean with cleanser pad, apply strips on all five fingers of one hand, paint with top coat, dry, and wipe with cleanser pad again. Then repeat with other hand. I'm getting multiple colors they're great! I will concur that Target has them cheaper though I think $11.99 and I get a coupon for them every other time I go for buy one, get one half off, so only end up paying about $8 apiece. With how long they last and how good they look, totally worth it!

Honest reviews on Sally Hansen Salon Insta Gel Strips

Pros:

I LOVE the color, it's like a light pink disco ball. It's so vibrant, plus the shine from the top coat makes it sparkle even more.

The strips are very easy to use. Gel polish is normally pretty easy, but the strips are even easier. It took me about 5 minutes total (with distractions) to do all 10 nails myself. Though I will say, I have the Sensationail UV lamp so I can do 4 fingers at once and both thumbs at once.

The strips come with a cuticle stick and tiny nail file

Also comes with it's own top coat that seems pretty thick and durable.

Cons:

You only get 16 strips (8 sizes, you get 2 of each), so it's expensive for only one full manicure. You can get more manicures out of the gel polish bottles and they cost less.

This listing is about $16, but Target currently has these for about $13. Still expensive though, in my opinion.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sally Hansen Salon Insta Gel Strips

Overall impression: Lasts slightly longer than a regular mani, but nothing like a real gel one.

Pros: Easy to do, especially if you aren't good with clean lines. Looks nice while it lasts. Easier to remove than a real gel manicure. Not messy. Price. If your nails aren't too long, you can actually use 1 strip on two nails.

Cons: LED has a short and doesn't stay on. Peels slightly about a week in. CAN chip, even with a few top coats.

I think this is an instance of "You get what you pay for". I would have given them 3 stars (maybe even 4), but the lamp doesn't stay on consistently. This is a real problem since you can only put one finger in at a time. You can fix the peeling by filing it a bit and applying another clear coat. However, the chipping (which isn't terribly frequent) just is what it is.