Product Review~Sally Hansen Insta Gel Nail Strips Manicure

Used silver snakeskin strip as accent on 2 Nails out of ten to start. One on each hand.

Right after finish

nail strip ripped so I patched it with leftover piece of red.

Recently I was asked to review the Sally Hansen Insta Gel Nail Strip Kit.  I was so very excited.  I had seen this kit at Walmart with a close to $30.00 price tag and decided against it.  Two weeks after I accepted the product trial I the UPS man delivered!  I received The Insta Gel Nail Strip kit with the mini uv lamp and even an extra box of Gel Strips In a lovely Snakeskin pattern.  Retail Value for the Kit  $29.99 and for the extra box of strips $13.97.  

I was rooting for this product, beside myself with giddiness.  I have limited use of my left hand and on top of that my hands tend to shake a bit.  This is why I didn't become a nurse or surgeon.  Would you want shaky hands giving you a shot?  Anyhow, I have an addiction to nail polish but must work really hard to apply it myself and make it look good.  This product promised Hard, Shiny Gel like finish that lasts up to 2 weeks in 2 easy steps!  A Miracle I say for people like me.  I was in contact with friends that work as nurses in hospitals asking if a gel manicure that isn't fast to remove (as the insert said I would have to soak cotton balls in acetone and foil for ten minutes to remove).  I thought gee this will be great for perhaps nursing home residents, teen girls and women recovering from illness or surgery etc.  Something to make them feel better with little maintenance.  Unfortunately this was not a miracle product.  I am familiar with nail strips, I have used them before and am good at putting them on.  These are slightly different than the regular kind.  I had trouble first finding strips that were wide enough to cover the whole nail.  Unlike the ads they do not go on with ease nor do they stretch.  I ended up applying the strips horizontally rather than vertically.  Also I need to say I have smaller hands and nails than the average woman.  I usually have to use the smallest glue on nails in the pack for my fingers.  After I tried it the way it said and it didn't cover my whole nail (the edges lacked coverage),  I applied the strip, rubbed it down, then filed away the excess, just like it said.  Some of the strips ripped in half as you stretched it over the end of nail, that is when I decided to go across the nail instead of up the nail.  After an hour to apply the strips to each finger, trying to clean it up the best I could, I went one finger at a time with the "GEL Polish",  I polished the finger then cleaned up any excess gel around the nail, then cured it under the mini UV light.  That process only took  20 minutes.  I was not very impressed with the way they looked or how the process went.  I had a big mess to clean up of strip scraps all over.  

After shower.  Notice pinky and forefinger came off and then noticeable thumb peeling. After 24 hours.

As you see I replaced the two that fell off day one with the silver strips. Funny thing is they fell off the same fingers as the other hand.  I also redid the ring finger.

Two hours later pointer on my left hand started peeling.  I smoothed it back down, applied another coat of the gel polish and cured again.  For good measure I applied another layer of the gel polish to each finger and cured once again.  The next day as I washed my hair three other nails lost their polish strips.   Other nails had chipped or just started coming up at the side.  As I slept that night a few more came off.  By day 4 I only had 3 fingers out of 10 still polished.  I was so dissapointed.  I went online to make sure I am not a complete idiot and and did it wrong, to discover many other reviews that had the same problem.  I found I got the same results from nail strips from the dollar store and they go on faster without the fuss, you want extra shine add a top coat or a instant gel top coat like Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat.  I know other companies are coming out with similar top coats without the novelty of the UV light.  I took pictures of my fingers right after and then after the first loss, at 24 hrs and 48 hours.  Now considering the removal process they described MUST be used to remove this product was not something I was looking forward too, This product that came off without me picking at it, just sitting, hair washing and sleeping, I am going to have to call this a total and complete FAIL and RIPOFF.  Save your money.  Go to the dollar store and buy the strips that are $2.99 and a top coat and wa la same product.  Same longevity.  I kind of get mad every time I see the commercial and hear about the ease of applying and 2 steps process my ass.  This wasn't so simple as the gals on tv make it look and it requires more than peel, apply, polish, light.  That in itself is 4 steps.  Then add filing the excess above the nail and around the cuticle, then clean up of the gel around skin,  It is faster to paint your nails with a good polish and cheaper too.  Until Next time.  Friends don't let friends buy crap!