Recent NOTDs: Sally Hansen Purr-fect Harmony and Wicked Bamboo

I've been going Salon Effects crazy lately; my last four manicures have been done with these strips. There are various reasons for this, some of which I'm sure I've mentioned in other entries about these. Partly it's because I've been busy and haven't had time for mid-week polish changes, which means I feel like I'm getting more value from them. Partly it's because I realized I've accumulated quite an inventory or strips; all that grabbing a box or two nearly every time I see them on sale adds up. Partly it's because they travel well; I can put a them in my carryon and not run afoul of the TSA's liquids rules (remover pads take care of getting them off again, though I have been known to buy a small bottle of remover when I get where I'm going, too). Partly it's because I can put them on right before bed. Partly it's because I just like the designs, which are almost always something I couldn't get on my nails any other way, being not so skilled at freehand art and impatient besides.

The first set of strips I used was Purr-fect Harmony, from the limited edition Avril Lavigne collection which came out early this year. This design is a leopard print in a gradation of rainbow colors on a silver background. The gradation pattern is pretty large scale and runs side to side, so most nails end up being just one color. On my left hand, I managed to get something of a rainbow going, moving from blue on my index through indigo and violet ending up with red on my pinky.



My left thumb was yellow and orange.



On my right hand, things were more random, since I had a smaller number of strip sizes and colors to work with at that point.



On the eight day of wearing these, they were still in pretty good shape but I was bored, so I turned to my old friend crack, China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Platinum Pieces to be specific. I slicked that on over the strips then added topcoat. I did this sitting in my car, so the photos aren't great (nor is my cleanup) but you get the idea. I really liked the silver crack blending with the silver base of the strips so there were just blips of color coming through.





After I finally took off the leopard strips, I trimmed my nails down a bit because some of them were starting to look weirdly long to me in photos and also I had some peelies on my right hand I wanted to cut off. Then I put more strips on, this time the Wicked Bamboo from the summer 2011 limited edition collection. Inadavertently, I ended up coordinating perfectly with the coffee cup in the hotel room I was in at the time. (Which I was using to hold ice for my diet Coke, since I've never learned to like coffee.)



I haven't seen any new strip designs from Sally Hansen in a while, which surely means we're due for some. A new set of Halloween ones, maybe? Rite Aid was already starting to put out some Hallween stuff when I was there last week, so if Sally is on the same schedule we could see holiday strips soon.

Also on the subject of strips, I'd like to say hey to Amanda from Fashion Footing, who saw a box of the Morning Glory ones, bought them, and asked if I wanted them, since she remembered I'd mentioned I wished I'd gotten more of that design. Of course I said yes, I wanted them. Thanks, Amanda!