Review: Revlon Nail Art Style Strips in Lips & Tips

Purchased by Me 

I think this is the only time in the history of this blog that I've ever reviewed a limited edition product that is a year old. But hear me out! There's a method to my madness...

In September of 2012, the Revlon Nail Art Style Strips Collection first hit the drugstores. At the time, I thought these were new additions to Revlon's permanent line, but since they never did get added to the permanent line, I think it's safe to say these were limited edition at the time of their release. HOWEVER, in the past month or so, the Style Strips have popped up everywhere from Big Lots to Ross and I even found the entire collection at my local Grocery Outlet a few weeks ago. They're running at about $2 a pack at most discounters right now (they originally retailed for about $10.49 each), and you can also find them on places like Amazon and Ebay. So...if you want these, they're still quite easy to get.

I'm reviewing them here today for two reasons. When this collection first hit stores, I fell in love with the lipstick print design, so I really want to show this design to you. Also, in case you find these at one of your local discount stores, I thought you might like to know how they worked for me.

So without further ado, here we go:

 Revlon Nail Art Style Strips in Lips & Tips

(Retail: around $10.49. Grocery Outlet price: $1.50.)

These strips are very much like the Sally Hansen Salon Effects, in that they're made from real nail polish (they're not just vinyl stickers). They come in a similar pouch as Salon Effects and include a nearly identical file and wooden stick. Revlon gives you 16 strips (same as Sally Hansen):

What surprised me the most about the Lips & Tips design is that, in the packaging (see pic above) they look very flat and one-dimensional. I thought the red background was going to be a creme with no shimmer or anything like that. But once I got these on my nails, it was a whole different story:

Not only are these more of a fuchsia color (the box makes them look red) but they're also shimmery, with a subtle violet-blue flash to them. It real life, it looks like I'm wearing a shimmery fuchsia polish, and that I used a stamping plate to achieve the lipstick design! I also want to note that the lipstick design looks more crisp and clean to the naked eye (my photo makes the design look a tiny bit blurry but that's not the case).

As you can see in my pic above, I'm not the best at applying nail strips, and I did experience some wrinkling on my ring finger and pinky. Again, in real life this is hardly noticeable (you really have to strain to see the wrinkles because the lipstick print camouflages them nicely). Also, this photo was taken on day four of this manicure. I managed to get six days of wear from this set before I started to see very noticeable tip-wear. And I did NOT apply a clear top coat to my nails after I applied the nail strips (I do suggest applying one though, since top coat can help extend wear time and prevent tip-wear). 

Application was identical to the Sally Hansen Salon Effects; if you've never used real nail strips before, it's quite easy once you get the hang of it. Removal was easy for me but Jen over at The PolishAholic had some issues removing the design she reviewed last November, so it probably varies from design to design. I had the best luck using my Target Dip-It and just holding each nail in the tub for a few minutes. Then the strip just melted off my nail with the help of a cotton pad. 

One more thing: With these nail strips (and the Sally Hansen strips, for that matter), you'll have plenty leftover to do your toe nails! I am still wearing Lips & Tips on my toes as I write this (take some scissors and cut your leftover strips in half or even in thirds and that makes them super easy to apply to your toes).

FINAL VERDICT:  Well it took me a year to get my hands on these (literally), but I think it was worth the wait. The Lips & Tips design is absolutely adorable and much better than the box leads you to believe. These strips are practically identical the Sally Hansen Salon Effects in terms of what you get and how they apply, as well as their staying power. I obviously can't speak for every design in this range, but these were also easy to remove and I honestly can't think of a bad thing to say about them. If you can find these for two bucks at your local Big Lots, Ross, etc., I say give 'em a shot!

Did you purchased any Revlon Style Strips last fall when they originally hit stores? Have you spotted these at any of your local discount stores in the past month or so? I'd love to hear about your experiences with these!

PS: Please stay tuned because I also found some Revlon 3D Nail Appliques and Maybelline Color Show Nail Stickers at my local discount stores recently, so I'll be putting those to the test in the near future!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.