Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Purchase Review & Comparison: Incoco vs. Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips

Again, sorry for the lack of posts and slow responses to comments. I've been sick for about a week now but in actuality have not been myself for several months. I finally went to the doctor yesterday and while I don't have a sinus infection, I do have sinus congestion so he told me take a different decongestant and prescribed a nose spray. In just 24 hours, I feel great! I don't feel like I'm in a fog anymore, don't have a dull headache and can actually breathe in air unconstricted. I didn't realize that I wasn't breathing in much air before. I'm actually feeling a lot like my old self and have energy again.

As promised a few posts back, I am here today to do a comparison between the Incoco brand nail polish strips and Sally Hansen nail polish strips. It was in this post that I showcased my NOTD using Incoco. This is my manicure after nearly two weeks of wearing it.


As you can see, my nails had grown and actually were getting too long that they were bugging me. It was time to cut my nails and remove this manicure. I'm always amazed by how long lasting these polishes are because I normally chip my nails within the first 24 hours.

This is what the Incoco nail strip packet looks like.


The cost of the pack is $13.00 but if you buy 3 or more, the cost goes down to about $10.00 each. (There are two sets of the strips in the pack.)  Also included, but not pictured, is a mini cuticle stick, an emery board, nail polish remover packet and some sample nail strips. The sample nail strips come two strips to a pack. These are great for if you are first starting out with this system because it gives you a chance to play with it and not use your pack to do the trial.

Sally Hansen nail strips is in a box and is like this:


What is not pictured is the 2nd packet of nail strips. The cost of it is an average of $10.00 per box. It also includes a cuticle stick and an emery board.

My nails after applying Sally Hansen nail strips.


For Sally Hansen, when I was peeling the nail strip off of the backing, it didn't peel off cleanly. Part of the side of the strip stayed stuck on the backing. For me, that is no problem because I have really tiny nails but for those with wider nails, it might be a problem if it sticks like that. I don't know if this means that there is more sticking power to it than Incoco, but I didn't experience this problem with Incoco.

A blogger friend commented that she can't apply the Sally Hansen nail strips because it looks bumpy on her. I didn't have this problem either although I did find that I couldn't reposition the strips after it stuck to my nail. Again, it could be that it just has more sticking power to it than Incoco, which in some ways is good. With Incoco, I am able to put it on lightly and slowly and carefully manipulate it into position.

I'm not sure if it's my imagination or not but I also think that Sally Hansen is thicker or has a more plastic-y feel to it than Incoco. The length of each strip is the same for Incoco and Sally Hansen. If your nails are relatively short like mine, I find that I can use one strip for both hands' nails. For example, I can apply the pinky-sized strip to my right hand, flip it around and apply it to my left hand. This way, each pack will last for two manicures instead of one. You can view Incoco's "how to apply" instructions here. While it does take some practice to apply it easily, for me it is so much better than spending time painting my nails and waiting for it to dry completely. I always end up smudging it or ruining it somehow. I also have problems waiting for each layer to dry properly so that's probably why it chips so easily.

My own personal opinion is that I prefer Incoco over Sally Hansen. Somehow, it just feels like it's a better quality nail strip. I think that Incoco's collection of designs and colors, are much more elegant than Sally Hansen's. Sally Hansen has glittery strips that are really glittery or design prints that are actually quite busy, like the one that I applied. Both wore well on me and lasted nearly two weeks before any chipping or peeling occurred. That is a miracle for me because I use my hands a lot and am really rough on my nails.

In Hawaii, there is an Incoco kiosk at Ala Moana Shopping Center, which is where I first discovered this nail polish concept. A kiosk just opened at the mall which is close to me, which is a good and bad thing. I just purchased a Christmas design, which will be my new manicure. Unfortunately, I don't know where I put it so I can't take a picture of it right now.

Have you tried either or both? What are your thoughts about it?

*Kat*

16 comments:

Jamilla Camel said...

I'm going to try this!! I'll have to hit the Kiosk at Ala Moana!

tiffyama said...

Yay! Glad to hear that the Dr. gave you a new decongestant and that you're feeling better.

I've heard a lot of good things about the Incoco nail strips in comparison to the Sally Hansen ones on other blogs. I really like the designs of the Incoco ones though!

Hehe. I always think that too when something I like has a location nearby. Never know if it's a good or bad thing either. Looking forward to seeing your holiday Incoco nails!

Jess said...

I'm not such big nail person actually. All I do is applying nail lacquer. This happens to be quite rare these days. But still loving beautiful nail polishes! ;)

These nail stickers look very convenient actually!

breakingrumours said...

i have yet to try these(not sure if theres incoco here in msia but theres sally hansen) because of the price tag,and sally hansen comes in a weird number of strips. only good for one use since theres like 16 strips?

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you got your sinus problem sorted! welcome back ^_^

Loving your nails, they are really pretty!!

Btw me and my husband are longing to go back to Hawaii again haha...

Brianna said...

Glad that you are feeling better!

I have been curious about these nail polish strips, but now it looks like the incoco brand is the one to try!

ShinyPrettyThings said...

wow the incoco ones are so long lasting!! i have a problem w them being bumpy too. it's prob bc my nail beds are really curved so the tips always get wrinkly. this seriously takes me sooo much longer to apply than just painting my nails hahaha

galpal.hi said...

@Jamilla--Let's go there together! I can't wait!

*Kat*

galpal.hi said...

@tiffyama--Thank you! I'm glad that I'm feeling pretty normal now.

LOL! We're definitely twins! We think alike.

*Kat*

galpal.hi said...

@Jess-I'm not much of a nail polish person either, at least not until I discovered these nail polish strips. It's so convenient for me.

*Kat*

galpal.hi said...

@breakingrumours--Incoco and Sally Hansen have the same amount of nail strips--16. Each sheet comes with 8, one for each hand. But as I mentioned, if your nails are short enough, you can use one for 2nails and so you can get 2 manicures out of the set.

*Kat*

galpal.hi said...

@Nic Nic--Thank you so much! Oh, if you do come back, please be sure to let me know! Would love to do a meet up again.

*Kat*

galpal.hi said...

@Brianna--Thank you. I'm so glad to be feeling better too.

If you have an Incoco near to you, you should go and check them out. They'll give you samples to try--each sample pack comes with 2 strips. If not, then I'd be happy to send you some samples. Please let me know.

*Kat*

galpal.hi said...

@ShinyPrettyThings--Oh, you're another person who has problems with it being bumpy. I find that if I wipe my nails with nail polish remover to remove any oils, it helped to apply the strips better and have it last longer. It definitely does take longer to apply but it doesn't require drying time so I think in the long run, it's faster. As I'm also getting used to applying it, I'm spending less time on it too.

*Kat*

K said...

I am SO lemming the Sally Hansen nail strips. I will pick them up when I get to NY!

mozelle58 said...

I prefer Incoco much more than Sally Hansen strips. The Hansen ones ARE thicker and much more difficult to remove. I like the classic color selection Incoco offers. I always prep clean nails with an alcohol pad. Sometimes I'll apply a coat of clear on day two (after alcohol prep).