I know I have said it before but there is something about a good manicure in the winter that can instantly bring me back to life when I’ve got the winter blues. That’s exactly what I was hoping to achieve with these Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips but apparently I shouldn’t be trying a new, fancy french manicure kit at 9 at night because, I kid you not, I could not figure it out for the life of me.

If I can find a cute pattern, nail polish strips are my go-to quick mani fix because sometimes I barely feel like I have time to let actual nail polish dry before I have to be on to the next thing, whether that’s dishes, laundry or letting the dog out. I have tried a couple Sally Hansen and Essie nail strip kits in the past so I thought, for sure, would have no problem with a french manicure version but alas, I was sorely mistaken. After staring at the packaging for a while, I gave up and reached for this Essie nail polish color, Mademoiselle, from my nail polish stash and it gave me the same results, even though I did have to wait for the dry time. Now, if only I could find a quick fix to help clear up all the dryness around my actual nails from all this lovely winter hand washing.