Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nails
Slightly ashamed to admit this but before a couple of months ago, I hadn’t given myself a manicure or pedicure in years. My bi-weekly nail appointment was scheduled on my calendar as urgent, mandatory and non-negotiable. As a working makeup artist, my hands are my tools and when you are working with people’s faces, you’d better believe the expectation is to have clean, pretty hands.
Like many of you, I hopped on the gel (shellac) manicure bandwagon a few years ago, when the trend for a more natural looking nail started creeping in on the acrylic manicure’s turf. For years, I loved my pink and white tipped acrylics, but eventually I too decided to ditch the tips and try this new more natural look to nails. The beauty of shellac/gel polish is that you can go 2 weeks between appointments just like your acrylics, as they offer a much longer chip-free wear than traditional nail polish. In the salon, you’ll spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour as the process requires removal of the previous gel polish by allowing acetone to eat away at the gel and make it removable., followed up trimming, filing, manicuring the nails, then application of base coat, color and lastly top coat. Finally the process finishes with curing the polish by allowing a special light to set the manicure. After this, there is no dry time and you have a beautiful, shiny manicure that is sure to last you up to 2 weeks. This service ranges in cost depending on the salon you go to, but I was paying $40 per appointment which I believe is pretty average.
So after my 2nd baby, needless to say finding the time to keep up with my manicures was not only a challenge but it became unimportant. After seeing a commercial for the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish for the 12th time, I decided to give it a shot .Why not? I picked up the combo kit at Target which came with color and the top coat, and gave it a whirl. Here’s what I found:
The biggest benefits to me of this product are:
1: There is no light required for this product. Simply paint the nails with the color, then set it with top coat.
2. Advertised as lasting “Up to 2 weeks.”
Honestly, my expectations were not that high. I was simply looking for a polish to make my nails pretty that wouldn’t chip within the first couple of days. Remember, I’m a mom to an infant which means LOTS of hand washing and bottle washing. My hands are in hot water about a dozen times a day. After wearing this polish for the last 6 weeks, I am a HUGE fan. I’m changing the polish about every 8 days, not because its chipping, but more because my nails are growing and the new growth is obvious, also by the end of that 8-9 days, the polish has begun to dull down a bit and lose that initial shine.
The application is as easy as it claims and it does dry pretty quickly. The only complaint I have is its pretty thick and you have to be careful not to paint too much as it may not look as smooth and even on the nails. I wouldn’t say my nails look as good as they do from a professional manicure, but if you are in between appointments, trying to cut back on cost, or simply can’t find the time, this is a great alternative to a professional shellac manicure.
Pros:
Long wearing (I go 8-9 days before polish changes and still have little to no chipping)
Easy Removal with Acetone Nail Polish Remover. Don’t need to soak off.
Cost is only $7.99 for color, $7.99 for top coat
Cons:
Consistency is a little thick, so you have to be careful not to apply too much and get a streaky application
Shade range not as extensive as a professional nail salon’s selection. Hoping they add more shades.
I wouldn’t say this is better than the shellac manicures you get in a salon, but this is a great substitute when you can’t find the time, or need to cut back on costs. Way better than traditional nail polish. The colors I’ve purchased are:
270 Street Flair (Greyish Lilac)
170 Pink Cadillaquer (Bubblegum Pink)
220 Pink Tank (Reddish Pink)
160 Pinky Promise (Pale, muted Pink)