Something I am proud of is that I am actually very good at painting my own nails. Years ago, I worked for Sally Hansen doing marketing, and back then my fingers would (literally) be painted all different colors as we were always testing, testing, testing. That said, I still typically go to the salon as I love a good gel manicure. I’m rough on my hands (crafts, typing, cleaning, rummaging through my bag!) and so even when I do a great job with my nails, I still manage to wreck them within a few days.
When Sally Hansen invited me to try out their Miracle Gel polishes, I happily took them up on the offer. The Miracle Gel polishes promise to give you the wear (and shine) of a gel polish, without the UV lamp (or difficult removal process – I hate soaking my fingers in acetone – it just can’t be good for them.) It’s the only two step gel manicure that doesn’t require a light, and the formula gives you up to 14 days of color and shine. Sounds pretty good, right?
I took testing the products seriously. I applied two coats of Rhapsody Red to my toes, and three coats* of Cream of the Crop to my fingers… followed by one coat of their special gel top coat. (The top coat is a very important step as it seals in the manicure, giving it that gel-like finish.) And overall, I was really happy with the results… I’ll let the photos below do the talking!
*Note that the brand actually only recommends two coats of polish – any more than that could cause chipping; but I went with three anyway and had no issues!
These are my nails 5 days later!
And these are my nails 8 days later!
Post created in partnership with Sally Hansen.
Top and Bottom photos by Lydia Hudgens.
Cool 😀 I gotta try those 😀
I just had my first gel polish a few weeks ago and I am obsessed but had been looking into at home options. So happy to see you had a positive experience here, I may have to try it out.
-Andréa
A.Viza Style
This looks awesome! I’m also pretty decent at painting my own nails and I never feel like I can justify getting a manicure. Will be trying these out for sure! x
Girl for Granted
I always paint my own nail 🙂 I’m anxious to give this polish a whirl because I’m super rough on mine and while I’ve found a top coat that adds a few days to my polish’s life…I need more!
Have been using these for quite some time and love them!! The polish lasts so well, and I love being able to get such great results at home. Yay!!
Grace – how was the removal process? Did the polish come up like regular, non-gel?
it was so easy! It took a little longer than regular polish but it came right off with regular polish remover.
Awesome. Thanks!
I’ve been looking for something like this to try! I don’t want to use a light, and I feel the same way about soaking my fingers in acetone. I’m definitely going to give this a go!
Shae @ Current Habits
I love that color, it’s so pretty.
Xo, Megan, http://www.TfDiaries.com
I love that color, it’s so pretty. I have the bright pink on but haven’t used it yet, I also kind of love that metallic, what shade is that?
Xo, Megan, http://www.TfDiaries.com
Hi! The Metallic one is called Terracotta – it’s so pretty!
Obsessed with this — even just using the topcoat with any polish will help extend the life of a mani! I sometimes add it on a day or two after getting a mani and it makes a major difference. 🙂
alyson
http://www.theaveragegirlsguide.com
that’s a really good idea!!
I have one these, I haven’t tried yet. I am no longer very good at painting my nails, but the one thing I treat myself to is a mani-pedi once a month. I’m bringing my Sally Hansen, red eye! I don’t do gel manis often, because they tear up my nails! this a perfect alternative. The other paint-on gel polish I like is Covergirl Outlast. A good weeks worth and I am hard on my hands. Thanks, Grace 🙂
I keep hearing how these are really great polishes and I am addicted to gel polish, so I need to try the Sally Hansen brand
http://www.randomlyyaya.com
I’ve been wanting to try this forever, but haven’t yet. Thanks for the review!
It looks like you have the new formula of top coat (the “2x thicker”, whatever that means). Did you have any problems with it bubbling or being extra smudgy? I have used the original formula for about a year and loved it, but I HATED the new formula and ended up returning it and hunting down a bottle of the old formula. Wondering if it was just me or if it’s an issue with the formula!