Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 220 Pink Tank and Top Coat

Given that I scoff at polish brands that claim to last anything over 3 days (re: CND VINYLUX), it's always nice to see if once, just once that it actually stays true to the long-wearing claims (or at least half the time that it says it will last). It seems like every drugstore nail brand is now launching faux-gel no-light-required polishes that last up to 14 days. 

Next on the nail polish chopping block is the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 220 Pink Tank and Top Coat ($10.95 each). The Sally Hansen website boasts four claims (1) 2 steps (2) Up to 14 Days of Colour and Shine (3) Easy Removal (4) No Light Needed. 

I tested this particular formula out in three separate instances. The first two times, I was thoroughly unimpressed. The polish chipped after less than a day. I had to be doing something wrong. You know what they say? Third time's the charm. My photos document my sixth day of wear, after which I got bored of the colour and proceeded to remove the polish from my nails. 

If I was being conservative, I'd say that the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel has the potential to last up to 7 days (my other hand was looking a little ratchet at the tips by the time I took my photos). 

Application is like any other polish but you've got to do it properly. The polish itself is thin yet fairly pigmented, non-streaky and self-leveling but requires two coats for good measure. Furthermore the brush bristles are wide (like the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure), so you can get the entire nail in one stroke. I've found that the trick to flawless application is to apply one thin coat, let it dry FULLY, and then apply another coat, let it dry, then apply the top coat. ALSO, very, very important. DON'T FORGET TO CAP THE TIPS OF YOUR NAILS (for both the regular polish layers and the top coat layers). I swear, this is the most important part to prevent chipping at the tips. 

Dry time is about the same as any other polish, maybe 2-3 minutes in between thin coats, so no issues there. Removal is as easy as Sally Hansen claims. There is no staining and no scrubbing. Just use an acetone or non-acetone remover and a cotton pad to quickly wipe the polish off your nails. It literally takes 2 minutes for both hands. 

The pictures say it all, but I'll be repetitive if you can't interpret...High shine, bold colour AND even after 6 days! Impressive, eh? Despite the 14 day claim, I think this is the longest I've ever worn a non-gel gel polish. I'd like to test out more colours, particularly something lighter and more prone to streaks, to see if the wear-time yields different results. 

P.S. A word of warning. Be careful when purchasing these polishes. The bottles look very similar to the Complete Salon Manicure. Also, the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 460 Blacky O looks almost exactly the same as the bottle of the Miracle Gel Top Coat minus the white cap that distinguishes the top coat from the black polish. I wouldn't have made this mistake but this epic fail youtube video from Rachhloves had me ROFL-ing. 

Have you tried the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polishes? 

Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram