Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 110 Birthday Suit

Way back when (September),I reviewed the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 220 Pink Tank, looking to eventually test out a lighter colour to see if it fared on my nails in the same way as Pink Tank. As a recap, Pink Tank + the Miracle Gel Top Coat boasted high shine, bold colour, and it even stuck around on my nails for 6 days (compared to the up to 14 days claim). 

In general, the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polishes are meant to be used in 2 easy steps, with up to 14 days of colour and shine with easy removal and no light required to cure the polish. 

And then there was the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 110 Birthday Suit ($10.95) is a pale nude - a hair lighter than the cult Essie Sand Tropez (though I wouldn't necessarily call it a dupe because it's about the same price). Although 110 Birthday Suit is in the same range of polishes, the formulation feels a bit different. 

As a much lighter colour, Birthday Suit took three coats for full opacity on the nails (as opposed to two for Pink Tank). Furthermore, the polish seemed to feel slightly thicker in consistency, though with the same "regular polish" drying time of about 5 minutes between coats and 10-15 after the top coat. After applying the top coat, the polish is high-shine, super glossy...and pretty much salon-perfect. Lasting power is even better than Pink Tank, at a solid 10 days. Also, removal is as easy as a cotton pad with some polish remover. 

Overall, the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 110 Birthday Suit is just as good if not better than the previous colour that I had tried. Plus, it's eons more wearable for the office and sticks around on the nails a few more days before chipping. 

Have you tried the Sally Hansen Miracle Gels? 

Press sample featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

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

Tracy Reese X Sally Hansen Spring 2014 in Mojito and Batbano Blue

Wearing polishes from designer collabs make me feel oh so chic. This June 2014, Sally Hansen launched colours of their Complete Salon Manicure created in collaboration with designers like Prabal Gurung, Rodarte, and Tracy Reese. 

Swatched below are two of the three limited Tracy Reese X Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure shades. Mojito (a deep mint) and Batbano Blue (a satin finish blue) are both perfection for the summer. The Tracy Reese collection channels Afro-Cuban culture - bright colours and the warmth of the tropics. 

The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure formula is meant to be an all-in-one, no-fuss mani. In other words, a base coat, colour, and top coat of polish all in a few swipes of the brush. Both Mojito and Batbano Blue are thoroughly pigmented and opaque in two thin coats. The formulation is creamy but not thick and lasts around 2-3 days on my glued-to-the-laptop fingertips without a topcoat. 

Overall, these colours are perfection and you'll catch me sporting these polishes all summer long. 

Press samples featured 

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram

Piet Mondrian Nail Art with a Twist

Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter best known for his minimalist paintings consisting of perpendicular black lines coloured in with yellow, blue and red. I didn't have a primary blue cream polish, so I improvised. With glitter. What sensible person wouldn't? 

 

I started off with two coats of a white polish. Then, I drew horizontal and vertical perpendicular lines without any particular rhyme or reason.  Next, I filled in a few of the boxes with a red or yellow cream polish or the blue glitter. The glitter was a bit messy to work with (as per usual) so I attempted to cover any blue glitters that went outside the lines with black nail art pen.  Lastly, I finished everything off with a fast drying top coat. 

A little word of warning, the Sally Hansen Nail Art Striper was not as thin as I expected it to be and I found the polish wasn't entirely opaque. I found that the trick to making the striper  thinner lines was to apply less pressure onto the brush. 

Products Used: 

• CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Lacquer in "Ever Reddy"*
• Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in "Porcelain Party"
• Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper in "Yellow" and "Black"*
• Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Pen in "Black - round"* 
• Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Glitter*
• Sally Hansen In Heart Nail Art Big Shiny Top Coat*

Overall, I enjoy the simplicity of Piet Mondrian's compositions. However, it didn't translate quite so simply onto my nails, but having a work of art on my fingertips makes me feel all artsy fartsy inside.

Press samples featured

Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram