MANICure Monday — Miracle Gel

Hello everyone! I've got a MANICure Monday post/new product review for you! I recently tried out the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polish when I saw a display for it at Walgreens. You could buy the polishes individually (about $10) or get a starter kit (about $15). The starter kit was the cheapest way to do it, so I purchased the one in Street Flair (I've seen that the polishes and kits are much cheaper at Walmart).

The lighting in the right photo skews the color a bit. This purple is definitely on the grayer side.

According to the package here's what you have to do:

• Apply two coats of the gel color (do not use any type of basecoat)
• After the gel color has dried apply one coat of the gel top coat

That's it. There is no UV or LED light needed, the natural light does all of the curing for you, and it's supposed to last for up to 14 days.

So now for the review:

I applied two coats of the color just like the directions said, and after it appeared dry I put on the top coat. Some of the color did bleed into the top coat brush a bit, but I was able to wipe it away with a tissue before putting it back into the bottle. Next time I'll probably let it dry a little while longer and see what happens.

As far as wear time, it did not last two weeks. But it did last one week before I decided to remove it. I think this formula has the potential to last greater than a week, but I was doing a lot of rough work with my hands (tough on your nails, doing art projects with children). After a week it was practically chip free, I did have a few minimal chips at the tips of my nails in some areas, but nothing that made them look unsightly or anything like that. If I would have worn this during a week that I didn't have to pry open paint bottles and numerous other things multiple times a day, I believe it would have lasted a bit longer.

Removal was incredibly easy. It comes off just like any other polish (I use 100% acetone remover). It is definitely much easier to get off than the Fuse Gelnamel and doesn't damage your nails at all.

Overall, this product is worth the bit of money it costs. It seems to (mostly) do what it says it does, despite a little overestimation of the wear time. The starter kit also came with a coupon for either $2 or $2.50 off your next Miracle Gel color, which I definitely intend to use. I won't say no to free money.


xoxo,
Caitlin.