Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Color and Top Coat - In Review

Let me state up front: I'm not a big fan of Sally Hansen products. The last review I did on one of their products was one I submitted on the Sally Hansen website. I tried their 3D Gel Top Coat. I did not like it and my review reflected my disappointment. Before the end of the day, I received an email from Sally Hansen. They let me know that they had read the review I had submitted and were declining to publish it. (Wasn't that courteous of them?) I can take rejection, but I'll be honest with you: killing my review tarnished their reputation a bit more in my eyes. (I'll have to look for my copy of it, and let you read it for yourself. I think you'll see what I mean.)

It's not that I dislike all Sally Hansen products. There are a few that I absolutely adore. One is a lip scrub that came in a lipstick tube, and the other was (the original version of) Sally Hansen's Lip Inflation in Sheer Blush.... SH discontinued them both. (Hate when that happens. If I love something, it's almost a curse on the product. Ugh!) I also like Sally's "Big Peel Off Base Coat" and some of their color polishes. Everything else I've tried has failed me, though. The nail treatments, in particular, have been a letdown. 

On to the review!

I've had SH's Miracle Gel nail color and the accompanying top coat for a while now. When I bought this, I was heavily into grieges... If it was gray, it was going into my cart. This review is on color #290 "Grey Matters." (I hate the name. It makes me think of brains, and that's just kind of disgusting ha-ha!)

 Photo taken in natural light.

This color was not at all easy to photograph. I think that the pic below shows the color best.

I would say that this color is a warm, grayed-down turquoise cream that pulls more aqua green on me. Some people think it has more of a blue undertone, but I see green. I have to be really careful with blues and greens as most of them don't play nicely with my skin tone. I like this color, though. It's subdued. I don't see how it could look bad on anyone. Looking at this color, I'm reminded of foggy mornings, lighthouses, seagulls, and autumn! 

I started with Essie Millionails as my base coat.
NOTE: You are not supposed to use a base coat with this. But I did, and I admit it without apology, lol. (My nails need some kind of strengthener at the moment.) After applying the forbidden base coat, I applied Grey Matters. The formula on this was close to being a one-coat wonder, which you will never hear me complain about! I applied two coats to really get the color down nice and opaque. Happily, this color is just about the same on the nails as what you see in the bottle. A real WYSIWYG polish! The formula is easy enough to work with. It did drag slightly at the start, but was perfect after the second coat so not a deal breaker, in my book.

This photo was taken indoors.

I waited about 15 minutes for each coat to dry. I hate dedicating so much time drying my nails, but I really wanted this polish to work. The time investment seemed worth it. My nails were completely dry in about 30 minutes. I wouldn't use this polish if you're in a hurry. The top seems dry, but the layers underneath seem a little too delicate for my comfort. Although no UV lamp is necessary with this product, I've read on other blogs that you're supposed to let your nails cure in the sun. I opted not to do this. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and what with all of the wildfires raging east of the mountains, the sunlight is filtered through the smoke and the air quality isn't the best. The consensus among most of the bloggers who did try the "cure in the sun" direction was that it didn't seem to make a difference in dry time or longevity of their manicure, anyway.

Now for the real test: how long will Sally Hansen Miracle Gel last on my nails. It would truly take a miracle if the claims of the manufacturer (up to 14 days of wear) come to be. Try as I may, I'm not the kindest to my nails.

Stay close, I'll be updating!