Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish Review

The holidays aren’t even kidding anymore; they’re practically upon us. Turkey and stuffing and pie and mountains of shopping aside, this be the party season - and girls, I got you covered. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polish is in the house.


I’m a trained beauty technician. I know the mad dash scramble of trying to book in an appointment to have your nails done before all the seasonal socializing goes completely ape.


I also know that tending to the finer details is not only enjoyable, but provides a certain kind of subtle elegance that genuinely boosts confidence; the kind that your friends will notice. The kind that gets captured on camera. The kind that gets posted to a dozen Instagram and Facebook accounts.


Point is, we need to get them nails manicured, quick. But, maybe you didn’t book your appointment far enough in advance. And maybe your favorite salon is 45 minutes away, and you need to pick up the kids and do you really have a spare $40 hanging around? Maybe not.


But that’s OK, because I’ve got something better.


The first time I tried gel set nails in the salon, I was an instant believer. Traditional polish could go walk off a cliff. I mean, why would you? When gel nails set super quick, provide a lovely finish, are rock hard, and last weeks, there didn’t seem much point to bothering with anything else.


However. Gels nails are expensive. Appointments are a hassle. They require a professional UV lamp. Plus, gels are harsh on your nails, often stripping away their naturally protective layers to leave you with dull, flakey, and weakened nubs. Worst of all, you have to pay to have them soaked off with harsh acetone. Not good.

Friends, meet Sally Hansen Miracle Gel.


You get the best of both worlds, by enjoying a proper gel set, without the cost or inconvenience of a professional seeing to.


The official line is that it lasts up to 14 days - that’s two weeks! I don’t know about you, but normal polish only last me about 3 minutes, and then I’m a chipped mess. Now, to be fair, mine only remained in perfect condition for 7 days - but I am extremely hard on my hands, so it was 7 days of holy miracle, as far as I’m concerned.


The best bit is that you can removed it by yourself, at home, with your normal, everyday remover. So simple! No soaking, no chemical baths. Easy peasy.


For less than half the price of your average gel manicure, you can get yourself the dynamic duo of base color and top coat, which will last you months, if not years. They come in dozens of colors and can easily be sourced online or in your average drug store.


As a trained beauty tech, I’m sold and salons should be scared.



How it works: The process is not at all complicated, and may deceive you with its similarity to your previous nail painting experiences. But don’t be fooled!


While you may be tempted to skip the top coat normally, it is an essential component to a successful Sally experience. The top coat is the part of the equation that activates and sets the polish with the gel-like quality, giving it that full-fat shine and substance.


The top coat is UV sensitive, so cures best in the sunlight, but does not require a full on salon-grade UV lamp. Win.


I tried a shimmery crimson number called Bordeaux Glow #555. This is perfect for holiday frivolity, but also beautifully classic and sophisticated. You can be a respectable lady by day and a vintage bombshell by night. The top coat is called simply Top Coat #101.

How to Apply: Make sure your nails are clean, free of any previous varnish, and pre-buffed/filed/cut.


As with traditional polishes, apply 2 color coats, followed by a single layer of top coat. The brush is broad and thick, making application easy and allowing more than enough color to be held in the brush so that I didn’t have to dip into the bottle multiple times to get a nice layer. I know that sounds geeky, but the brush can make or break a polish!


I found the formula to be thick and creamy, without any inconsistencies. The color was rich, with excellent coverage.


It is most important to allow each coat to fully dry before putting on the next. I discovered that slathering on hefty layers meant it took years to dry, and the finished ended up smudgy. Less is more, for sure.


Avoid contact with any skin surrounding the nail; this quickly breaks the seal, leading to premature cracks and chips.


Your top coat is going to to bake everything into place, so be sure that it fully envelops the color coats. I noticed a bit of flaking on the edges where I had missed a spot.

In the interest of providing an honest and balanced review, I wanted to mention two drawbacks:

1.) The directions on the back of the bottles are too basic. I had to do a little online snooping to figure out how long to let it dry, how to remove, etc. Not that it’s complicated, but since this is not your average polish, I needed (wanted) a little hand holding.



2.) The drying time. I’m impatient. And knowing how quickly UV lamp set gels are to cure, my expectations were set a little high. Alas, the gel experience is more akin to the traditional nail polish, where drying is concerned.


My advice would be to set aside a proper 30 mins of drying for best results. If you have the Florida sun on your side, that’ll definitely help.

Without blowing expectations out of proportion, this is an excellent product. You can bake the pie, wash the dishes, and still be the photo-ready, flawlessly glamorous mama at the end of the night (or you can buy the pie and let someone else wash up).

Happy beautifying.💅

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