For our latest beauty review, I’ve been eager to get my hands, err, fingers, on the Sally Hansen® Miracle Gel™ polishes because I loved the idea of an at-home gel option without the lamp. At-home gel options have been huge this year as a longer-lasting alternative to typical polishes yet most have required you to buy the system (i.e. a light) to complete the process. Luckily, I finally got to try the product — and tested it during a fun girl’s night in! (GNI) — so I can share the review here on TAGG.
The GNI started with what else? Wine and cheese. Actually, we inhaled the yummy cheeses — a brie with wild mushroom, a manchego and a mild cheese with truffle oil from a just-opened Trader Joe’s — and then for cocktails, we mixed Pinnacle Vodka Whipped with bubbly pink lemonade. Dangerously good.
Then it was down to business. That’s Ashley, Jennie and Jen (all whom lived on my street until recently) creating their nail masterpieces. It was fun to pick out our nail colors, and then decide if we wanted to do any special details, like an accent nail or nail art.
Application: consider this the most fool-proof gel mani ever. Apply two coats of your favorite color — I went with Redgy (330) — to clean nails. I recommend buffing, in addition to filing and pushing back cuticles, to get a better, longer-lasting and more professional looking application. I’m admittedly not great at doing my own nails however I really liked the size of the brush; it made it really easy to go on and looked smooth (no bumps or bubbles).
To complete, simply brush on the top coat to seal the deal. What we liked during the party is that how it automatically also adds this great shiny luster. If you want, play around with nail art like a few of us did: Jen added these great gold details to one of my nails, and she did this awesome crystal accent hers. Add it on over your nails, before the top coat, while wet (think of the polish as the glue), and then apply the top coat once the art is in place and can dry.
Colors: While I chose that reddish color Redgy, Jennie opted for B GIrl (240), an awesome mint blue, which we each instantly had a bit of nail envy over. It’s definitely going on next, though the shimmery metallic gold, Game of Chromes (510) is good in two ways: Ashley swiped it on all her nails and it looked so good (really pretty for day-to-day) and Adele and Jennie used it for an accent nail.While we tested these colors, I’ve had fun looking on Instagram at other colors {just use hashtag #perfectpairsweeps #miraclemani}.
Ta-da! I love how our colors turned out; they look so professional, right? The sheen in the top coat really creates that in-salon look. We all also decided that GNI can be a lot more fun than GNO’s — can hear each other talk, costs less and is just way more fun. Just need to find a more effective way to keep my 4-year old nail polish-loving little girl in her room. I wound up giving her a mani the next morning.
Review: during the party, each of us were impressed by the ease of application, the quality of the product and how good it looked after. The Miracle Gel™ polishes can last up to two weeks. In my case, it lasted nearly a week before getting chips. Personally that’s a major victory! I usually have chips within one day of getting manicures, plus my nails had a major workout this week, too: 16 people over for a party (lots of cooking and cleaning), typing at work, plus went on a purging spree around the house. While salon gel manicures might last longer, they’re so much pricier and harder to remove. I’d definitely recommend.
Rating: B+ {worth the purchase!}
PS: if you’re Instagram-addicted like me do not miss this fun promotion: Sally Hansen has a Perfect Pair Instagram sweepstakes where you can win a collection of Sally Hansen® Miracle Gel™. Just snap and share your manicure, paired with your favorite outfit or accessories. Details here how to enter.
Sally Hansen® Miracle Gel™ At Last! Gel without the light!
Compensation was provided by Sally Hansen® via Mode Media.
The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sally Hansen®.
