Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel is a solid and affordable at-home option when you can’t make it to the salon. While this gel-like polish takes hours to fully set, you can achieve a salon-inspired manicure with a little patience and on-point polishing skills. Best of all, it doesn’t require a UV lamp and dissipates in seconds with a standard nail polish remover. Show
View On Amazon View On Ulta 4 Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish Kelsey Clark/Design by Cristina Cianci View On Amazon View On Ulta In This Article Expand
We purchased Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel nail polish so our writer could put it to the test. Keep reading for our full product review. Years of trial and error have taught me to leave certain nail treatments to the experts (if you've ever tried to DIY your own acrylics removal... don't). But when it comes to a professional-quality gel manicure at home, I haven't given up hope. My search for a top-rated (and affordable) gel polish inevitably led me to Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel—an inexpensive two-step system that boasts impressive reviews across Target, Ulta, Amazon, and more. Per the brand’s website, this product goes on like a regular polish and comes off with standard nail polish remover, but boasts the same hardened, long-lasting sheen of a salon gel manicure (sans UV light). With that, I bought a bottle of Miracle Gel in Rhapsody Red, plus the brand’s Shiny Top Coat. Ahead, find my full, unfiltered review of Sally Hansen’s cult-favorite product. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Uses: Affordable, gel-like manicures without a trip to the salon. Clean?: No; contains Methylparaben, Propylparaben, and PEG-10. Potential allergens: N/A Price: $10 About the brand: Sally Hansen founded her eponymous beauty brand in New York in 1946, and it’s been a household name ever since. While the brand is primarily known for its affordable nail care products, it also produces a trusted line of tweezers, eyelash curlers, wax strips, self tanner, and more. About My Nails: Short and brittleI’m not exaggerating when I say that my nails are a nail artist’s worst nightmare. Thanks to years of subconscious picking in reaction to every minor inconvenience, they’re short, brittle, and may or may not be bleeding at any given time. My nail techs typically cringe when I lay my hands on their table and ask what happened, whether I bite my nails, or simply say, “Ouch.” With that being said, I thoroughly enjoy the experience of getting my nails done and going to the salon every two weeks. I usually get a basic gel mani and call it a day; I’ve actually never gotten acrylics in my life for fear of further weakening my already frail nails. Suffice it to say, I have my work cut out for me every time I attempt a DIY manicure. The condition of my nails, coupled with minimal practice and zero patience, has resulted in countless botched paint jobs over the years, so I typically skip polish altogether if I can’t visit a salon. I decided to try out Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel in hopes that it could tide me over between visits. How to Apply: Two coats of color, one top coat, and ample dry timeKelsey Clark/Design by Cristina Cianci Since I knew I was going to be photographing my nails afterward, I put more time into this at-home manicure than ever before. I even brought out my seldom-used nail file, clippers, and cuticle pusher in an attempt to recreate the true salon experience from my kitchen counter. I followed the application instructions on the Sally Hansen website to a T: a brush of nail polish remover to clear any residue followed by two thin coats of Miracle Gel color, five minutes of dry time, and one layer of Miracle Gel Shiny Top Coat. The site didn’t specify post-mani dry time, but I laid low for a good 45 minutes to avoid smudging. The Results: A solid, gel-like manicure, once you've let it setKelsey Clark/Design by Cristina Cianci Overall, I was decently impressed with my Sally Hansen Miracle Gel manicure. While I wouldn’t put it on the same level as a salon mani, I was able to achieve a more glossy, professional look than I have in the past. It’s definitely a good quarantine beauty save, and I love that it doesn’t require a UV light. I’m a big fan of the shiny top coat—it’s thick, easy to apply, and similar in texture to a professional gel. If your polishing skills are on point, you can definitely achieve a glossy gel manicure that looks professional-grade. With that said, the polish took hours to fully set. While it was dry to the touch within 45 minutes or so, I could easily dent, smudge, or chip the thick coat for hours afterwards. I did my nails around 6 p.m., and didn’t feel like the polish was 100% smudge-proof until I woke up the next morning. This extra-long dry window left plenty of time for accidental dents and smudging—especially if you plan to go about your life afterwards—and my manicure ended up looking *very* amateur. Basically, unless you have eight-plus hours to paint your nails and carefully wait for them to set, expect some imperfections. Considering that zero post-manicure dry time is one of the defining (and coveted) features of a gel mani, this was a bit of a let down. Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel stops short of being a true salon gel replacement, though it still has more promise than many other polishes if you're stuck at home or otherwise need to go DIY. Finally, my manicure lasted five days maximum before chipping. Again, I pick my nails, so I often incite chipping sooner than the average person. But I don’t think this manicure would’ve lasted a full 14 days, even if I left my nails alone. The Value: Well worth the affordable priceWhile Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel nail polish may not be perfect, you can’t beat the price. At just $6 to $10 per bottle depending on the retailer, it’s significantly cheaper than a single in-salon manicure and most at-home gel systems (especially those requiring a UV lamp). At this price point, you can easily pick up a few colors from their impressive shade range (91 and counting!) and not think twice. Similar Products: You've got optionsEssie Gel Couture Nail Polish and Top Coat Kit: Much like Miracle Gel, Essie's at-home gel kit ($19) doesn’t require a UV lamp and can be removed just like regular nail polish. It’s a bit more expensive, but customers claim it’s worth the price—reviewers rave about the long-lasting formula and the ease of application. If you’re an Essie lover, it may be worth a try. Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit: To upgrade your at-home gel mani game for the long haul, consider investing in a complete kit. Red Carpet Manicure’s starter kit ($80) is a top-rated buy that comes with a UV lamp, base coat, top coat, polish, cuticle oil, prep adhesion sanitizer, a pre- and post-application cleanser, and a nail polish remover. Butter London DIY Gel Nail Kit: You currently have to buy Butter London's gel manicure components—a drying lamp ($20), a base and top coat ($12), and a shade of polish ($18)—individually, but sometimes it's available in a mini set. The brand's gel-like system boasts impressive reviews across the internet, and even with its peel-off capabilities, it won’t damage your nails over time, which is good news for anyone who prefers at-home manicures or still wants to wait a while for heading back into the salon. Final Verdict While I’ll definitely be resuming my salon gel manis, Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel is an accessible, easy, and affordable at-home option for those looking to save money. I’d definitely consider it more of a gel-polish hybrid than a full-on gel, but it gets the job done—especially if you have the skills, precision, and patience to let your polish set. My stubby nails definitely require a professional’s touch to look halfway decent, but if you have long, strong nails and a knack for polishing, this could work for you for the long haul. Specs
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