Sally Hansen Miracle gel without top coat Reddit

I bought the top coat and the shade 220 Teal Twin and I am so pissed. The bottle says it dries like regular polish but it fucking doesn't! I bought it because I wanted something that will last ages so I'm not constantly doing my fucking nails but this doesn't dry and it stains my nails and I just want to cry.

A couple of my nails look great and I love them, and maybe I just need to get used to the application but it'd be hours and it still dints so easily.

Are there any tricks to successfully using this polish? Or should I just give up?

First off: I am not connected in any way with the Sally Hansen company and this is not a sponsored endorsement: it's just my honest report of using the product for the 1st time.

Having had a very disappointing experience of using a UV/LED gel kit a couple of weeks ago (what an aggravating process - never again!), I was intrigued when another malepolish member recommended Sally Hansen 'Miracle Gel' as a viable alternative, especially for someone like me who has very ridgy nails, so I bought some online.

The colour I chose is called "Purplexed".  Onscreen on the dealer's webpage it looked a really vibrant purple, but IRL it's a fair bit deeper than I was expecting.  Still a very good shade, though, and I'll know to take this into account for future purchases.

Straight out of the bottle, it is really thick and goopy - very like Gel polish in fact.  Unlike lots of non-gel polishes though, it kinda wants to stay on the brush: is in no rush to form a big droplet (although it will do if the brush is seriously overloaded - fair enough!)  ...and oh my, it goes on SOOOO EASY.  I was amazed.  Something about the goopiness of it and the shape of the (satisfyingly broad) brush-head ensures that it goes exactly where you intend it to, with no tendency to pool or run into the cuticles: it just sits there on your nail surface. Consequently, getting a good clean finish is a pretty easy, first-time affair.

SH claim that each coat dries in just 5 minutes.  NEWSFLASH: IT DOES. Amazing!  I've never known a 'normal' nail polish to dry so fast. None of that awful waiting around for ages, trying very hard not to touch anything.  Wow!

After the 1st coat had dried, I was a bit disappointed to see that it didn't appear to have disguised any of the ridges in my nails.  HOWEVER... they do say in their blurb that in order to get that thick gel effect you must apply two generous coats of the colour, so I dolloped on my 2nd coat good and thick. Result: ridges almost completely invisible - I mean, you'd have to know they were there under the surface and be deliberately looking for them to see any traces.  Dammit, Janet... this stuff ACTUALLY WORKS! 😲

A bit of minimal finessing with the corrector pen, and that was the colour coats done.  The colour by itself dries to a smooth but not gel-glossy finish.  At this stage, I did contemplate NOT using the Sally Hansen topcoat but instead waiting a few hours for any volatile gases to evaporate, then applying a coat of UV gel topcoat to provide some armour-plating - but I figured that for a first time, I ought to use the recommended product and give it a fair trial, so on it went.

The topcoat is rather runnier in consistency, so thin coats are recommended by SH.  It dries just as quickly as the colour coat, and stone me, is it GLOSSY!  I think it's even glossier than the UV gels I had on recently - and now it's on and dry, I can't see my ridges at all. RESULT!

I'm not expecting it to have the durability of UV gel polish, but in terms of its behaviour during appliaction and the finished effect it's astonishingly good, and (IME) soooo much easier to deal with than "real" gels.  I am seriously impressed with this stuff.  This picture is pretty colour-accurate, but believe me when I say that IRL the effect of the topcoat is even glossier than it looks here. I'm off to buy some more shades now! 😊

level 1

My only guess would be not letting it dry long enough between coats or using too thick of coats for it to thoroughly dry. Haven't used the base coat, but have used the color and top coat without issue many times.

level 2

Wait, just re-read your post. Are you using a gel polish between the base and top coat? If so, that is the issue.

level 2

Nail polish lines that have Gel in the name are so annoying, it leads to this kind of confusion 😓

level 2

Probably the matte top coat which wasn’t fully dry.

level 2

If you’re using too much too coat and not letting it dry fully it wets the layers underneath and makes it peel like that.

level 2

My nail tech only ever does one thing layer of the matte finish, looks to me like youre having a drying problem???

level 2

Ah I see, I'm sorry I misunderstood the post.

Then this seems like there is something wrong with that base coat. Could it be a dodgy bottle of base coat? Because it does seem like the base coat is not drying at all.

level 1

I’ve never used the base coat, but mine has always done really well. I go outside in the sun for like 5 minutes between each coat.

level 2

I love your Reddit name lmao

level 1

Matte topcoat takes longer to dry than glossy topcoat. I suggest waiting 5-10 minutes between coats to ensure they’re dry. I personally like to put on a quick drying topcoat before applying a matte topcoat.

level 1

If you are putting a non UV base coat on, then putting UV gel polish and UV gel top coat on the top, the base coat isn't able to dry out properly. I think normal polishes take a lot longer than we think to dry properly. The UV gel on top is preventing the base coat from drying out properly

level 2

Right, IMO, dry to the touch and fully cured paint are 2 different things when using regular polishes.

level 2

I don't put a UV coat over a non-UV layer for at least a day or 2. Even waiting 12 hours isn't long enough and you end up with a soft layer.

level 1

To my knowledge the Sally Hansen miracle gel series don’t require a base coat. I’ve been wearing these only on my toes and they don’t ever peel before 3 weeks even if I wear shoes. Try just using the miracle gel polish + top coat? In my experience the shiny or the matte top coat from the miracle gel series shouldn’t dry any differently either, they both last 3 weeks for me.

level 2

Yeah that's what I was thinking too. I've had the polish get a bit soft after a shower and it had peeled off in those cases but other than that it's been fine

level 1

I would guess that the solvents present in the topcoat is softening the gel underneath. It may just need longer to dry after you apply or applying several thinner coats so it can be built up while allowing it to dry out and not stay so mushy.

level 1

I definitely don’t know why it’s happening. But saying it’s like “candle wax” was a very accurate description.

level 1

Just as a general information, this "no lamp gel" line from Sally Hansen is an absolutele scam. They claim you need the special top coat for the polish to be cured. But literally any other too coat will work just fine with that polish.

level 1

I found the same too was irritating but also super satisfying to peel 🤦🏾‍♀️

level 1

I definitely thought that for a second you were ripping your nail off and I almost had a heart attack

level 2

Right! I’m like, “Oh no! Her nails!”

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