My version of a poolside paradise typically includes some combination of the following…
- Trashy mags, and US Weekly is a fave.
Strangely, I only read it when I’m at the pool…
- Iced tea.
- One of those oversized fluffy beach towels that are so big that I can wrap them around my torso twice.
Because I’m not about that tiny towel life. Even when it’s 95 degrees outside, I’m always freezing when I get out of the water.
- Sunscreen, obvs.
- A bathing suit that stays put even after multiple cannonballs (learned this lesson the hard way).
- Cheapie sunglasses, because who wants to stress out over losing or breaking their favorite pair of expensive sunglasses at the pool?
- A shiny mani/pedi combo, ideally in bright shades like the ones from the new Sally Hansen Poolside Paradise Collection above, because despite the lack of verifiable scientific evidence to support this, I think they make your cannonballs more cannon-bally.
Seriously, they totally do.
I wore two of these Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes last week on my trip to New Orleans (creamy yellow Morning Sunshine on my toes and creamy leafy green Lip Palm on my paws), and they were all it took. Now I consider myself a card-carrying member the Miracle Gel cult.
Wait — do the Miracle Gels actually have a cult??
If they don’t, they totally should. These nail polishes are…
- Long-lasting
- Playful and bright
- Easy to apply
- And affordable
All of which add up to “drugstore gem!”
If you’re new to the Sally Hansen brand, her Miracle Gels launched last year. The limited edition Poolside Paradise Collection is available now and includes seven $9.99 shades.
Unlike traditional gel polishes, the Miracle Gel formula doesn’t require the use of a special UV lamp. All you do is paint your nails with one (or more, of course) of the colors, and then pop the Miracle Gel Top Coat (also $9.99) on top.
That’s it. You’re done. And that should last up to 14 days.
Technically, you don’t even need a base coat, either, but I’d still use one for the blues and greens, because those two color families often stain my nails.
I wore a base coat with both Morning Sunshine and Lip Palm last week, then applied a layer of the Miracle Gel Top Coat, and I don’t think the base coat hurt anything at all.
Normally, if I just look at my nails, whatever polish I’m wearing will chip.
OK, I’m exaggerating… A little. But I am very rough on my nails.
But these Miracle Gels can take everything I dish out, like lugging around luggage, holding onto those stabilizer bars in streetcars, and opening and closing a zillion Ziploc bags filled with travel portions of products.
After eight days, my polish was still at about 95%, which is kind of miraculous, because with most polishes, I usually start seeing big chips on or around day three.
These may very well have lasted a full 14 days, but I switched them up with different nail polishes after eight.
Along with the lady boss wear time, you also get…
- A wide, oversized brush (can cover a nail in a few strokes)
- A 15-minute dry time
- A shiny, mirror-like finish
- A highly pigmented, smooth and creamy formula
Poolside Paradise includes seven super shiny summery colors ($9.99 each) in cotton candy Pink-A-Colada, creamy reddish orange Life’s A Peach, bright yellow Morning Sunshine (my favorite!), cerulean blue Dive Bar, leafy green Lip Palm, deep pink Rum Punch and teal Swimsical. They’re available now at drugstores, Ulta and online.
PRICE: $9.99 each
AVAILABILITY: Limited edition, available now online and at drugstores and Ulta
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Kelly B. says
I. Love. Lip Palm! I must run out and buy it tomorrow 😀 I’m on the hunt this summer for the perfect blue/green/minty polish!
Lena says
That Lip Palm is a unique one.
How do you remove these Karen? Any good old polish remover will do?
Holly says
I’ve been curious about these polishes; thanks for the review. Although I rarely wear polish on my fingernails, my toenails are always polished & since I go barefoot as often as possible, the toes chip quickly. My 3 1/2 year old niece likes to tell me, “Your polish is melting off!”–time to try something new!
Kiss & Make-up says
FOURTEEN DAYS? In what universe? That would never eeeeeever happen for me. Like your nails, my nails chip really fast. So yeah, not buying the two-week claim, lol. That said, I do love how Morning Sunshine looks on your nails and the formula does sound nice. Any extra longevity that I can get I’ll take.
Carolyn says
Karen, I love that you’re writing about these nail polishes because I just picked up 2 yesterday to try for the first time. I got Tidal Wave and Sugar Fix. I haven’t even used them yet but I hear nothing but great things about this brand. I’m thinking of picking up the Top Coat too and now I’m definitely going to check for these colours since they’re on sale at SDM in Canada right now!
Thanks for helping me spend more Karen! This is my favourite place to find reviews on everything. Unfortunately my wallet doesn’t like it so much…
LindaLibraLoca says
14 days? That would be the first polish ever to last that long on me. But then again, I guess I would never get to experience it because I´d be bored after five and opt for a change in color.
Trude says
Rum Punch is calling my name! Thanks for the review, I’ve been thinking about trying this formula but was on the fence. 🙂