The New Long-Lasting Sally Hansen Poolside Paradise Miracle Gel Nail Polish Collection: This Mirror-Like Shine Makes Lounging by the Pool More Fun

My version of a poolside paradise typically includes some combination of the following…

1. Trashy mags, and US Weekly is a fave.

   Strangely, I only read it when I’m at the pool…

2. Iced tea.
3. 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.

4. Sunscreen, obvs.
5. A bathing suit that stays put even after multiple cannonballs (learned this lesson the hard way).
6. Cheapie sunglasses, because who wants to stress out over losing or breaking their favorite pair of expensive sunglasses at the pool?
7. 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