Today I bring you a smokey grayish purple – Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Mystic Lilac!
You don’t often see this color from a drugstore brand, which is precisely why I had to get my paws on it. Plus the super-low sale price made it one of those last-minute-throw-in-with-the-rest-of-my-purchase buys.
I like it, but the formula needs some work and so does something else. Want to know what it is? You’re in luck – the answer’s not far off.
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Mystic Lilac Pictures
This shot better shows the shimmer that you see on your nails.
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Mystic Lilac Swatches
All swatches have:
- 1 coat of Orly Bonder Rubberized Basecoat
- 3 coats of Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Mystic Lilac
- 1 coat of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
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Claims: TRUSTED
- √ Easy grip & easy glide brush
√ Formula provides strength & shine
Key Notes
- Name: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Mystic Lilac
- Amount: 11.8 mL (0.40 fl. oz.)
- What I Paid: $1.99 CAD on sale
- Where to Buy: Various drugstores, Loblaws, The Superstore & Rexall
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Mystic Lilac Review
Color
Sally Hansen Mystic Lilac is a cool-toned grayish purple that has awesome green and gold shimmer flakes throughout.
Finish
The shimmer doesn’t make it blingy. Overall, the effect is subtle, but when you see your nails up close, you can really notice all the wonderful shimmer! Without this shimmer, Mystic Lilac wouldn’t be nearly as special.
It doesn’t dry super shiny, but it’s not dull, either. Usually this doesn’t matter to me, though, because I like to use Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat so I get my shine on.
Application & Formula
It applied thick yet runny at the same time, and I found that it required 3 coats to achieve full opacity.
I’m used to polishes that only require 1-2 coats, so 3 is an extra layer, but I don’t mind it. If it needed 4 or more coats, then that’s when I’d consider the formula to be a nuisance.
It also took longer to dry than I’m used to, but I think this was simply because I had 3 coats on and because the formula itself was thick.
Handle, Brush & Wand Length
I like how the handle is contoured – fits comfortably in my hands and allows for greater control.
The brush is very skinny, which works fine at applying the polish. But what I didn’t like was the length of the wand – it’s long! No matter how great a brush is, a longer-than-average wand makes it harder to apply your polish.
OPI, Nubar, China Glaze, and Nicole by OPI are just some brands that have a good wand length. Joe Fresh is an example of a wand that is too stubby, which also isn’t ideal for painting your nails with. (See image below.)
Although in the picture, the OPI and Sally Hansen length appear to be the same, you also need to take into account the length of the cap. With OPI, you can hold the cap closer to the bottom, so the length of the wand is shorter. With Sally Hansen, you’re always stuck with a long wand. Length matters! Haha!
Ingredients
You’ll be pleased to know that Mystic Lilac by Sally Hansen is Big-3-Free, which means that it doesn’t contain any Formaldehyde, Toluene, or DBP. However, please note that it isn’t Big-4-Free since it still contains Formaldehyde resin.
Price & Availability
You really can’t complain when you spend just a puny $1.99 CAD for a decent formula and a gorgeous, chic nail polish color. This is a great option for those who are cost-conscious yet who still want to venture out into colors beyond traditional reds and pinks.
And the beautiful thing is that Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes tend to go on sale very often and can easily be found in lots of drugstores and even grocery stores.
(Ever since this color came out, I wanted it so badly. Funny thing is that Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear polishes are so darn cheap, yet I had an internal debate for about a week as to whether or not I should buy it. However, when it comes to OPI polishes that I really want, I’ll sometimes pay the retail price without batting an eye. Sally Hansen’s $1.99 CAD when I got it on sale. OPI’s retail price is $9.95 CAD. Oh logic!)
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Final Verdict: 7/10
I like Sally Hansen Mystic Lilac. The color is tres chic! The price is right, Bob Barker! And even though I’m not a fan of the wand length, I still think this is a great deal overall.
What are your favorite Sally Hansen nail polishes? Do you care if a color you love takes 3 or more coats to achieve full opacity? Do you prefer drugstore polishes over salon lacquers?
Oooh me this looks gorgeous on you Mary 😉
Alaeis recently posted: –
Hey Alaeis!
Thanks! 😀 I’ve always loved smoked-out and dusty shades. I find them very flattering, and it’s a nice little break from loud or vampy ones.
Haha…I just realized now that I forgot to post the 2 macro thumb shots. Going to add those to the bottom of the swatch section now.
I’m not as big a fan of Sally Hansen as I used to be. I need to try some of the Complete Salon line, since I’ve heard great things about that one, but all my other SH polishes take FOREVER to dry. Seriously, I’ll be sitting there for an hour and nick it when picking up my drink. :\ For me, it totally depends on the color, because not on sale, SH is usually as much or more than some of my other go-to brands here in the USA.
Hey CupK8!
I’ve only tried ‘Gray by Gray’ (a dusty blue) from the Complete Salon line, and I really liked the color, the formula, and the flat-and-wide brush. It also seemed to dry faster than Mystic Lilac from the Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear line.
Which top coat are you using? I use Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, and for me, it always dries any polish super fast…even the ones like Mystic Lilac that have a thick formula and take longer to dry on their own.
Totally agree with you about the price of Sally Hansen. I really only ever buy it when it goes on sale and only if there’s a special color. Otherwise, I much prefer Nubar, China Glaze, OPI, or Orly.
Hi Mary! 😀
I actually just started trying quick-dry top coats. I’m hesitant about Seche Vite because I have cuticle issues and I hear it can be really, really drying. I sometimes use a quick dry spray that a friend bought me (she swears by the stuff, it makes me sneeze), which is I think what I used the last time I played with Sally Hansen. I’ll probably end up going for Seche Vite and trying out some of my old SH polishes with it just to see. 🙂
I’ll add the Salon line to my “to watch” list for sales and the like. Thanks for the tips!
After trying quick-dry top coats, I’m spoiled – can’t go back to using regular top coats. Yet more proof that I’m part of the Instant Gratification Generation!
Hmm…never tried those quick-dry sprays. I did try drying drops, but they didn’t seem to work…and it was messier than a top coat where you can apply the product on your nails and not on your skin.
Seche Vite hasn’t dried out my cuticles, but when I paint my nails, I don’t paint directly on my cuticles – just the nails. I’ve been using Seche Vite a lot – it’s my favorite top coat. I didn’t notice my actual nails drying out because of it. But everyone’s different and you have to experiment to see what works for you. Sometimes the base coat can be the drying culprit. (Nail Tek Foundation II sometimes made my nails dry and peel, which is why I’m testing out Orly Bonder Rubberized Basecoat now.) If you do end up getting Seche Vite, keep in mind that it isn’t Big-3-Free. It has Toluene.
Please stop by again after you’ve tried out a new top coat. I’d love to hear how it’s working out for you.
wow … that color is just stunning … i love it … i have been looking for it but just can’t seem to find it in any of the drugstores near me … did you buy it recently? i know this was a limited edition which came out last fall … lucky u … i’ll keep looking, i guess
Hey Kaberi!
Yes, it’s quite an unusual color to find in a drugstore brand!
No, I bought it many months ago at the grocery store…a few months after it was released. The one near me still sells colors from old collections though. (I’ve been trying to hunt down the limited-edition green Sally Hansen polish called “Project Runway” in the square bottle for a long time. The same grocery store had it, but I was foolish and didn’t buy it. Then of course when I wanted it, it was sold out.)
Hope you’re able to track down a bottle. Occasionally I see it at some Rexalls, Loblaws, and Superstores here.
So is it safe?
Hey Amy!
That depends on your personal level of comfort. It doesn’t have the Big 3 chemicals, but it still has Formaldehyde Resin. If you really want to be absolutely safe, you should avoid Formaldehyde Resin, too.
My personal stance is that I don’t mind wearing polishes even that DO have the Big 3 chemicals. But, it’s really your decision whether or not you want to subject your body to extra chemicals. (There’s also a debate about acetone vs. non-acetone polish remover…)