Bold, vibrant nail polishes (like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Beatnik) are my jam, but I don’t skip past an opportunity to try out a softer colour like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop because it works as a delicate palate cleanser!

Spring is a great time to rock pastels and beiges, but as I always say, feel free to wear whatever you want whenever you want. Nail polish is about self-expression and the freedom to experiment with colour. Have fun, and strive for happiness instead of perfection!

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop Pictures

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop Ingredients

(From the Sally Hansen website) BUTYL ACETATE, ETHYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE, ACETYL TRIBUTYL CITRATE, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, TOSYLAMIDE/EPOXY RESIN, STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE, TRIPHENYL PHOSPHATE, GLYCIDYL NEODECANOATE/PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE/TMP CROSSPOLYMER, AQUA/ WATER/EAU, ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, CALCIUM SODIUM BOROSILICATE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, ISOSORBIDE DICAPRYLATE/CAPRATE, SILICA, DIACETONE ALCOHOL, ETOCRYLENE, KAOLIN, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/IPDI/PPG-15 GLYCERYL ETHER COPOLYMER, ACRYLATES/DIMETHICONE COPOLYMER, CORALLINA OFFICINALIS EXTRACT, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, PHOSPHORIC ACID, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, DIMETHICONE, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, STYRENE/ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, POLYVINYL BUTYRAL, CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OIL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA (KELP) EXTRACT, HYDROLYZED CONCHIOLIN PROTEIN, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, TIN OXIDE, [May Contain/Peut Contenir/+/-:MICA, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), FD&C YELLOW NO. 5 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 19140), FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE (CI 77510), D&C RED NO. 6 BARIUM LAKE (CI 15850), ALUMINUM POWDER (CI 77000), BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE (CI 77163), D&C RED NO. 34 CALCIUM LAKE (CI 15880), D&C RED NO. 7 CALCIUM LAKE (CI 15850), D&C YELLOW NO. 11 (CI 47000), MANGANESE VIOLET (CI 77742), ULTRAMARINES (CI 77007), D&C VIOLET NO. 2 (CI 60725)].

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop Swatches

All swatches have:

• OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener – Original version (Used as a base coat)
• 4 coats of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop
• Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat

Artificial Light Photos

Natural Light Photos

Claims: TRUSTED

• Creates the look of gel nails without the UV light (Yes)
• Easy removal (Yes)
• Up to 14 days of colour & shine (Maybe – I don’t wear the same nail polish for that long.)

Key Notes

• Name: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop
• Amount: 14.7 mL (0.5 fl. oz.)
• Retail Price: $11.95 CAD
• Disclosure: This post contains press samples provided by PR.
• Where to Buy: Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Jean Coutu, London Drugs, ULTA & Drugstore.com

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop Review

Colour

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop is a beige with golden undertones that reminds me a little of the inside of some seashells, which is why it seems beachy.

This colour is easy for anyone to sport because it’s nothing boisterous, and you can easily pull this off at any workplace. It’s mild and inoffensive like a newborn kitten!

Beiges and anything that’s close to my skin tone can be tricky because if the undertone leans the other way, it can severely clash. However, I thought this colour worked well for creating the Mannequin Hands Effect that I rarely sport but admire on others.

Finish

Although the colour can wind up looking like a Band-Aid, what prevents it from being flat like one ultimately is the finish, which is subtly pearlized. This adds an extra softness to the overall appearance, which I enjoyed because I don’t often wear this finish as much as others.

Application & Formula

Okay, so here’s where we get to the unfortunate part. The formula is very sheer, so I needed to use four coats to get the coverage you see in my photos. However, you can still see my nail line, so for full coverage, I’d probably need a minimum of five coats.

Only if the colour is mind-blowingly awesome, then I’ll use more than four coats. Four is my threshold when it comes to regular nail polish because I feel like that’s a lot. Typically, I can get excellent coverage out of the majority of the nail polishes in my collection with two coats, which is where my logic of four coats being a lot comes from.

The first two coats provide a wash of colour, and the opacity builds up with each coat slowly. That’s why you need to use so many coats.

I can see Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop as being good for those who like doing the whole French Manicure look, but since I’m not into sheers and am more into full-on solid colour, I was disappointed with the performance on this. It wore fine, but I wasn’t fond of the coverage.

On the bright side, this polish was as easy to remove as a typical creme nail polish. But with a colour like this, I expect that.

Accessibility & Value

Since this is a drugstore nail polish, it’s easy to get your hands on, and it often goes on sale, so you can score a deal.

Pros Soft, delicate, seashell-like beige with golden undertones Subtle pearlized finish Shiny appearance like a gel Easy to remove Easy to get your hands on

Cons Sheer formula Takes more than 4 coats to get full coverage

Final Verdict: 5/10

While the colour was a nice change of pace for me, I still had to give Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Cream of the Crop a score that is, well, not the cream of the crop, sadly.

Unless the colour is a multichromatic wonder or an insane holo, I can’t justify using more than four coats to fully cover my nails, and I’m not into a sheer coating on my nails.

However, obviously if you like sheer polishes, you might love this! That’s the beautiful thing about nail-polish addicts – we have different tastes, and there’s really something for everyone.

Do you wear sheer nail polishes, or do you try to build them up to reach full opacity? What’s the most number of coats you’ve ever used for a manicure? (Aside from nails with layers of glitter, I think the most I’ve ever used was four or five coats.)