Sally Hanson in Game of Chromes

Brand: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

Shade: Game of Chromes
(matte gold color, metallic finish)

Cost: $$$

The Scoop:
I don't think this is like the gel polish you'd get in a salon -- it's not nearly as thick. But it's prob better for your nails! And I do love this shade. It didn't chip, it more kind of rubbed off on the edges after a week or so. I can live with that.

Sally Hansen in Dig Fig

Brand: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

Shades: Dig Fig & Top Coat
(cranberry red color, glossy finish)

Cost: $$$

The Scoop:
My college roommate gave me this shade when I came over to make Christmas cookies with her kids, so it's got fun memories for me. But it's also just a great holiday color that works all month long. Merry everything!

Sally Hansen in Quick Jeanius

Brand: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color

Shade: Quick Jeanius
(deep blue color, shimmer finish)

Cost: $

The Scoop:
Blue nail polish might be the best beauty invention ever. I love the way it looks, and this little gem is extra special because it's cheap (but doesn't look it). I'm in blue heaven!

Sally Hansen in Birthday Suit & Halloween Nailthins

Brand: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

Shade: Birthday Suit & Top Coat, plus Halloween Bat Nailthins
(beige-nude color, glossy finish, black bat)

Cost: $$$ (for the polish + the gel topcoat) and $ (for the appliques)

The Scoop:
I get to do some cool stuff at work.  Tomorrow, I'll throw an elegantly spooky Halloween party. We'll be doing bat-icures for our guests, so of course I had to try it for myself. Loved Sally, liked the Nailthins, but they're a bit hard to apply and look better from afar.

Sally Hansen in City Slicker

Brand: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color

Shade: City Slicker
(purple color, glossy finish)

Cost: $

The Scoop:
I got this grapey shade after seeing a similar one on a colleague during a meeting.  It looked better on her.  But it did dry fast!

Sally Hansen in Beatnik

Brand: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

Shade: Beatnik & Gel Top Coat
(royal blue color with glossy finish, and clear gel finish)

Cost: $$$ (for the polish + gel top coat)

The Scoop:
At work, we held an event for New York Fashion Week sponsored by Sally Hansen with their whole line of Miracle Gel polishes available for manis. I fell in love with this shade and ran right out to buy it. They say it lasts up to 2 weeks, I'm at 9 days with almost no chips, proving strength is always in fashion.

Sally Hansen in Scarab

Brand: Sally Hansen Lustre Shine Nail Color

Shade: Scarab
(teal green color, iridescent finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:
This is a total summer shade. It looks like the ocean I wish I was dipping my toes in. Another hit for Sally!

Sally Hansen in Cha-Ching!

Brand: Sally Hansen Gem Crush Nail Color

Shade: Cha-Ching!
(bright red color with silver glitter finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:
This is a sparklebomb and I love it. I missed seeing the NYC fireworks this year from my apt because they were on the East River and I'm on the Hudson, but who needs them when I have nails like this?

Sally Hansen in Cafe au Lait

Brand: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Shade: Cafe au Lait
(nude color, glossy finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:
Sometimes, your nails need a color break. This shade is the perfect blank slate.

Sally Hansen in Crushed

Brand: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color

Shade: Crushed
(traffic cone orange color, metallic finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:
Summer has unofficially started, so it's time to show those pasty fingers and toes the sun! Only a bright color will do. Though, as much as I love Sally, this might not be the one. If it wasn't metallic, it could be great. But it is. So it's just kind of...cheap.  Color me crushed.

Sally Hansen in Flame On & Twinkled Pink

Brand: Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish

Shades: Flame On & Twinkled Pink
(hot pink color with iridescent finish & pinky gold color with glitter finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:
Sally's my girl but I think this color combo should come with an age limit.  Like nobody over 13 years old can wear it. So I had to take it off a day after I put it on. But if you're in grammar school, go for it!

Sally Hansen in Fiery Island

Brand: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Shade: Fiery Island
(coral orange color, glossy finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:
This is a great shade to celebrate the last days of summer.  It went on my fingers AND toes.

Sally Hansen in Gilt

Brand: Sally Hansen Lustre Shine Nail Color

Shade: Gilt
(soft gold color, metallic sheer finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:
I love gold polish in the summer.  It's the perfect shade for July. I put 3 coats on here to get a more opaque finish, but you can still see my nail underneath if you look hard enough.  That was a hassle.  But I still love gold.  And Sally.

Sally Hansen in Booty Camp

Brand: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips

Shade: Booty Camp
(pink & white camouflage pattern, matte finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:
These polish strips are fun and pretty easy to apply.  I don't know if I can deal with this particular pattern on every finger, but maybe an accent nail or two would be cute.

Next Shade: Julep in Emerson

Sally Hansen in Brattlesnake

Brand: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

 

Shade: Brattlesnake

(gold and gray colored snakeskin, glossy finish)

 

Cost: $$

 

The Scoop:
I thought this pattern looked cool in the store, but when I put it on, I hated it. Maybe it would be better on just an accent nail, because a whole hand of snakeskin is way too much.

 

Next Shade: H&M in Purple Mist & Prim & Proper

Sally Hansen in Lightening & Tweedy

Brand: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri & Fuzzy Coat Textured Nail Color

Shades: Lightening & Tweedy

(sunny yellow color with glossy finish & black and white color with textured finish)

Cost: $ & $$

The Scoop:

I was inspired by spring again here, but let's face it, this is really ugly. I thought it would look like a bumble bee. This is my second time trying the fuzzy/feather technique and I think it's safe to say this is a fad that should fade away.

Next Shade: Butter London in British Racing Green

Sally Hansen in Lick-O-Rich

Brand:  Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Textured Nail Color

Shade: Lick-O-Rich

(jet black color, textured matte finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:

I love Sally, so I can't resist trying a new line from her. Sugar Coat comes in mostly pastel colors, but I went black because I thought the texture would look cooler that way. The bottle is weird and cheap-looking (c'mon, Sally!), but the polish was actually pretty nice. An interesting technique.

Next Shade: Revlon in Posh

Sally Hansen in Red-io Active

Brand: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color

 

Shade: Red-io Active

(cherry red color, metallic finish)

 

Cost: $

 

The Scoop:

Isn't this the perfect red for the holidays?  It's like a Christmas stocking in a bottle. It really does dry fast too, so you'll be eating cookies in no time.  Ho, ho, ho...

 

Next Shade: L'Oreal in Because You're Worth It

Sally Hansen in Private I

Brand: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color

Shade: Private I

(grape purple color, glitter finish)

Cost: $

The Scoop:

Guess what?  I've officially posted 52 shades of nail polish!  I finished in less than a year because some manicures used 2 or 3 colors.  Since I'm having so much fun, and there are at LEAST a hundred more where those came from, I'm going to start posting 2 shades per week: on Sundays, as usual, and now on Wednesdays too!  As for this shade, can your nail polish ever be too rich or too sparkly?  I think not.

Next Shade: Holiday Nail Looks & Video How-To with Amelia Knight Colour Couture

Sally Hansen in Jungle Gem

Brand: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Shade: Jungle Gem

(deep teal blue color, glossy finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:

This color is very on-trend for fall, I'm a huge fan of Sally, and I also seem to have a thing for blue polish, so really, this choice was inevitable.  I used 2 coats here for full coverage, and a topcoat but this whole line is pretty shiny right out of the bottle. The only thing I don't like here is the weak name -- what is a Jungle Gem, anyway?

Next Week's Shade: Nails Inc. in Noho