Sally Hansen Therapewter

One of the first things that caught my eye in the new year was Sally Hansen's new Color Therapy line of polishes. I can't say Sally Hansen has done much to impress me in recent years, but this Color Therapy line has impressed me. I reviewed Steely Serene back in January. The colors in this line are not the most unique compared to indie standards, but they are some high-quality polish with excellent wear time from my experience. I have one of the more glitzy colors to share with you today.

Therapewter

Therapetwer is a slightly green-tinged silver foil with sparse gold and bronze flakes.

Collection: Sally Hansen Color Therapy Core 2017

Color: This is actually a really unique color to me. I love the foil-like metallic finish and in this great silvery with just a hint of green neutral shade. It's not a flat color either there are sparse little gold and bronze flakes throughout that give this color some dimension. It's gorgeous and definitely a great go-to color when you're not sure of something to wear.

Formula: This had a smooth and easy to use formula. It is sheer on the first coat but builds up opaquely and easily in 3 coats. I've worn both Steely Serene and Therapewter more than once for full manis and did get a solid 6 days of wear out of both without any chips. This line wears so well on me!

Price: You can find this in the $6.70-$8.00 range at Target, Walmart, Ulta, and drugstores. Look for drugstore deals on these though!

Overall: This is a beautiful and complex color. I absolutely adore it and the other colors in this line. These are really well made and have excellent long-wearing formulas. I'm really impressed and plan to add more of these to my collection.

My Rating 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Sally Hansen Steely Serene

I have one of the polishes from the new Sally Hansen Color Therapy collection. This Color Therapy line includes argan oil that nourishes and moisturizes nails. It's not only a nail polish, but a treatment too. I can't make claims on the treatment factor. I use a treatment base coat by Sally Hansen's called  Nail Rehab Rx as a base coat already, so my nails have been in good shape prior.

I will say, I don't normally test out wear time before I swatch them for the blog. There are just too many factor that can contribute to that, however, this polish has some serious staying power. I was really impressed. This may not be the case for everyone (the whole many factors part), but it certainly caught my eye.


Steely Serene 

 Steely Serene is a medium putty (grey-nude-purple) creme.

Collection: Sally Hansen Color Therapy 2017

Color: I LOVE this color. You know I'm still on the nude-neutral train and this is an amazing neutral shade. It's a very chic and flattering color. I could easily wear this all the time and it would go with everything and always look classy.

Formula: This had a smooth and easy to apply formula. I used 2 coats above.

Price: I paid around $7-$8 for this at Target.

Overall: This wore like iron on me as well as another color from the line. I got around 6 full days of wear time with this without any chips. No chips at all. I had some tip wear and my nails grew out a bit on the bottoms, but no chips! I was shocked and very impressed. That on top of the gorgeous color and formula makes this a great polish. I highly recommend this color or at least trying a polish from this line.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters

Throwbacks Week: Sally Hansen Purple Gala

It's the third full week of the month which means it's time for another Throwbacks Week! I have a pretty ancient Sally Hansen oldie to share with you today. Ancient in nail world terms, because it's only 6 years old, but that may as well be 300 hundred years ago! This color came out in a limited edition Sally Hansen display.

Purple Gala

Purple Gala is a purple and gold foil.

Collection: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Limited Edition Fall 2016

Color: I love this purple and gold metallic combination. It's really a great color for fall and can read as a neutral shade as well. I love this foil finish in nail polish and it's not something I've seen in recent years. It's one of my absolute favorite finishes so I miss it!

Formula: This had a nice formula. It is a little more sheer than expected. I used 3 coats above.

Price: N/A. This was limited edition drugstore polish and as many of us know when it comes to LE drugstore polish when it's gone it's gone!

Overall: This is a great foil finish polish.  I love the color combination and it's a definite oldie but goodie!

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Third Week Throwbacks: Sally Hansen Opulent Cloud

There is one aspect of nail polish I do miss that has almost gone away since the advent of indies. I really "the hunt". Before indie nail polish mainstream and drugstore nail polish is all we had to shop from. When someone spotted an amazing drugstore nail polish that became the "it" polish that everyone had to have. Pretty much any drugstore nail polish that was spectacular was almost always limited edition.

This meant stalking multiple Walgreens and CVS stores to find this polish. I remember hitting 4-5 drugstore a day trying to find some of these highly sought after nail polishes. Sure, it was time consuming and frustrating, but it was also part of the fun! This Sally Hansen polish was one I hunted for.

Opulent Cloud

Opulent Cloud is a steely gray-blue with an intense golden shimmer.

Collection: Sally Hansen HD Fall 2009

Color: The color is exactly what the appeal was with Opulent Cloud. I love the combination of cool and warm tones in one polish, and this is exactly that. This gray-blue with that warm golden shimmer is such a beautiful and unique combination.

Formula: The formula on these is decent. This color is a bit brushstroke-y, but I can forgive it for the type of color it is. I used 3 coats above.

Price: Sadly, I think this one is impossible to find at this point to purchase.

Overall: I love Opulent Cloud. This color combination is amazing, and I love how unique this polish is even 6 years later. This one isn't going anywhere in my collection!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Orchid Around

I have another one of the new Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes to show you. This is probably my favorite line of polishes Sally Hansen offers. The colors are great and the price is right. I haven't been impressed much with Sally Hansen's color offerings lately, but this one definitely caught my eye.

Orchid Around

Orchid Around is a soft orchid with a subtle silvery shimmer.

Collection: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Summer 2015

Color: I love orchid colors like this, but I can't always wear them. Some colors like this can really bring out too much red/pink in my skin tone and make my skin look ruddy. This one doesn't do that. I love this shade of purple-pink very much. The shimmer in this is very subtle and I did not detect it in the bottle much, but it is somewhat visible on the nail.

Formula: The formula on this was alright. I had high hopes after the excellent formula Dabbler, another color from this collection had. This one didn't quite live up to those expectations. It wasn't bad at all, but it did have a bit of leveling issues.

Price: I got this around $3 at Walgreens.

Overall: I really love the color of Orchid Around. The color is soft and light, but wearable and flattering at the same time. The price is really great for color like this too at the drugstore. The formula could be a bit better, but wasn't a deal breaker at all.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Dabbler

I was harping on Sally Hansen last week for not really wowing me lately. I can't say I've been wowed yet, I wish I could take that back. I have, however, been impressed with a recent polish they released. This next one is part of the Xtreme Wear line and part of a summer display I spotted at Walgreens recently.

Dabbler

Dabbler is a slightly dusty cornflower blue creme.

Collection: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Color Expression Summer 2015 (not sure if these are LE)

Color: I'm very impressed with this shade of blue. It is unlike any other blue cremes I own. This has a hint of dustiness and a muted quality to it that really makes it different. This is the type of blue that can transcend any season. I could see myself wearing this come time for fall and winter.

Formula: Excellent formula. I was really impressed with this aspect. Xtreme Wears are either have decent formulas for me or are complete misses. This is probably my first true win with a formula in this line. It applied flawlessly in 2 coats.

Price: I paid around $3 for this at Walgreens.

Overall: I'm a fan of Dabbler, and it will definitely be added as a contender for my Top 25 of 2015. That says a lot, coming from a drugstore polish, and even more so a creme. It takes a lot to impress me with a creme!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Throwback Thursday: Sally Hansen HD Cyber

I'm really enjoying revisiting polishes from the past. A brand that has really fallen by the wayside for me lately is Sally Hansen. I don't feel they really standout as a drugstore polish brand anymore. They have newer lines like "Insta-Ombre" and "Pearl Crush", but I personally find them to be poorly conceived a made. Sally Hansen hasn't had a successful fun line of polish in awhile. It's back to the vault in this case. I rediscovered this gem from their HD Hi-Defintion line a few years back.

Cyber

Cyber is a grape lit from within shimmer.

Collection: Sally Hansen HD Hi Definition Collection Summer 2009

Color: This is a beautiful glowing purple. This is a teensy bit more red-toned than my camera is picking up. I don't see many intense shimmers like this anymore except from Zoya. I love the saturation of this color this color too.

Formula: I remember this formula being thin when I purchased it 2009. This is downright watery now. I don't recall if it was watery back then or it is now. Normally, polish thickens with age. This is very sheer and watery. I needed 4 coats to build opacity, but this is probably the thinnest polish formula I've used in a long time.

Price: I'm happy to report you can still purchase this online. I found a few results on eBay for under $8.

Overall: Despite the ridiculously watery formula I really love this color. I don't have many shimmers like this especially in such a bright color.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Sally Hansen Big Teal

I have another new shade for the 2015 permanent Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear line to share with you today. I get so caught up with indies and mainstream brands I notice I forget to check out the drugstore polishes lately. This one got my attention though.

Big Teal

Big Teal is a light-pastel blue-green creme.

Collection: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Permanent 2015

Color: I wish this was more teal than it is. I find dependent on the lighting this can look more blue than green. I'd prefer this if it had a touch more green to it. It's still a nice color, but it doesn't really read as a teal to me.

Formula: Meh. I struggled with this formula. I much preferred the formula on Babe Blue. Big Teal had a soupy cuticle flooding formula that did not want to self level at all.

Price: I paid around $3 for this at Walgreens.

Overall: I think this can be a pass. There are lots of colors in this same shade family that you could probably find in a better formulation. The price is good, but I think that's probably its only strong suit.

My Rating: 1.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

 Happy Friday!

Sally Hansen Babe Blue

I have what I *believe* to be a new-ish Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear color to show you today. This I believe is new permanent shade in the Xtreme Wear line for 2015. This color is one my favorite shades for spring.

Babe Blue

Babe Blue is a pastel periwinkle blue with an entirely unnoticeable in real life shimmer. 

Collection: Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Permanent Line

Color: This is a really nice periwinkle blue. I love blues like this for spring. This is pigmented and saturated. The shimmer in this I don't see on my nail at all in real life, it just shows up in the photo. For all intents and purposes, I'd call this a creme. 

Formula: I found the formula on this nice and easy to use. I used 3 coats above, it wasn' t a perfect formula, it did have some leveling issues, but it was a heck of a lot better than China Glaze Boho Blues a similar, but darker periwinkle shade. 

Price: I paid around $2-$3 for this at Walgreens.

Overall: I'm a fan of Babe Blue. I think if you're looking for a cheap, periwinkle blue, with a decent formula, Babe Blue is the way to go. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday! 

Sally Hansen Tickled Pink

I have a new Sally Hansen Xteme Wear polish to share with you today. These really haven't caught my eye lately, but when I came across a new display a few weeks ago there were a few that sparked my interest! This was one of the ones I picked up.

Tickled Pink

 Tickled Pink is a pale pink creme.

Collection: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear

Color: These paler shades of pink I always love, but I find it's difficult to find a good one. They are either sheer pinks that never build up to opacity or they have a horrific formula. I'm pleased to say this is a nice pale pink! It's a definite pigmented creme shade.

Formula: The formula on this is adequate. It's not great. It's not horrible either. It does have some typical funky pastel polish issues. The formula is a bit thick, it doesn't entirely self level, and it did want to flood my cuticles. I know that makes this sound horrible, but in comparison to other pale pink cremes I've tried, this was workable and tolerable to me. I used 3 coats above, and I think it looks nice in this photo.

Price: I paid around $2.99 for this at Walgreens.

Overall: I like Tickled Pink. No, it's not perfect formula wise, but it's definitely one of the better pale pink cremes I own. It may actually be the best one I own. The color is soft and pretty, and you can't beat the price.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Sally Hansen Pink Dream

I have another one of the Sally Hansen Complete Salon limited edition fall shades to share with you today. This is one of the glitter toppers in this collection which obviously being a glitter addict caught my eye.

Pink Dream over China Glaze Life Preserver

Pink Dream is a golden-orange base with golden-orange-pink toned iridescent glitters.

Color: This isn't really pink to me. It's hard to explain this it's kind of a sunset orange-golden-pink color? Does that make sense? I'm a huge sucker for glitters like this, but I don't think you're getting anything standout or original here.

Formula: The formula was nice. I used 2 coats on top of a base.

Price: I purchased this in the $7-$8 range at CVS.

Overall: Like, I said I'm a sucker for iridescent glitters like this, so I gravitated toward it. In hindsight, I should of passed. The only way I see this varies from other glitters like this is it does have a more golden hue. Otherwise, this isn't special, unlike Chili Flakes which is awesome. It's not a bad polish formula wise or anything, just a bit of a downer color appearance wise. Also, the price is a steep for a drugstore polish.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Sally Hansen Chili Flakes

I have a really neat nail polish to share with you today. This is a Sally Hansen Complete Manicure Tracy Reese collaboration polish for fall, which means it's LE. This polish really stood out to me as something a little extra special this season, and will definitely compliment many fall manicures.

Chili Flakes over Zoya Ryan

Chili Flakes is a mixture of a silver, gold, red, and copper shard glitters in a clear base.

Color: This is a beautiful fall color combination of glitters, done in a very edgy and unique way. The shard glitter is unexpected, and this topper will look great with so many of the fall cremes out now. I love the addition of the red glitter in this polish because it really makes this glitter as whole pop.

Formula: I found this formula easy to use and apply which is a plus with this style of glitter. I used 2 coats over a base over.

Price: I purchased this in the $6-$8 range at CVS.

Overall: I think this is a Top 25 of 2014 contender for me. I love the uniqueness of this polish. I haven't seen anything like it this season. Chili Flakes would suit so many manis as a topper or accent nail. The formula was easy to use, and I'm calling it a must have!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Sally Hansen Wet Suit

The drugstore really has been coming out with nice stuff lately? These summer pastel bright trend has really been up my alley. Sally Hansen decided to pick up on this trend and create their own array of colors in the Electric Summer collection. This was introduced in their Xtreme Wear line. I have one of those shades to share with you today.

Wet Suit

 Wet Suit is a sky blue creme.

Color: This was one of two colors I picked up out of this collection. What I liked about this shade is just a teeny bit muted. It is a brighter color, but it has softness to it as well. I love this shade a blue. I'm betting there are similar colors out there though.

Formula: Someone forewarned me when I purchased these that they were not a fan of the formula. When I started applying this I had no idea what they were talking about. The first few nails, this applied so nicely. This changed the more I used this formula. The formula became goopy and tacky. This made it difficult for the polish to dry between coats, and caused self leveling issues. I did add a few drop of thinner in between uses. This helped, but what a strange, fake out formula. I was ready to talk about how awesome the formula was, and it let me down. I'm *thinking* maybe too much exposure to air changed it? I don't mean letting it sit out with the cap off either. I just mean in the time frame of using it to paint my nails.

Price: I found this in the $2-$3 range at CVS. This collection is limited edition, so if you're interested go on the hunt for it now.

Overall: I really loved this shade of blue, but that was overshadowed by its baffling formula. I don't get it. This didn't turn this into a terrible polish at all, but it definitely was a let down.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Sally Hansen Twinkled Pink

Summer is when I like to break out the glitter top coats. Who am I kidding? I always like to break out glitter top coats! Seriously though, I find in spring I do more creme manis, and by time summer rolls around I'm all about glitter. I have pretty glitter part of the new Sally Hansen Triple Shine line to share with you today.

Twinkled Pink over China Glaze Escaping Reality

Twinkled Pink is a sheer pink base with gold iridescent glitters, silver glitters, and iridescent microglitters.

Color: This is a gorgeous color combination of glitters. This looks like a sunset in a bottle to me! I love the combination of the iridescent gold with the silver. I don't have glitter topper like this.

Formula: I used 2 coats over a base here. The formula was smooth and easy to apply, but I so wish this glitter packed more of a punch. This is very pretty, but a slightly more dense glitter would of been better.

Price: I paid around $4-$5 for this at Walgreens.

Overall: This is beautiful combination of glitters, that adds a really extra sparkly touch to your nails. The glitter could a little bit denser for me, but I still really like this one.

My Rating 4 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

Sally Hansen Berried Under

I buy too much texture polish and all I want to do is put top coat over it. I'm sorry. I've tried. I see some textures in peoples photos and I'm like "ooooooo!", but when I put them on me I don't like how they can look so dull. Again, I feel guilty. I've tried. There are few metallic ones and sparkly ones, I do like as they are, but that's a rarity. I like my shine. I'm sorry. Why am I apologizing? Here is a textured polish from Sally Hansen,  I thought I might not need to top coat, but I like it better top coated.

Berried Under

 Berried Under w/ top coat

Berried Under is a cool-toned pink shimmer texture.

Color: I actually love this color. I love purple-toned pinks. I love the shimmer in this, but it's totally lost in the textured part. The shimmer really pops with top coat, and I think that's the best part.

Formula: Good formula. I used 2 coats above.

Price: I have no idea what I paid for this. I forgot! I got this at Ulta though, so I'm assuming it was in the $4-$7 range.

Overall: I love this color. I love the shimmer. I just don't like how the shimmer gets lost in the texture. The polish preforms well, but it's not 100% there for me.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Thursday!

Sally Hansen Pinch of Punch

Pastel and light-med pinks are one of the most problematic colors for me. It gets harder and harder to find a color in this category that doesn't make my hands look bright red and sickly. I do best with cool-toned lighter pinks, however, cool-toned light-med pinks are not easy to come by in nail polish world. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't have trouble finding cool-toned lighter pinks when it comes to blushes or lipsticks, but nail polish is a different story.

While perusing the clearance section at Walgreens I came across a Sally Hansen lighter cool-toned pink for $1!

 Pinch of Punch

Pinch of Punch is a purple-leaning dusty pink creme.

Color: This is what I'm talking about! Why are there not more pink shades like this readily available? I love pinks like this with that hint of purple in them.

Formula: Surprisingly really nice. I haven't found Sally Hansen Xtreme Wears to have the best formula in the past. I typically find them to be thick and apply unevenly, but this one was great. I used 2 coats in the swatch above, and didn't have any application issues.

Price: This is where I might fail you all. This was part of the LE Summer 2013 collection. I did recently find this in the clearance section of my Walgreens for $1, so you might get lucky finding it somewhere.

Overall: Love this pink! This met a need for my in my stash, and I couldn't be happier.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Do any of you know of any readily available (as in it's in a core collection I can find in a store) cool-toned medium to light pinks out there? I'd love to find more!

Happy Friday!