Talon show

Get the convenience and high shine of a gel mani but without the potential for nail damage, by using Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel.

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Get the convenience and high shine of a gel mani but without the potential for nail damage, by using Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel.

Buffalo Nickel, Fish-teal Braid and Miracle Gel Top Coat, $16.90 each.
Buffalo Nickel, Fish-teal Braid and Miracle Gel Top Coat, $16.90 each.

If there’s a time to splash out on a great manicure, it’s Christmas – and you’d think a gel-based mani would be the perfect option because it gives long-lasting colour and shine. But gel manicures are possible only if you have the luxury of time and money, and don’t mind the hassle of requiring a professional to remove the colour. Also, incorrect steps in application like filing down the nail surface, or aggressive removal, can lead to cracked, dull and weakened nails.

Sally Hansen has thus developed its Miracle Gel collection to give you the best of both worlds: the volume, shine and longevity of a gel manicure with the convenience of regular polish. It’s the closest thing you can get at home to a salon gel mani. It takes just two simple steps: Apply two coats of Miracle Gel colour, allowing a minute in between to dry; then brush on one coat of Miracle Gel Top Coat, and you’re done!

The Top Coat offers two times the volume and shine of a regular polish for a dramatically full, high-gloss, mirror-like finish. There’s no need for cumbersome UV or LED devices – the polish cures in natural light. Its colour and finish last up to 14 days without chipping, and can be taken off with any nail-polish remover. Achieving flawless nails while keeping them healthy has never been easier.

The new and improved Miracle Gel Top Coat also comes with three new shades, Terra-Coppa (limited edition), Buffalo Nickel and Fishteal Braid, as well as limited-edition duo packs in Teal Twin and Get It Bright. They are available at selected Watsons, Guardian, BHG and John Little stores for $16.90 each. The full Holiday collection is available from December 2015.

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Limited-edition Holiday Shades

This festive season, grab one of Sally Hansen’s six limited-edition Holiday collection duo packs ($16.90 each). Every pack has a Top Coat and a sparkling party shade.

Nail care, nailed

1. If your mitts look flaky or dry, it won’t matter how marvellous your mani is. Use a rich hand cream whenever you wash your hands and before you go to bed. If you like cream masks, you can even slather a little on your hands while you’re giving your face a treat.

2. Cutting your cuticles leaves the skin around your nails open to infection. Instead, exfoliate with a body scrub and leave trimming to the professionals.

3. Eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds. These foods can help strengthen your talons and make them less brittle.