Beauty Product Review: Sally Hansen Color Quick

If you are anything like me, you like a nice manicured look to your nails, but you don't have the time or the money to be in the salon every couple of days. You also might have no problem painting your left hand's nails with your right hand because you're a right-y, but struggle a bit more when trying to paint the nails on your right hand with your not-so-steady left hand. It's kind of embarrassing how messy my nails have looked when I've tried to give myself a home manicure. Not only that, it also seems to take forever to do the job. I'm just not that quick, especially when I'm constantly "touching up" the mistakes I've made along the way. I'm also ALWAYS stressed out about knocking over the bottle of polish onto whatever vulnerable surface is nearby. Bottom line: home manicures are stressful.

The other day, while perusing the beauty products at CVS, I stumbled upon Sally Hansen's Color Quick:

Unlike a traditional bottle of polish, this type of nail color is more like a pen/paintbrush combo. It's also VERY fast-drying. Normally around $9, CVS was offering these at 75% off, so I figured it couldn't hurt to try it out, especially at that price. I opted for the color Turquoise Chrome and tried it once I got home. In less than a minute, one hand was done: 

(Please ignore my messy cuticles.)

A minute later and the other was finished, too. And meanwhile, the first hand had completely dried in the time it took to paint the second hand. The color is vibrant, although in retrospect, I probably should have opted for a more neutral color. Shiny blue nails aren't exactly part of my every day look. I was pretty convinced that this product was awesome at this point. The next day at work, though, the color didn't hold up nearly as well as regular nail polish. It chipped away more easily, especially at the tips. If you spend a lot of time at a keyboard, this nail polish might drive you crazy. 

Although it chips away more easily, the good news is that it's also incredibly easy to touch-up. Since it dries so fast, you could very easily step into the restroom, touch up your chipped nail and be back to your desk without anyone wondering, "What on earth is she doing in there?" Honestly, it's so fast and easy to use, you could probably do it at your desk and barely interrupt your work flow. 

There don't seem to be a whole lot of color options out there, but maybe that will change with time. I am thinking of trying to find one of these in white because I think it would make the at-home French manicure a LOT easier to execute. And with the top coats required for a French, the chipping might not be as bad. 

In summary, I think this product has some pretty clear pros and cons, but if I'd had to pay full price, I'd probably say it wasn't worth it. Where I only spent about $2.60, it was definitely worthwhile, even if I only use it once or twice more. 

What's your favorite nail polish? Do you go out to the salon to get your nails done or are you an at-home self manicurist? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts!