Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail Polish: Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: The products featured were provided for review.

For Fall 2016, Sally Hansen has a brand new color polish line that's all about nail care. Formulated with oils of argan, acai, and primrose in a micro-delivery system that conditions the nail over time, the Color Therapy Collection includes 33 brand new colors created by Madeline Poole, Sally Hansen's Global Color Ambassador. Designed to be worn on bare nails for optimal contact and conditioning, the Color Therapy Nail Polish ($11.95 CAD) is also paired with the new Color Therapy top coat and cuticle oil (also formulated with argan oil). To see some swatches of the colors, click.......

Rosy Quartz:
This is an extremely sheer baby pink. The polish virtually has no pigmentation so I didn't bother trying to layer it. I used one coat for the swatches below. Despite being sheer, the formulation is very even and quick-drying, providing a soft blush of pink and a natural sheen.

Rosy Quartz, one coat with no top coat.

Sheer Nirvana:
A pale baby pink, Sheer Nirvana is indeed very sheer. Unfortunately, the formulation is also uneven. I used three coats for the swatches below and the finish is still patchy.

Sheer Nirvana, three coats with no top coat.

Blushed Petal:
This is a creamy rose nude; the formulation is smooth albeit sheer. I used three coats for the swatches below.

Blushed Petal, three coats with no top coat.

Red-iance:
One of my favorite shades from this collection, Red-iance is a sizzling red-orange. The formulation is top-notch; it is ultra-pigmented and creamy. I used two coats for the swatches below.

Red-iance, two coats with no top coat.

Berry Smooth:
A summer Barbie-pink, Berry Smooth is very pigmented and bright. Unfortunately, the formulation is slightly thick so it was not very self-leveling. Two coats were opaque enough but I had to go in for a third to smooth out some obvious ridges/unevenness.

Berry Smooth, three coats with no top coat.

Rosy Glow:
A lovely hot pink packed with gorgeous lavender micro-shimmer, Rosy Glow is pigmented and buttery. I used two coats for the swatches below.

Rosy Glow, two coats with no top coat.

Red-y to Glow:
A beautiful deep red, Red-y to Glow is disappointingly sheer. For a red so rich, I was definitely expecting a pigmented formulation. I used two coats for the swatches below but as you can see, the coverage is still quite uneven.

Red-y to Glow, two coats with no top coat.

Cool Cucumber:
A deep cream teal, Cool Cucumber is pigmented and buttery. I used two coats for the swatches below.

Cool Cucumber, two coats with no top coat.

Exotic Acai:
A deep, inky mauve-purple, Exotic Acai is another disappointingly sheer color. The second coat mostly covered things up but for a shade this dark, I was expecting a rich and pigmented one-coat coverage.

Exotic Acai, two coats with no top coat.

Slicks and Stone:
One of the most unique shades from the bunch, Slicks and Stone is a deep black-purple cream packed with iridescent micro-flakies. The formulation is very pigmented; I used two coats for the swatches below.

Slicks and Stone, two coats with no top coat.

Therapewter:
Another unique polish, Therapewter is a soft moss green shimmer. The coverage is pretty sheer but because the formulation is fast-drying, the application is not troublesome.

Therapewter, three coats with no top coat.

Soothing Sapphire:
A rich deep blue with soft subtle shimmers, Soothing Sapphire is another shade that's sheerer than one would expect. I used two coats for the swatches below but I had to apply a thicker second coat to ensure an opaque coverage.

Soothing Sapphire, two coats with no top coat.

Powder Room:
This is a pearly soft pink frost. The pigmentation is decent in two coats; it's slightly streaky but overall the formulation is not bad.

Powder Room, two coats with no top coat.

Glow with the Flow:
A soft sandy gold metallic, Glow with the Flow is nice and pigmented. The coverage is also a tad streaky but it's not very noticeable.

Glow with the Flow, two coats with no top coat.

In summary, I love the concept of infusing nourishing oils into nail polishes. I personally don't wear nail polishes for a long enough period to experience yellowing and brittleness but I'd assume the oils in these Color Therapy polishes may help alleviate those problems. In terms of formulation, quite a few shades are a lot sheerer than I would have liked but there are definitely a few standouts. My recommendations are Red-iance, Slicks and Stone, and Rosy Glow.

Availability:
Sally Hansen is available nationwide at various drugstores.