Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover and Insta-Dri top coat

I do my nails every so often. And there are always a few products that I use whenever I do a manicure. Just recently I ran out of two of my go to products and I decided to replace them. One of the products below is completely new to me, the other has been a staple in my nail care routine for some time. If you’d like to see my full nail routine, then please let me know in a comment below and whether you’d like to see it as a picture blog or as a video.

Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover & Sally Hansen Insta-dri Top Coat

The new product here is the cuticle remover. I used one by Hérôme before this and it worked just fine. When I went out to buy a new one I had a hard time finding one. There don’t seem to be many brands that do one. So I went around and thought why not try something new. And since the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat has been one of my favorite top coat for close to two years, I decided to give their cuticle remover a try.

The two products come in cardboard containers. They cost €9.99 each and in Holland Sally Hansen is sold at ICI Paris XL. Their range is quite extensive and on top of nail care products, they also sell some of the colors. However, when it comes to Sally Hansen I am mostly into their nail care stuff. They seem to have a product for any nail problem you might have.

Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover

The Instant Cuticle remover caught my eye because I thought I’d try something new. I was looking for something that could get the job done, would be easy to use and not too expensive. Seeing that I used my other cuticle remover for nearly 2 years, I think that 10 euros is not too expensive if this one lasts an equal amount of time. This comes in a different type of packaging. My Hérôme cuticle remover came in nail polish packaging with a brush on applicator. This is a squeezy tube so I was interesting to try out how it would work.

According to the packaging this cuticle remover doesn’t just remove cuticles, but it also works on calluses. Which is why this comes with a warning not to leave this one for too long. I think there is something in this formula that dissolves or eats away at your skin. So you cannot leave it on for longer than a minute.

I find this works better than my old cuticle remover. The way I use this is that I simply squeeze some onto my cuticles and then use a cuticle pusher to push back my cuticles. It’s quick and easy. Quicker and easier than the other one I used to use. And the formula is more effective. I don’t leave this one for too long and can easily push back my cuticles.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat

The second Sally Hansen product is an oldie but goodie in my nail care routine. I have tried several top coats in the past and wrote a review where I compared Seche Vite and INM Out the Door top coats. This one I like better than either one of those. And for several reasons. And none of it has to do with how fast it dries.

Like you’d expect from a fast drying top coat, this top coat ensures your nail polish to be dry in minutes. Within 5 minutes it is dry to the touch and it takes about 15 minutes for it to dry your complete manicure. This is indeed a very shiny top coat, but my nail polish never stays on long enough to test whether the UV-filter protects the nail color.

What is different between this and why I prefer it over the other two, is because it is thin and most importantly is stays thin. Most fast drying top coats go thick and gloopy before you’re halfway through a bottle. This one does not. This is, in fact, the first top coat that I managed to finish. Because the product is so thin, it works a lot better as a top coat. It does not only make your nail polish dry faster it also makes it last longer. The texture of the product makes for a thin layer that protects your manicure without making the layers too thick.

In conclusion, I am extremely satisfied with these two products. One is tested and true and one is a new discovery, but it will also be part of my nail care routine for some time to come.

What are some of your favorite nail care  products?