Sally Hansen • Hard as Wraps - Acrylic Gel • Top/Base Coats

Where To Buy?

*TOP REVIEWER* wendycoco on 4/21/2013 11:19:00 PM more reviews by wendycoco

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

I purchased this is the blue bottle.
Worst stuff I have ever used, after 8 hours with this on my nails I'm still tacky and my polish looks like crap. I got this at shoppers drugmart on sale for $6.99. What a waste of money and time cause now I have to redo my nails. Also my nails in no way feel hard as wraps. Every time I try something new from Sally Hansen I'm utterly disappointed. Especially when it comes to the top coats or strengtheners.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

brooklynbee on 3/11/2013 2:08:00 PM more reviews by brooklynbee

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

This really helped with my peeling/chipping nails - it's a little gummy but it's clear so it's not too hard to apply and not mess it up too badly. It did dry fairly quickly. I wore it for a couple of days on it own, and then I layered a colored polish over it. I had a much easier time than usual with the colored polish, so I must say this works just as well as a base coat as it does on its own. All in all my nails look a LOT better with this then without it!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

KateSchuette on 11/21/2012 10:20:00 PM more reviews by KateSchuette

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

Still as a lotus
I hope for dry nails someday
Life passes me by
--
I didn't shake it
Bubble little bubble bubs
I give it a 2

6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* cleogirl on 8/28/2012 11:36:00 AM more reviews by cleogirl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

This product single handidly took my nails from strong and beautiful to a peeling weak mess. I purchased this product around Christmas time when I ran out of SH hard as nails thinking I would get the same results. I mainly used it a few days after my manicure to seal it in and prevent chipping and wear. Slowly over the course of the next 4-5 months, it literally destroyed my nails by causing them to peel and making them very brittle. Stupid me for not realizing that this was the culprit earlier but I would never ever recommend this product.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

jedda on 8/3/2012 7:10:00 AM more reviews by jedda

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I have the light blue bottle. The gel is thick, and clear. It is not self-leveling, and it can be hard to spread evenly. I have added a few drops of Seche Restore polish thinner, and that has made it easier to work with. I use one thick coat on clean dry nails as a base coat, and let it dry completely before putting polish on my nails. It usually takes about 30 minutes or so before it turns opaque, and then I know that it is hard enough to continue. I always finish everything off with a thick coat of SV or Poshe, and the whole thing is completely hard and dent-free within an hour.


With this 'gel', my manicures last about 3 or 4 days before chipping. I do feel that my nails are protected by the thickness of the gel layer. It isn't good as a top coat, because the drying time is incredibly long when it is applied over polish. It also isn't very shiny.


It does prevent staining when used under red polishes. I probably would not use it on its own. I might or might not repurchase. It is very inexpensive (I paid under $4 at Target), but it isn't a miracle item.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

alyssaspiering on 8/3/2012 6:38:00 AM more reviews by alyssaspiering

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Avoid, avoid, avoid! The reviews on MUA are really mixed, but I'm recovering from acrylics and desperate. I picked this up this afternoon and I'm returning it and/or complaining to Sally Hansen. This product did absolutely nothing for my weak, acrylic-trashed nails. The consistency was too runny (which is weird, as others said it was thick) but application wasn't super difficult. I applied a thin layer of the product to clean, dry nails at around 5 pm this evening. It's now nearly 4 am and I can honestly say that my nails are still tacky/gummy, and just as weak feeling as before. I was doubtful of the supposed long-term strengthening effects but was hoping to gain a little temporary, day-to-day hardness, even if it wasn't comparable to actual wraps. I actually signed up for MUA to post this because I am so, so disappointed.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

beabeautyqueen on 6/11/2012 12:12:00 PM more reviews by beabeautyqueen

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I should actually be doing uni exam revision right now, but I'm hopelessly caught on MUA (once again). I am extremely disappointed with this product and I don't say that very often. I bought this after I took my acrylic nails off because I had heard wonderful reviews about it having strengthening properties. No. First off, it has a ridiculous drying time. Applying just one coat it doesn't take it very long, but applying a second coat or applying this over nail polish? After hours, I could still easily dent my nails because the product NEVER dried properly. I tried to find another use for this and applied it as a base coat. This caused my nailpolish to literally peel off. I have tried nearly everything. The only way is to wear this product alone. It did not create a smooth, fake like finish that I wanted and the shine didn't seem to last (probably because it never dries properly and it dents). It did strengthen my nails a bit, but to go as far as renaming this 'Acrylic Gel' is an absolute joke to me. This is nowhere near the strength of acrylic. I love you Sally, but not this time. Don't buy it, people. Go for Hard As Nails like others have recommented. Hope this review helps, beautyqueens! x

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

temadeamor on 5/17/2012 11:20:00 AM more reviews by temadeamor

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I am so glad I bought this gel (blue bottle). I have pretty thick, healthy nails, so I didn't get it for the strength properties. And i love the look of gel wraps, just not the price. I bought this product because manicures don't last on my nails. I work in a lab and am constantly using my finger nails, so I get chips within two days of doing my nails. I thought this would prevent chipping and it has. I put two coats and then used an essie nail polish five days ago and have only had one small chip. I will definitely buy this again. love how it has made my manicure last even through my lab work.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* felgoj on 3/8/2012 12:56:00 PM more reviews by felgoj

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I bought the Powerful Acrylic Gel in the BLUE BOTTLE.
I love all things gel for nails (except not salon gel manicures), so whenever I find a drugstore nail product that has "gel" in the description, I'm eager to try it!


There are some so-called gel products (like Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat from Sephora, which I use) that don't have any gel consistency, they're basically regular liquid polish. I thought in the bottle Hard As Wraps also looked rather liquid when I turned it upside down. But after reading reviews claiming it's actually thick, I bought it to try... I love the thickness of this gel! It's thick but applies easily & smoothly & it leaves a glossy rich coat as it dries - it adds body & muscle to my thin nails, which I love. I use this as basecoat or topcoat - sometimes 2 coats, but generally only 1 coat is plenty. I do have to spread it carefully as it doesn't exactly level out perfectly on its own & could dry a little lumpy unless I correct the application. It's painfully slow-drying, so to speed up dry time I use my fave quickdry topcoat @ the end. I love the gel manicure look that this product gives.


After my nails are completely dry I notice that they are hard & solid - absolutely protected from breakage, another plus. Surprisingly good product! Will buy again. And when it gets stringy, I'll add some polish thinner to restore the original consistency.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Julia941 on 3/6/2012 11:14:00 AM more reviews by Julia941

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I really like this product. I started using it when I was having some health related nail issues (with my doctor's permission) and it really helped protect them while the damaged part grew off. I also like to use it as a base coat. I like the slightly opaque pink tint, especially when I'm using a pale colour with a cream finish because it gives it a little head start. Other colours apply beautifully over it as well and my mani/pedis seem to last forever, or until I get tired of them. My nails feel hard and protected and I've never had any colour bleed through, even the darkest vamps and blacks. When I take my polish off my nails look pink and healthy. I've seen this compared to Instant Artificials and I've only tried that once so I can't really compare them for myself. The sheer pink tint is also lovely on its own.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ImaMissFit on 3/3/2012 10:51:00 PM more reviews by ImaMissFit

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I love this stuff!! Makes my nails feel hard and strong. I use it as a top coat too, it has a very high shine. Also helps my polish last longer. It's thick, but drys fast! I will be buying this again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

AshleyCarole on 1/25/2012 6:23:00 PM more reviews by AshleyCarole

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown, Kinky, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I LOVE THIS STUFF! I have very brittle nails that split and peel whenever they are exposed to water or get caught on something. I thought I would never have thick nails until I started using this. Its been about a month since I've started using Hard As Wraps and it's done wonders for my nails. Splitting and breaking is DEFINITELY minimized. They are getting stronger by the days and hopefully I will reach my goal of thick, healthy nails. ( I am also taking 5000mcg of biotin/day and that seems to be helping as well) will most def get this product again!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* LaceyH on 1/24/2012 12:22:00 AM more reviews by LaceyH

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

i bought the one in the blue bottle (it's clear-- the one in the other pic up there has a pink tint, i believe). was about $6 at walmart.

i've never used any other gel nail polish, so i didnt know what to expect.

i recently learned from the nail board that shaking np bottles is what causes bubbles in the polish, so i gently rolled this. i had no problems at all with bubbles. the polish is a bit thick, so theres not as much play when applying it. i usually like to kid of dab polish in the middle and then swipe a few times to even it out over the whole nail, but with this i have to put it right where i want it at first. when i pick the brush up to go to the next nail there are stingy things that kid of go all over the place. nothing TOO terrible, but irritating just the same. the bottle says that this dries in 60 seconds, but in my case it did not. it took a few minutes to be non-tacky. i was skeptical about using this as a base coat since the other base coats i've used were thinner and tried matte, and this is just the opposite. but i was pleasantly surprised! the polish went on very smooth and after 1 coat looked like it was 2 coats! i made sure to wrap the tips of my nails to help with longevity, both with this base coat and the color. and then i used this as a top coat as well, although it doesnt say that you can. i made the mistake of not letting it dry 100% before going to bed, so there are a few sheet marks here and there, but its not terribly obvious. i found that after applying it it looked uneven at first but then leveled out nicely. as a top coat it gives a nice amount of shine.i've only been wearing it 2 days, but it seems to prevent chipping well so far. i've taken 2 shower in hot water and washed dishes numerous times and have no chipping. i think for people that have trouble with chipping, they should try wrapping the polish over the tips of their nails, and before they apply an polish at all swiping the nails with remover to get rid of any oils on the nails. i'll update this after a bit to report how it holds up. so far, i would rebuy.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

danger on 1/7/2012 3:46:00 PM more reviews by danger

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I bought this product despite the mixed reviews, but I've been very happy with it. The version I bought was the Hard as Wraps Powerful Acrylic Gel ( in blue tinted bottle) for about $6.00 at Walmart. My nails have ALWAYS looked terrible- I'm an artist, I work with kids, and do the majority of cooking/cleaning in my home so I'm constantly washing my hands (causing lots of peeling, flaking, even a nail pulling away from the skin) and this product makes my nails look like they were done professionally. I haven't had any flaking or peeling, and after using this I feel like my nails have gotten a nice little rest from the abuse I put them through;)

I use it as a basecoat (fills my ridges beautifully!) and it makes my nails look smooth and healthy. I was careful NOT to shake or roll the bottle to avoid bubbles (thanks, fellow MUA reviewers! I think this advice is the key to good application later.) I have used this product about 12 times now, and honestly I can't quite understand the negative reviews...I love it, and will repurchase. I finally feel like my nails look presentable.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* user24678 on 11/1/2011 9:36:00 PM more reviews by user24678

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I bought this in the clear version (looks blue in the bottle). I used it the past couple weeks on my bare nails because I was giving them a break from dark polishes, wanting to prevent staining. I was really just hoping the Hard As Wraps would add a bit of sheen and wear well and protect my nails (I never like having them totally bare and exposed because they take a bit of a beating at work). With my regular Hard As Nails treatment, I usually apply one coat the first week, then add a second coat over it a week later, once I have some regrowth. Then a week later, I remove it, file my nails, clean up my cuticles and start all over again. Well, the first coat of this chipped and wore away on all the tips within about 24 hours. The second coat peeled right off, removing the first coat along with it. And the bit that was left was damn near impossible to remove with regular nail polish remover! My nails were sooo dry by the time I was done, they were probably weaker than they were before I used the product! I just flat out do not like or recommend this product. Buy the regular Hard As Nails instead!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

kahassen2 on 10/14/2011 11:31:00 AM more reviews by kahassen2

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I love this stuff. Makes my nails hard as rock (normally they can bend with ease). The bubbles that others are talking about are from VIOLENTLY SHAKING THE BOTTLE. The container SPECIFICALLY says do not shake roughly. The coat is thick and gluey but I find that is what gives it the smooth, fake look.

I use it as a base coat and I absolutely would repurchase this!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

CoCoDebonair on 9/16/2011 12:37:00 PM more reviews by CoCoDebonair

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium Brown, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I see a lot of mixed review on this product. I honestly think it was meant for really beat up nails...like mine. I recently took off acrylic nails, wanting to get them back strong and healthy. They are very very weak and sensitive. Washing my hands with warm water is hell. Anyways, I decided to try this since it said it would protect my nails. I did two coats on each had and I noticed the improvement. My nails are still weak of course but they can certainly take more of a beating than they did before. I do recommend this for someone that has wreak & brittle nails. If you have strong nails and use this, it'll protect them but you won't really notice because you can't FEEL the improvement. I love this product. It also gives my nails a nice shine and make my nails look decent while I'm trying to grown them out. Hope this helps.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

gboneske on 8/10/2011 6:46:00 PM more reviews by gboneske

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I have repurchased this bottle of miracle stuff for as long as I can remember. One bottle will last me at least 6 months - as long as you THIN it properly when it starts to goop up on you. I use Seche restore, but if you are wary of the chemicals use the beauty secrets thinner at Sallys. Add a couple of drops at a time and then SHAKE. Test the consistency and keep going until it is the way you like it. If you add too much thinner, leave the cap off a few hours and you will be fine.

I use this as a base coat only - it prevents streaking AND breakage at the same time.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

sophiera on 8/10/2011 6:29:00 PM more reviews by sophiera

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I saw all the reviews here but I still saw good reviews, I open just for bat but I lose totally. It's a awful product and has all the problem as many reviews said: Super slow dry time and bubbles visible! I don't know why Sally hansen can sell a product like this? It wastes my money for 7.99, and I really regret to buy it! Turn to Hard as nail just for 4.49 instead if you want buy this!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* sweet_like_honey on 7/30/2011 1:21:00 AM more reviews by sweet_like_honey

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

This is an absolute must-have for me because I'm the worst at doing my own nails- my nail color always ends up looking uneven or settling around the ridges of my nails (when I'm too lazy to buff). This product solves all of my problems in one easy step. It's a very thick clear gel coating that evens out the surface of my polish and gives my nails that "fake" look (but in a good way), especially when I do French manis/pedis. It makes my nails look super smooth and shiny and professionally done. I've gone through several bottles already and I don't know what I'd do without it (my nails would be hideous!) I know it takes longer to dry but once it does my nails look gorgeous- definitely worth the wait in my opinion. Just make sure you run the brush along the tips of your nails, not just on top of the nails, to seal it well and prevent chipping.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No