My favorite Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes

Reader mjboese requested that I do a "My favorite Sally Hansen CSM colors" post and I was happy to oblige! Given that the entire permanent collection (NOT limited edition colors) is currently on Last Chance clearance at most Walgreens locations right now for about $2 each, I hope this post might give you some ideas if you don't already own many of these polishes.

Before I get into my favorites, I want to reiterate that if you don't see these polishes on clearance at your Walgreens, take some bottles to the register and ask a cashier to scan them. Hopefully they'll come up on clearance in the system. And if they don't, hopefully they will be on clearance for you soon. (Click here and check the comments to see where these have been spotted on clearance across the US). And thanks SO much to everyone who has left comments on that post letting other readers know where you've spotted these on clearance. That's incredibly helpful and much appreciated!

So let's get to my all-time favorite CSM polishes:

Left to right: Gray by Gray, Plum Luck, Commander in Chic, Thinking of Blue

Swatches, after the jump...

You may be asking yourself why only cremes made my top picks. Well, the answer is easy: these are not all of my favorites from the CSM line. They're just my favorites from the permanent collection (I have lots and lots of other favorite non-cremes, but they're all limited edition and thus, not on clearance).

But let me tell you, I think these CSM polishes are some of the best cremes in my (rather large) creme collection. In terms of color, ease of application and performance, these four polishes are pretty darned amazing for me. Tip: try skipping a base coat for longer staying power. This seems to work really well for me!

Also: I noticed that some of you commented this week about the CSM brushes, and how much you don't care for them. When this line first debuted a few years ago, I remember complaining about the brushes too, but I have since grown to love them. I think they make application really easy, as long as you wipe down the brush first. And when I say wipe down, I don't mean wipe down the front and back of the brush, but rather the sides of the brush. I've noticed that if I run each side against the opening of the bottle before I apply my polish, it delivers the perfect amount of polish to the nail. I wish I could remember which one of you told me that trick a while back, because I would really like to thank you. It totally changed my feeling about these brushes.

(Note: any bubbles you see in these photos were caused by my top coat and not the polishes themselves. I did these swatches as quickly as possible today and that's what caused the bubbles.)

 Gray by Gray

Gray by Gray is the most chameleon-like of all the grays I own. In certain lights it looks like a dark cement gray, and in other lights it veers more told dolphin gray, with the blue becoming more apparent. I just adore this gray--it's one of my favorites, and I own a lot of grays. Two coats for perfect opacity (you might even be able to get away with one thick coat).

 Plum Luck

The reason why Plum Luck made my favorites list is because I have a lot of vampy reds and vampy purples, but this is the only true vampy plum that I own. It's not the greatest formula (it's sheer and requires three coats for the opacity you see above), but the color makes it one of my favorite vampy cremes of all time.

 Commander in Chic

One of the first polishes to start the whole greige freight train that blew into drugstores a few years ago, Commander in Chic will always hold a special place in my heart. I made such a big deal about this color when it first appeared at the drugstore--It was so original at the time and I remember feeling so stylish when I wore it. Sure, there are dozens and dozens of dupes out there these days, but this one's still a favorite. You do need three coats for perfect opacity, but I think the color is so classic and, at two bucks, it's worth the extra coat if you don't have any other greiges in your collection.

 Thinking of Blue

I think everyone needs a classic, inky-blue creme in their collection. It's one of those colors that is "serious" yet still a tiny bit "edgy" at the same time. Thinking of Blue has been a go-to for me for a while now because it's just so stunning on the nail, it goes with so much in my wardrobe, and it's almost a one-coater. The formula is so easy to work with, and it's not a stainer. No "smurf hands" after removal!

So there you have it! My favorite permanent-collection CSM polishes. What are yours? Please share with us in the comments!

All of the polishes featured in this post were purchased with personal funds.