I’ve been thinking about buying this base coat for a quite a long time, for no reason. The Sally Hansen brand disappoints me often than it delights. But one day I decided that I should stop thinking about the treatment and just buy it.
I like the bottle, by the way, even though it’s green, the color which I dislike so much. But I love the design, its shape, and frosted glass. I just like it, and that’s all.
The sticker got scratched after a couple of months, and there are scratches on the cap as well, but what can you do?
The base coat is watery and transparent. The brush is thin and very convenient to spread the treatment over your nails with. You don't feel it on your nails, which is good especially if you apply many layers of nail products.
At the same time, it forms a protective layer against nail polishes that stain deep into nails.
I must also mention the smell. It’s really sharp, so one must just endure it for a few minutes, but it vanishes as soon you put the cap back on the bottle.
The top coat dries instantly, so you don’t have to wait before you start applying your nail polish. It works good with every nail polish I use and doesn’t affect their lasting power - at least, not negatively. About the positive effect...I’ll tell you a bit later.
I’ve been using it for 2,5 months on a regular basis and spent one quarter of the bottle. So, even if you use it every other day, the bottle might last at least 8 months.
Now to the matter of nail hardening. When I bought it, the question of split nails was relevant to me. I don’t wear gloves, so my poor nails suffer so much in winter time. The manicure on brittle nails doesn’t last long as well.
Anyway, I don’t know what the manufacturer meant as they claimed that this treatment was supposed to make my nails stronger and more resilient. It doesn’t help the nail polish last longer on split nails. If the coverage is weak and is going to crack soon, it will crack. If the coverage is strong, it doesn’t need a base coat to last.
But still, after a month of using this base coat I started noticing that my nails really split and peel less than earlier, and my nails seem to have hardened. I was even going to write that my nails stopped breaking at all, but then I broke half of them (but that’s probably because I’m clumsy). Anyway, everything that’d been broken grew again, but then a few nails on my right hand split.
I don’t know if it was the base coat that hardened my nails, or I just took care of them more than I usually do. So, I can recommend the product as a base coat, but about it being a good nail hardener...I think natural oils are cheaper and a more effective alternative to it.
Price: $8
