This post was prompted by a couple of ladies on NC.com asking about base coats, top coats, nail treatments, etc. So rather than cluttering up the thread with a long response, I thought I'd write a blog post instead. I've tried a lot of products, but these are the ones I use regularly and go back to again and again.
Basecoats
- Qtica Nail Growth Stimulator (HG status): My nails are brittle and have a tendency to peel and break. Treatment base coats have become a necessity, and I tried many before stumbling across this one. I don't use it to promote growth, because my nails grow fast anyway. For me it's more about strengthening. It's expensive ($20 for a half ounce bottle), but for me it's worth every penny. When I use it regularly, I have no peeling or breakage.
- Orly Bonder: My polish chips quickly, which drives me batty. I'm lucky if I can go three days without chipping, in spite of being careful, wearing gloves when I do dishes, etc. You can't wear gloves in the shower, and that's what usually does them in. Top coats don't seem to make a difference. Bonder does. I've tried other sticky base coats, and this is the only one that works. My nails don't stay perfect, but it does minimize the chipping.
- Seche Vite: I'm a hurry-up, don't-have-time-to-sit-around-waiting-for-my-nails-to-dry kind of girl, so quick-drying top coats are mandatory. Seche is thick, which bothers some people. I'm not one of them. It's also self-leveling, which is great. It dries fast and gives a really glossy finish.
- Poshe Super-Fast Drying Top Coat: This is thinner than Seche Vite and has a smaller brush. My nails are wide, so it's more work to apply. Like Seche, it gives a nice, glossy finish, but since it isn't as thick two or more coats are required over glitter polish.
- Qtica Half Time Polish Drying Accelerator (HG): I won't do a manicure without it. After applying my topcoat (Seche or Poshe), I put a drop of this on each nail. It coats the nail and feels like a light oil. It's another layer of (temporary) protection against dings, and it makes quick-dry top coats dry even faster.
Cuticle Care
- Poshe AHA Cuticle Care (HG status): My cuticles have always been a problem area. They are always dry, regardless of how much hand lotion I use, and I have excessive cuticle growth. I am the hangnail queen, which is both annoying and unattractive. Not to mention painful. I use the Poshe AHA cream every night, and the problem has disappeared. This stuff has changed my life. No kidding. Someone actually admired my cuticles a couple of months ago.
- Qtica Intense Cuticle Repair Balm (another HG): This is the strangest cuticle cream I've ever used. It's thick and sort of sticky, and smells kind of odd. Not bad, just odd. It's pricey ($16 for a .5 oz jar), but it lasts me forever. It's the only thing that makes any difference in the moisture level of my cuticles. Bonus: it sticks like nobody's business. One application lasts me through several hand washings. Love this stuff.
- CND Solaroil: Cheap, easy to apply, and available in tiny little bottles I can stash all over my home, in my bag, in the car. It's mostly sweet almond oil, so it isn't greasy. It soaks in pretty quickly, and I use it whenever I can remember. It doesn't do a lot for me on its own - it's more of a maintenance product, and great when I don't need (or have time to apply) the Qtica balm.
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