Top/Base Coats, Strengthener, Thinner

[Joelle]

Hi gals, I wanted to find out this : Your favorite brand of topcoat, nail polish and basecoat

I've only used drugstore brands like Maybelline, Loreal and Esprit. To pay more than $15 for a bottle of mail polish seems like abit too much for me especially because I paint my toenails once every 2 weeks, and my tips occasionally (cos I hate to see them chip after me putting in about an hour). I'm starting to wonder if the chipping is due to my lack of skill or the poor quality of the polish and coats :sotong:

I did a search and found the "what's on your nail?" topic. That's the closest topic I found and many of you seems to be fans of OPI? what I really want to find out is... colors aside, in terms of quality, rave about your favorite brand of nail polish, topcoat and basecoat. And it's really help if you can list the price per bottle. Thanks a million!

[qiu]

I use sally henson's top coat/base coat. I used to apply nail polish quite often and i found that my nails turn yellow after awhile but after using the Sally henson's top/base coat, my nails are all right even if i leave the nail polish on for 3 wks!

You can try buying nail polish at sasa! or wait for esprit to have sales since they seem to be having sales all the time!

[Joelle]

Hi qiu,

thanks for replying... I bought my bottle of Esprit Nail polish during the sale at less than $10. I like the quality and just went back to take a look at the colours... but the price is back to $16 I think? so I did not buy... and particular brands to recommend from SASA?

[Peace]

My favourite this far is sally heansel's Mega Shine...works especially well if the nail polish is matte.

[Vonn]

Based on my own experience, I just have to invest in a good top coat and I can use practically any brand of nail polish and yet it will not chip easily. This is much easier on the pockets than having to pay a lot for every bottle of nail polish.

For base, I use Maybelline's Diamond Pastel cos it is supposed to strengthen nails. The colours are pretty nude also, so it is ok. I use Baby Pink. For top coat, I like Maybelline's DuraWear in Gloss. It dries pretty fast, gives nice shine also, and does not chip

With the above, I can just use any cheap nail polish from SaSa, John Little, NC Essential and the colour can stay until my nail grows out

[califit]

i like to spend more on top coat because they really jazz up the effects of your nail colour.

some brands i have tried:
ayura
sally hanson
shu
chanel
ipsa
opi
voxy

my personal favourites are opi and voxy. chanel works well too and reduces chipping. but shine wise, its still opi and voxy

[lovedust]

I like Chanel top coat but the brush is not as good as OPI.

[Blossom]

i usually use loreal.

[qiu]

Originally posted by Joelle
and particular brands to recommend from SASA?

Hmm.. i usually get the colours which i like! Don't really bother about brands..

[lauren]

OPI Nail Envy for base - since i've fd that it works to strengthen my nails

For top coat, Seche is great. Occasionally i use Chanel's too.

[duckiee]

i used to use OPI's nail envy as top and base coat. but no longer as i didn't repurchase it

[lauren]

Originally posted by duckiee
i used to use OPI's nail envy as top and base coat. but no longer as i didn't repurchase it

why didn't u?
btw how much is nail envy in s'pore?

[duckiee]

Originally posted by lauren
why didn't u?
btw how much is nail envy in s'pore?

too expensive
but it really helps.. find that my nails are really weak and brittle without it

might have been ripped off cause i got it for $30+ (but the manicurist was nice.. )

[spiceychild]

I 2nd the Nail Envy as a base, I have the Original and Matte, got them cheaper in Australia, BOGOF!! at $25. It was in January that I got them.

As for nail polishes, I like OPI for its brush and colours, and Chanel for its exquisite finish that can't be copied. Now I'm really looking to try mood-changing nail polish.

Topcoat, I 2nd the Sally Hansen Mega Shine. It's cheap but really makes a difference to the nail polish. I used it in my OPI black tie optional picture. It's a good alternative since I can't bear to buy Chanel's

[Raine]

me using cuccio forte horsetail nail strengthener as base and top coat