I'm a practical person when it comes to manicures -- if it chips in two days, I can't be bothered. So I have been looking into all kind of base products and top coats, and wasn't that impressed. Most didn't seem to do make my manicure last longer. I also didn't want to use anything with formaldehyde -- while it strengthens the nails at first, with time it damages the nail and can make it separate from the nail bed.
After a lot of research I stumbled on the Orly Bonder Rubberized Formula -- a sticky base that is free from formaldehyde.
It's yellowish and a bit thick. When dry it's still tacky and rubbery, this makes it grip on to the nail polish so well. The Orly Bonder makes my manicures last around at least twice as long as along. And I'm not very gentle with my nails -- I do a lot of things with my hands, including cooking and washing the dishes by hand (and I'm unfortunately lazy about wearing gloves, mainly because I seem to be in between sizes).
After a lot of research I stumbled on the Orly Bonder Rubberized Formula -- a sticky base that is free from formaldehyde.
It's yellowish and a bit thick. When dry it's still tacky and rubbery, this makes it grip on to the nail polish so well. The Orly Bonder makes my manicures last around at least twice as long as along. And I'm not very gentle with my nails -- I do a lot of things with my hands, including cooking and washing the dishes by hand (and I'm unfortunately lazy about wearing gloves, mainly because I seem to be in between sizes).
The Orly Bonder has another huge advantage. My nails are not very strong, and wearing nail polish for more than a week means my nail layers separate and peel off. This means I could paint my nails once every 4-8 weeks, that's how long it takes for the damage to grow out. Since I am using Orly Bonder Rubberised formula, my nails have been completely healthy. The base coat creates a barrier between my nail and the polish.
Minuses? The Orly Bonder does not completely keep my nails from getting stained by my red and orange nail polish. The Bonder itself leaves a light yellowish tint on the nails, which looks flattering on some nails and less so on others. The formula is a bit rubbery, which means it can be less than smooth to apply. Also the brush isn't the best.
The right way to apply it is to apply on dry and oil-free nails. Make sure that the outer edges of the nails are well covered, you can sweep a bit under the nail just to make sure. Although the product is not that cheap, a little goes a very long way. The photo of the bottle in the post is a bit old, the new one is a bit sleeker.
Have you use the Orly Bonder? Or do you have other holy grail nail bases?
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Photo credit: VenusianGlow