Mini Review/Nail Routine

I love to do my nails and I actually started doing my own manicures almost a year ago. I used to go to the nail salon to get manicures and acrylic nails but I decided to stop going not only save money but to let my nails breath and recover from the damage the acrylic nails would do. Actually I can't even remember the last time I had acrylic nails on. I believe it is crucial to always apply some sort of base coat before applying the nail color to prevent your nails from yellowing. It can also help your polish to adhere better and last longer especially if you apply a top coat. Now I don't do this as much as I used to but I would also use cuticle creams/removers/oils (depending on what I felt like using) just to make my manicure look a bit more neat and pretty :]

Here is a list of products I have used and which ones I continue to use:

For the cuticles:
Orly's CUTIQUE: a cuticle and stain remover. I actually really like this product and it does remove dead cuticles pretty easily and softens cuticles for an easy removal. You have to be very careful when using this product to avoid getting it in your eyes because the warning label says you could actually go blind. 

ESSIE Apricot Cuticle Oil: I like this product because it softens the cuticles for easy removal but also nourishes your nails. I would apply this to my cuticles whenever I felt that they were dry and would apply it around my nail bed and massage it all over the cuticle area and nails.

Base Coats:
China Glaze First & Last: A good base coat although it doesn't really do anything for me. Its not my favorite but I also don't hate it. I would not recommend this as a top coat if you are looking for something that is fast drying.

Nail Tek Ridge-Filling Base Coat Foundation II: This is my absolute favorite because it does what it claims to do, at least for me. I love it because it fills in those annoying ridges (horizontal or vertical lines on your nails) your nails may have and improves your nails if they were ever damaged. It also strengthens your nails and prevents them from peeling.

 
Orly BONDER: This is a good base coat if your looking for something to help your polish adhere better. Its and "ok" product that I use from time to time but again its not my favorite. After you apply it and it dries, it has almost like a rubber feel to it which I think is suppose to help the polish stick better. Although I have heard people say that it can make your nails yellow but I haven't really noticed.

Beauty Secrets Base Coat: It claims to be a moisturizing base coat and I actually like it but don't use it as often as I used to.

Top Coats:
China Glaze First & Last: Like I said not a good top coat because it does not dry fast enough.

Seche Vite: Ok, when I first heard about this top coat and actually tried it out, I was amazed. I could literally do my nails before I went to bed and I would not wake up with any sheet marks on my nails. It could be applied to wet polished nails and dry within minutes. Its an incredibly fast drying top coat that smells pretty bad but I couldn't live without it, until now. Recently two bottles have broke on me. One I dropped so it was my bad but the other broke after it bumped into another polish and the top broke off. After a few uses it tends to thicken up so polish thinner is needed and sometimes it tends to shrink after applied which is not good. But yeah your experiences could be the exact opposite fro mine.

inm Out The Door: This is currently my favorite fast drying top coat. There is a trick to this top coat though. You kind of have to let your polish dry a bit before applying and wait a good twenty minutes to be safe from any possible accidents. Bit

China Glaze Matte Magic: It basically makes the glossy texture of your polish into a matte texture almost rubber like. Matte nails tend to chip faster than regular polished nail.

That was a really long post! I hope you found this helpful :] You can buy most of these at Sally Beauty Supply or CVS stores.