I've Been Told The Secret to Nail Polish that Stays on for Weeks!

I'm currently on nail polish purchasing rampage.  Ever since I discovered these amazing pinky nudes, I've been on a mission to collect every shade on my list.  My intention, this year, is to maintain the appearance of my nails as much as possible.

But, I gotta be honest, it's sometimes a hassle.  I paint my nails and, within days, I start seeing signs of chipping.  Since I'm not one of those girls who immediately addresses the issue, I end up walking around with raggedy nails.  That defeats the entire purpose.  I'm not opposed to redoing my nails, but just not every few days.

Determined to find a solution, I did a research by reaching out of a nail guru I follow on Instagram.  She revealed her secret to manicures that last several weeks.
Our conversation began when I asked her if she had any recommendations for a top coat that actually works.

Much to my surprise, her response was that the top coat wasn't going to save the day.  Instead, I needed to switch up my entire nail color application process.  Basically, I had been doing it all wrong.  Instead of applying polish and top coat.  Here's what I should have done:

The key to long-lasting nail color lies in prepping the nail adequately to receive the product.  My biggest mistake was in not removing any of the naturally occurring oil from the nail surface.  For this, we can wipe our nails with alcohol or use a nail dehydrator specifically designed to remove oils and moisture from the nail surface.

From there, we should apply a bonder.  A bonder is specially formulated to allow the nail color to stick to the nail bed. Bonders serve the primary purpose of ensuring a longer-lasting manicure.  They work by raising the pH of the natural nail.  This helps our polish to have better sticking power.   Bonders are similar to a basecoat so you don't really need to apply another layer of basecoat on top.

Why have I never heard of this product before?

Basically, the combination of removing any traces of oil and using a quality bonder will extend your polish much longer than what you're used to.  The beauty blogger I messaged boasted about enjoying beautifully polished nails for 3 weeks!!!!

I was shook.

Her favorite bonder is from Orly and people love this stuff.

5.0 out of 5 starsLove it, Love it, Love it!

May 14, 2016

Size: Bonder|Color: Orly Nail Bonder Nail Treatment-0.6 oz|Verified Purchase

I can't say enough good things about this nail bonder. I've always had bad luck with polished shipping off within a couple days after applying. With the application of this Orly Nail Bonder alone (no top coat) my nail polish stays put for a good two weeks or so - and I use my hands A LOT! Just make sure you apply it to clean hands. If you have recently put on hand lotion, The oils will not let it adhere properly and it will start to peel. So wash your hands, apply the bonder, let it dry thoroughly (and it dries quickly), then apply your polish and top coat if you wish. Viola ~ You'll love it!

Love Amazon!

5.0 out of 5 starsRubberized bonding agent makes this the most effective base coat!

August 10, 2017

Size: Bonder|Color: Orly Nail Bonder Nail Treatment-0.6 oz|Verified Purchase

The rubberized bonding agent used in this base coat makes it the most effective base coat I have ever used in my life and I have been doing my own manicures for 20 years. My Sally Hansen nail polish stayed on without a chip for 13 days! And no top coat was needed. I could have left the nail polish on longer as it was still looking good at 13 days, but I needed to change the color. Anyone I let borrow this, immediately buys it for them self. Again this is the best base coat I've ever seen and I think it's due to the rubberized bonding agent which is not in most other base coat.

Some other tips I picked up while researching was to try applying the nail color while the bonder is still a little tacky (not fully dry).  This could help the color and bonder to better adhere to each other.   Others use Orly's bonder as a base and top coat.   But, apparently, it works just as well on its own.

The moral of the story is that I've been living a lie. I had no idea this product existed and I've fooled myself into thinking that just using polish and topcoat would somehow make my polish magically stay on.

Now I know the truth and the truth cannot be stopped!!!

Seriously tho, I'm super excited to grab a bottle of Orly's bonder ASAP so I can enjoy life again.