Thumbs up!

I realized how important base coats were when I purchased my very first one a year ago. I know right? I've been painting my nails since I was a teen and I've only used a base coat recently? It's insane how I survived without one because it's such a nail game changer. 

The very first base coat I used was the Caronia Nail Hardener & Base Coat. It was 49php for a 15ml bottle that can be bought almost everywhere here in the PH. I loved using it because it made my mani and pedi last for almost a week with minimal chipping. I used it in almost all my recent NOTWs, proof that it's really well-loved. Unfortunately, I had to let it go back in January because it's now goopy and thick, making any nail polish I had on bubbly. I hate bubbly mani. So I had to find a replacement asap. And I did.

The replacement for my dearly beloved base coat is the essence The Gel Base Coat. It's part of essence's new nail polish line and it "improves the durability of the “gel nail polish” by 60 percent". Apparently, you'll get an extreme gel shine and less chipping without using a UV or LED lamp. Personally, I'm not that crazy about gel polish but if there's something out there than can make gel polish last longer, I'm sure as hell it would make an ordinary polish last longer too. And I'm all about that.

The Gel Base Coat is housed in a white sturdy bottle. The polish is clear and a little bit thicker than the Caronia base coat and when it dries, it has this hazy white color. It dries quite fast so you won't be sitting all day waiting for it to dry. It feels a little tacky when dry and I think that makes the polish really stick to the nail. I used it with an essence gel polish and a non gel one, and both lasted longer than usual. I had minimal chipping, and I guess I had a decent amount of shine with or without top coat. What impresses me most is the longevity of any polish I put on top of it. It stays put on my nails even if I do chores and even if my top coat isn't there anymore. It's freaking incredible.

I got it for around S$5/5.50-ish which is a little pricey for a base coat (yes, I find it pricey because I'm a cheapskate like that) but I think I really got my money's worth. It's a really good product and I recommend it to everyone who's looking for something to make their mani last for a little while. Now I regret not buying the top coat...