First Impressions - FingerPaints Gel-Like Base and Top Coats + Hard As Steel Strengthener

*Press Sample*

Today is going to be a rare day in that I will not have any nail photos in my post!  I want to talk to you guys about some products that FingerPaints graciously sent for my review.  Last week I told you about their new Grab It! Base Coat and Smooth Over Ridge Filler, which I really liked.  This week, I have a product that I was pretty neutral about and two that just didn't work for me.  Click through to read more.

The FingerPaints Hard As Steel Strengthener goes on smooth and dries quickly, partially absorbing into the nail, like most strengthening treatments.  I've found it to be about on par with other treatments I've tried, meaning that I haven't noticed much of a difference.  I don't know what it is about my nails, but they're soft, thin, and sort of flaky.  Why I couldn't have inherited my mother's beautiful nails, I'll never know.  That's genetics for you, I guess...  Nothing I've tried has really made a difference in the quality of my natural nails.  There, I said it.  I do use a treatment under every mani that I intend to actually wear (the pink Sally Hansen Complete Care, if anybody was wondering).  I've tried a few different Sally Hansens and OPI Nail Envy (lauded by some as the be-all-end-all of nail treatments), and nothing really seems to make my nails thicker or tougher.  So I'll go ahead and say that I didn't have strong feelings about this treatment, but bear in mind that I don't generally have strong feelings about any treatments and take it with a grain of salt.

Now, unfortunately, I've saved the worst for last.  I had high hopes for this pair, I really did.  Generally speaking, I like FingerPaints products.  But for whatever reason, these just didn't work for me.  I know there are other bloggers out there who liked them, so keep looking for other reviews and keep in mind that your results may definitely vary.  Maybe I got a bad batch, maybe it's because I'm not used to "gel-like" formulas, or maybe it's just something about my nails that doesn't jive with these.  Maybe they're supposed to be used without any other treatments, and they weren't working properly because I was using them over the Hard As Steel Strengthener.  I don't know.  I tried using these twice with similar results.  First of all, bubbling.  Lots of bubbling, particularly in the ridge I told you guys about last week.  It stuck out like a sore thumb!  Next, it took forever for these to dry.  My nails would be dry to the touch fairly quickly, but if something rigid came into contact with my nail, I was in danger of major denting/scratching.  The first time I used these, I was opening a plastic box several hours after painting my nails, thinking they were safe, and the box scratched all the way through to the nail.  The second time, I was sure to allow extra time between coats.  It did dry a bit better, but it still dented significantly four hours after application.  I'll definitely keep trying them from time to time and let you know if anything goes differently.  But for now, my personal recommendation would be to give these a miss and pick up the Smooth Over Ridge Filler and Grab It! Base Coat.  You can find my first impressions of those products here.