Friday, March 13, 2015

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.

7 comments:

  1. Hi, just wanted to offer my 2cents worth. I used Nail Life for years and it kept my nails from totally rubbing off, but it suddenly stopped working for me. I tried the Hard as Steel Strengthener by FP and had great success! My nails are so thin and weak, they will rub off with a bath towel after my shower, no kidding! I must say, I do apply it daily (mainly because Nail Life recommended it for their product). I find it dries quickly, I apply color on top of the 1st 2 coats of strengthener, then keep applying the strengthener daily. I have nails beyond my fingertips for the first time ever! I am so excited about this product, I keep buying up extra bottles for fear I wont be able to get any more. It also makes the colors really shine when you get a few coats built up. My nails are much more flexible, they bend without breaking and are getting a chance to grow! I have noticed just a couple of times, the "dentability", you spoke about, (it could be humidity) but when that happens you can actually smooth out the dent by rubbing it for a bit then applying another coat of the strengthener. I just bought the Grab it base coat to try, I was looking for some instructions on order of application and found your site. I read your prior post and your nails look gorgeous, I love how nicely shaped they are! Anyway, I would recommend applying it daily for the most awesome results. ~Diane

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    1. Hey, there! For some reason, I haven't been getting comment notifications and your comment totally flew under my radar! I definitely didn't dislike the Hard as Steel strengthener when used on its own. It was the Gel-Like base and top coats that I had issues with, which I had used over the Hard as Steel strengthener. I'm glad it's working out so well for you! For me, though, it was just alright (which is definitely not bad). Perhaps someday I will find my holy grail strengthener... Thanks for reading, and thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)

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  2. Make sure when using the gel like to and base coats go use VERY thin layers, especially the color polish you choose to use. There will be bubbles after using the top coat, and they will be sticky -- aka a mess up waiting to happen. To fix that: put some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball (& by some, I mean a lot!) and run each nail very thoroughly. I promise it'll work then! I had the same problem at first, but since I get gel manicures from time to time & they rub with alcohol at the end, I tried it! Hope you'll like it once you try it (-;

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    1. Just found this tip and tried it after I got tons of bubbles on the first attempt.....worked perfect! Thanks for the solve :)

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  3. I picked up the gel like top coat a couple of months ago at Sally Beauty Supply. I was running out of the top coat I usually use and they were have a BOGO on Fingerpaints and I love their Grab It base coat so I decided to try it. I noticed terrible bubbling right away. I have since used it twice more and waited longer to use it. There was less bubbling but it was still there. I will try to use it to make stamping decals but, if that doesn't work, it might just get retired.

    Thanks for sharing!!

    Frances

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