I'll admit it: I'm a nail polish hoarder. If you ever catch me in the wild without nail polish on, something is
wrong. Since I spend all my money on coffee and hair dye, going to get my nails done on the reg isn't in my budget. And some of my favorite polishes are glitters -
and we all know - we KNOW how annoying it is to get that stuff off our nails when it's time for a change.
So I was eager to try Sally Hansen's new product, the
Big Peel Off Base Coat, which promises to not only help prevent the rough effect of textured polishes and removers on nails, but simplify the removal process in one swift movement. That's a tall order, y'all. But does it work? Here's what happened when I tried it.
I was having a guest visit me from Portland for a few days, and I didn't have time to fuss with difficult nail polish applications/removals, so it was a great time to try out the base coat along with one of Sally Hansen's new
Insta-Ombre polish in "Fuchsia-Nista."
The base coat was supposed to dry quickly in a "transparent finish," and it did live up to the quick part of the deal. However, I noticed that it clumped in parts of my nail beds and had to redo a couple nails. Anything beyond a thin layer makes this weirdness happen:
After peeling that off and reapplying, the coat dried quickly as promised. The Insta-Ombre polish was a three-step, simple ordeal: Apply a coat all over the nail, then a second coat from mid-nail to tip, then a third coat to only the nail tip. Done and done.
While I don't really think the ombre was effective, the glitter was a pretty shade. My friend said the shade was "uneven" and didn't look like an ombre, and I agree. The next time I try the glitter ombre, I'll have to do more coats than just the suggested three.
According to the instructions, I should've been able to enjoy the polish/base coat until I was ready to take it off. However, I was very disappointed that it didn't turn out that way. Less than a day later, I noticed the edges were already chipping, and the chipping led to peeling.
What a bummer, y'all! After making last-minute lunch plans, I rushed home and tried to peel off the rest of the polish. It didn't come off in "one swift movement," but it did come off easier than battling with the cruel nature of glitter + acetone remover. I was able to remove all remnants and paint my nails with a basic color, just in time to make it to my lunch date.
While the Big Peel Off Base Coat
is pretty handy, I can't say I'd use it if I want my look to last more than an evening without chipping. I was cool with the fact that my nails didn't feel wrecked after the glitter removal, and they looked pretty smooth. Overall I recommend it, especially for the fair price of $6 at your local
drugstore.