A good base coat is an essential step if you want to keep your polish chip-free whilst protecting against weak, brittle nails. Base coat primes your nails, strengthening them and creating a smooth surface for colour. Whether you're after a hardening base coat for gel nails or want to increase staying power, in this article we'll share the 10 best in the UK available from Boots, Amazon and more.
Alongside reviews of top nail care brands like essie, OPI and Sally Hansen, read on for tips on how to choose and apply base coat nail polish! Moreover, we have partnered with Makeup Artist Marie Dancer for reviewing and fact-checking the article so that we can deliver the best information to our users.
Quick List - Top Base Coat Nail Polishes
Maybelline
An Affordable Base Coat That Increases Staying Power
As a professional make-up artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all her clients she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
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As a professional makeup artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK, working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all of her clients, she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
Find out more about Marie and what are her favourite makeup products are through her Instagram! She even shares some industry tips on makeup application too. And if you're interested in getting your makeup done by Marie, you can contact her via her email found at the top of her page.
Splitting is one of the most common nail problems, and even a little break or crack can completely ruin a lovely manicure. Most of us will suffer from nail splitting at some point, but if it's a regular occurrence, it probably means that you have fragile nails that could do with a bit of strengthening.
Look for ingredients that are typically used in nail strengtheners, such as ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, tosylamide, formaldehyde resin or nitrocellulose. Be warned though, formaldehyde has been linked to damaging the nails when using it for a prolonged time.
If you'd prefer to take a more natural route, horsetail extract, calcium and biotin (one of the eight B vitamins) are also meant to do wonders for strengthening!
Suffering from dry and brittle nails? Here are the 10 best restorative treatments for damaged nails in the UK!
Those little ridges in our nails are pretty common, especially as we get older. Still, if the ridges are exceptionally deep, it's probably worth visiting your doctor as this can indicate vitamin deficiencies, diabetes or other more concerning problems. These ridges can make it challenging to apply a smooth surface of polish, but some base coats have been specifically designed to fix this problem.
These base layers have a thicker consistency, filling in the ridges and gaps, creating an even surface to glide your colour over. For gel polish wearers, a builder gel applied on top of the base will provide additional smoothness if you find the base coat isn't enough support.
Nails that lack moisture can easily become dry, brittle and start breaking, which becomes even more of a risk come winter. But that doesn't mean you need to stop having beautiful nails. Some base coats are designed to be specifically hydrating and moisturising to help with exactly this.
If you're looking to up the moisture levels in your nails, keep an eye out for proteins such as wheat protein, vitamins (especially vitamin E and A), and hydrating natural ingredients like aloe vera.
Also, if your nails are dry, it's once again best to stay away from formaldehyde, which can further dry them out. Other moisture-replenishing ingredients to look out for are kale, soy, keratin and jojoba.
Don't forget, having a good manicure set is essential to help maintain your nails!
Some of us can easily spend – and enjoy – over an hour applying a home manicure, but sometimes, you need a quicker solution when you're short on time. A quick-drying formula is ideal for a perfect mani in a hurry, with some only taking seconds to dry! You no longer have to worry about chips or smudges, as modern formulas mean speed without compromise on quality.
It's recommended to apply the base coat on every nail first, then it'll be dry and ready to apply colour once you've finished priming the last nail. Look for a base coat to match the brand of your nail varnish and top coat to ensure the formulas work best together.
If a fast manicure is something that you could benefit from, choose a quick-drying formula. There are many out there which guarantee to have your first finger dry by the time you've finished the last, meaning you can move swiftly onto the colouring. Now, that saves a lot of time!
Nail polish has come under scrutiny during the past few years for the number of harmful chemicals used in its formulas. That said, most researchers and beauticians are aligned in believing that the small amounts used, unless you are allergic, shouldn't pose much of a problem.
The most commonly used harmful ingredients in nail polish are parabens, dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, xylene and ethyl tosylamide.
If you want to be cautious, look for products that are 3-free, 5-free, 7-free, 9-free and so on. This lets you know how many of the commonly used harmful ingredients are not in their formula.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Orly Bonder Rubberized BaseCoat | ![]() | The Salon-Staple No.1 Base Coat in the UK | |
2 | OPI Natural Nail Base Coat | ![]() | A Cult Classic to Protect and Prevent Staining | |
3 | Nails Inc Nailkale Base Coat | ![]() | Superfood Formula With Keratin to Strengthen Nails | |
4 | Maybelline Superstay Strength Primer Protecting Base Coat | ![]() | An Affordable Base Coat That Increases Staying Power | |
5 | Essie Strong Start Nail Polish Base Coat | ![]() | A Quick-Drying Formula to Make Your Colour Last | |
6 | Jessica Rejuvenation Base Coat for Dry Nails | ![]() | Treats Acrylic and Gel-Damaged Nails | |
7 | Dior Base Coat - Abricot | ![]() | Nourishing Base Layer With an Apricot Tint | |
8 | Nailberry Strengthen and Breathe Oxygenated Base Coat | ![]() | Breathable Formula That Helps Harden Brittle Nails | |
9 | Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat | ![]() | Five-Free Base Coat Made Without Formaldehyde | |
10 | Sally Hansen Spray-On Base Coat | ![]() | One-of-a-Kind Spray-on Base Coat for Nails |
This unique base coat from Orly Bonder is one of the tried and tested methods that has become a salon staple, with many nail technicians and beauticians swearing by this formula. When applied, the rubberised formula creates an adhesive consistency for the nail polish to literally stick to the base.
This increases the longevity of your manicure tenfold, plus, it has been shown to be one of the best in strengthening your nails too, increasing flexibility and reducing chipping and breakages. As an added bonus, the bottle is also significantly larger than many base coats giving you excellent value for money.
OPI are one of the biggest names in the nail polish world, and their products are commonly found in many salons. Their Natural Nail Base Coat works wonders to create a protective layer on your nail bed, eliminating the worry of yellowing nails from stains even when you have a dark nail polish on top.
This product does everything a good base coat should and has thousands of Amazon customer reviews to back it up. The salon quality ensures that it stops stains, prolongs the colour of your polish, and strengthens the nails.
If you're looking for a more natural approach, the NailKale Superfood Base Coat is probably your best bet. Essentially, it's like a green smoothie for your nails. Containing kale for nourishment and keratin for strengthening, this formula will leave your nail beds well-hydrated while reducing the risk of any splitting and breakages.
The reviews for this product are excellent, with many claiming that it works just as well as a standalone nail treatment as it does a base coat – the perfect buy for nails that need a bit of extra love.
Just because a beauty product has a high price tag, that doesn't always mean it's better! This base coat from Maybelline costs just a few pounds and works just as well as some of the pricier options. It works wonders at preventing staining, even from dark colours, and increases your polish wear significantly.
What's more, while providing a protective layer on the nail bed, it conceals any ridges or bumps and strengthens the fingernails. This is also an ultra quick-drying formula making it great when you're short on time but still want to look your glamorous best.
Essie's Strong Start base coat is a favourite for many as not only is it reasonably priced, but it also dries exceptionally quickly – when you're done with both hands, the first finger will be ready. With long-lasting staying power, it can allow your manicure to last even longer than a week with no chipping.
The natural shine also means that this can double up as a natural nail polish if you don't fancy committing to bold colours. Essie is one of the most iconic nail polish brands out there, and with their rubber adhesive formula, it's got the vote of many beauticians, salons and customers – including us!
If you're a lover of acrylic extensions, shellac manicures and gel nails, this base polish from Jessica should be a staple in your makeup bag. It's no secret that overdoing it on the shellac and acrylics can leave your nails a bit worse for wear, and if this sounds familiar, you should probably give your talons a little TLC!
The reviews for this product speak for themselves, with so many customers vouching that it has fully restored their nails to their former glory, providing moisture, strength and long-lasting nourishment.
This luxurious buy from Dior comes in a lovely subtle apricot colour which can double up as a natural nail polish if you want to stop your manicure at the base level. The formula protects your nail base, working to harden and strengthen your nail over time.
The Abricot Base Coat creates a smoothing, nourishing layer that preps and primes the nail for further colouration as you glide on the product, but the reviews are a mixed bag. There are certainly some die-hard Dior fans who swear by this product hands down, but many others note that it is not very long-lasting.
This may not be a product from one of the more prominent, well-known brands out there, but it does the trick! The Strengthen and Breathe base coat from Nailberry conditions your nails, nourishing them with moisture to provide a smoother, long-lasting manicure.
With powerful strengthening abilities, this vegan-friendly formula works to harden your nails and improve their overall condition, resulting in fewer breakages and splits. However, some customers have noted that compared to the wide variety of base coats out there, this one isn't rapid drying and may not last the entire week.
The affordable base coat from Revlon claims to dry nails in seconds, so it's a great choice if you often find yourself running out of time. It glides on smoothly, leaving behind an even, flawless base for your chosen pop of colour.
As a bonus, this is a five-free formula containing no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, DBP, camphor or toluene, so it's ideal if you want to reduce your chemical usage. One thing to note is that while some customers believe it to be a godsend, many don't consider it to be quite quick enough.
To kick off our list, we've chosen this unique, first-of-its-kind spray-on base coat. Yes, that's right, a spray-on base coat! It's possibly one of the most effortless products to use – spray, wait a few seconds and voila! Your nails are ready for their funky colour.
The formula contains nourishing ingredients to help smooth and protect your nail base from any stains or chipping. Unfortunately, though, many people have had trouble with the spraying technology, ending up with a lot of wasted product and quite a bit of mess.
Applying a base coat should always be the first step in your manicure routine – after a bit of filing and buffing, of course. A base coat is the key to keeping your nails in tip-top shape, but this isn't the only benefit.
Base coats act as an adhesive, forming a surface that will allow your coloured polish to literally stick to your nails. Adding this step is paramount in having a chip-free manicure that lasts beyond a few days. Some can even prolong your polish for over a week.
They can also even out the texture of the nail bed, masking any ridges or bumps and preventing your colour from looking streaky. On top of it all, base coats act as a barrier between your nail and the polish, preventing staining. Some even contain strengthening ingredients to avoid splitting or breakages.
It may be tempting to just use base coat, but you should always use a top coat to seal in your polish after!
Written and researched by: Roxy Pratley
No. 1: Orly Bonder|Rubberized BaseCoat
No. 2: OPI|Natural Nail Base Coat
No. 3: Nails Inc|Nailkale Base Coat
No. 4: Maybelline|Superstay Strength Primer Protecting Base Coat
No. 5: Essie|Strong Start Nail Polish Base Coat
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