Shop UK: Boots / Amazon
Shop US: Ulta / Amazon
Nothing I can say about OPI Nail Envy will ever do this bottle of miracle juice real justice. I’ve never used another base coat because I’ve never had the need to stray.
My first bottle came my way in a giveaway package I was lucky enough to win back in 2010 and I was quickly hooked. Within 2 weeks, my soft, breakage-prone nails were noticeably stronger and growing at triple speed. Before this eye-opener, I had never understood the need to invest in a base coat – probably because all the cheaper versions I’d tried up to then had never improved the condition of my nails. Turns out that it is in fact a very sound investment and one I’ve made time and again since that fateful encounter all those years ago.
Whenever people ask me what they can do to strengthen their nails, Nail Envy is always the treatment I recommend. It’s also very important with any nail strengthener to use it together with a good cuticle oil like the offerings from KB Shimmer or All That Jazz to get the balance right. If you only use strengthener, you will find that your nails become too hard and snap at the tips. If you only use oil, you’ll end up with soft nails which can start to bend and tear. Just rub a good dose of oil all into your cuticles and under the nail tip 2-4 times a week and you’re good to go.
In the UK, Nail Envy retails at around £18 on the high street but I always get it from Amazon where it’s considerably cheaper. It usually runs between £8-12. One bottle usually lasts me 3-4 months which is amazing considering that I paint my nails 5+ times every week and wear this under every manicure. The formula does start to thicken about half way through the bottle but never to the point where it’s completely unusable. With a few drops of nail polish thinner, it’s restored to perfect consistency.
TL;DR
– Worth the investment if your nails are thin / weak / soft / slow-growing
– Use it with a cuticle oil for optimum nail health
– One bottle lasts a really long time, even if you paint your nails daily