Jessica Reward Basecoat For Normal Nails

Since I stopped chewing my nails a few years ago, I have been using bolder colours in an attempt to remind me to stop nibbling away at them which has thus far been quite beneficial. However the downside is that my nails were beginning to become a little stained so I thought it was time to start using a basecoat.

Having had a file and polish at the local Beauty Salon, I thought I'd try out the Jessica range. This basecoat is said to:

• Be suitable for normal nails
• Contain natural botanicals and antioxidants combined with Vitamins A, C and E to maximize growth
• Add strength and flexibitily through the calcium and aloe ingredients
• Maintans nail condition

So not only would this prevent the dark colours I was using on my nails from staining them but I was looking forward to the other benefits of maximum growth and strength.

- Price -

The Jessica range isn't the cheapest available and I paid £7.95 for this 14.8ml bottle although it is worth looking round on the internet for different prices as they can vary quite a lot.

There are a lot of products available in the Basecoat range such as: brittle nails, peeling nails, dry nails, weak nails etc so something to match most nail types.

- What do I think of it? -

The packaging is simple, a transparent thick glass bottle with quite a long black handle to which the applicator brush is attached. The white bristle brush is thin and quite a bit longer than some of the ones from the varnishes that I have used lately.

When I first started using this basecoat I was really quite pleased with the effects. It was easy to apply and prevented my nails from staining due to dark varnish colours although it has to be said that it takes quite a while to dry. Not being the most patient of beings, I initially applied my varnish when the basecoat obviously completely dry, although touch dry it was still a little sticky when applying the varnish resulting in less of an easy flow on some of my nails. However once I became wise to this, I actually got in to the habit of applying two coats of the base coat the night before applying any varnish which resulted in better results.

I have also worn two coats of the basecoat as a neutral colour for my nails when I want a rest from colours and this gives a lovely transparent, very shiny look to my nails as well as helping to strengthen my nails as they were definitely less brittle and prone to splitting.

Despite these positives, there are disadvantages to the product and packaging:

* Now that I am left with approximately one quarter of the basecoat in the bottle, the brush doesn't reach this far down and therefore can't 'pick up' the liquid so as a result I end up having to tilt the bottle at different angles and different directions to try to 'catch' some of it to apply to my nails. Whilst this not seem too arduous it slows the whole process down and can be somewhat laborious.

* Another negative relates to the lower levels in the bottle - the liquid has become a lot thicker and doesn't apply easily, that is, it no longer glides over my nail, having become more sticky.

Worth noting, that the symbol on the back of the bottle of a rabbit on top of a triangle suggests that it is tested on animals, as this may deter quite a few consumers.

All in all, although I was very pleased with the basecoat, approximately a quarter of it is no longer satisfactory so it has to be said that I won't be buying this again despite the initial advantages. Despite this I have given it 3 stars due to the fact that it has helped strengthen my nails slightly.