Nail Envy polish works wonders with time! Picuture shows the Powerful Pink color (one coat). It reminds me of a beautiful red onion, and it has a pearlescent effect. My fingernails have always been very thin and peel easily, so it was impossible to let them grow without getting a little split that would then rip the whole nail tip into the skin fold. I tried wearing acrylics for a few months last year, but that didn't really work out or improve my nail strength the way I'd hoped, so I took them off 6 months ago. The salon tech that did the acrylic removal overfiled my nails and left them ridiculously thin and flexible; I was so nervous that they were ruined and would be painful. I bought the OPI Nail Envy as well as the Orly Nailtrition and alternated between both for several weeks to try and strengthen my natural nail. I did not see any huge improvement in my nails after 2 months of following the treatment instructions, but they were "stabilized" and I just kept them filed really short. Here's where the magic happens: because I liked the formula and color so much, I just used the Nail Envy as regular ol' nail polish. I know that the instructions are to add a coat every day for a week, but this stuff is so good and durable even without doing that! I paint 2 coats of nail envy and then add a top coat, and I swear it lasts just as long as any other lacquer. I can wear it for a week without chips and it looks great. Another huge win: it dries super fast! So, I can do that nail envy quick manicure (2 coats plus rapidry top coat) and it'll be ready to go in about 45 minutes. Sometimes i would add blue glitter polish over the pink, and it would have a cool holographic effect. Because it was so easy, quick to use, and durable, I ended up using the nail envy about every-other time I would paint my nails. Just regular color lacquer in between. So I've been doing that for 4 months or so, and I just realized that for the first time EVER I have strong, healthy nails that don't require a ton of maintenance and I can grow a little bit of length without fear of cracks or peeling. They are noticeably thicker and do not bend as much. I can apply a bit of pressure at the side or tip and my nail will not split or peel like before. (Note- I'm keeping them filed in a round shape, which I did not do before.) Nail Envy seems to have put an end to a 10+ year struggle with awful, painful fingernails and I'm most grateful. I also have nail envy in clear, and I've used 2 coats of it as a base coat under color lacquer and it seems to hold up pretty well. I can get 5-7 days of wear out of it which is not bad at all for regular polish.
