Base Coat Nail Polish
Up your nail polish game by extending its wear with a base coat. Whether you're an at-home nail fan or a professional nail artist, all can benefit from using a nail base coat to improve the durability of your manicures. By improving adhesion, a nail polish base coat reduces the risk of early chipping and peeling, giving you a longer-lasting manicure. It also shields your nail beds from pigmented nail polish staining. At Nail Polish Direct, we've hand-selected the best base coat nail polish brands in the industry, like OPI and Nails Inc, to give you the best nail protection and wear you can find.
What is a base coat for nails?
A base coat nail polish is a clear, sticky resin that acts as an adhesive layer and helps your nail polish last longer by helping to prevent chipping or peeling. As a result, it can help you achieve a professional, flawless look for longer.
Base coats also act as a protective barrier between your nail base and polish, preventing the colour from staining your nail bed. The protective layer also helps protect your nails from other external damage like knocks or bumps.
Many base coats are now formulated with nourishing ingredients, vitamins and proteins to help strengthen and improve your nail health, aiding problems like brittleness or weakness. What's not to love? For more treatment-specific base coats, browse our base coat treatment collection.
Lastly, if you have ridges or uneven nail beds, you can get ridge-filling base coats that fill in your nail ridges and create a smooth, flawless base to apply your nail polish.
Do I need a base coat for nail polish, and does a base coat help nail polish last longer?
You don't have to use a base coat when painting your nails with nail polish, but you will miss out on its benefits. Primarily, your manicure will not last as long. Also, if you regularly paint your nails without a base coat, the strong chemicals in the nail polish could stain them at best or, at worst, damage your natural nails in the long term.
For more information on base coats and how to use them, read our tell-all guide, "Everything you need to know about nail polish base coats."
Can I use a base coat as a top coat?
Base coats and top coats are inherently different formulas for different purposes. Base coats are designed to adhere to the nail and nail polish, whereas top coats are designed to seal in colour, provide shine and help prevent chipping. Therefore, we don't recommend using a base coat as a top coat unless the product is a 2-in-1 formula.
How to use base coat nail polish
Applying a nail polish base coat is a straightforward process. Start prepping your nails by removing any ridges from your nail plate with a nail buffer, and shape your nails with a nail file. Next, push back your cuticles with a cuticle pusher. Then, clean and remove dust, oils or residues to help the base coat adhere better.
Now, apply a thin layer of base coat. Start in the centre of the nail near the cuticle, brush towards the tip of your nail and then apply a stroke to each side. Make sure you seal the free edge or tip to help prevent chipping. Allow to dry completely; different brands will have different drying times, so always read your base coat instructions before you start.
Then, finish by applying your nail polish colour of choice and top coat. Following these steps, you can extend your nail polish manicure by up to seven days!