One of the great things about this treatment is that it’s really fast-drying, so you don’t have to sit around for ages, wafting your hands in the air as you (I) do with nail polish. I didn’t see an “overnight improvement” in my nails, as some reviewers claimed, but as I said, my nails weren’t in bad condition to start with (it’s those cuticles that are the trouble-makers!), so I’m mostly using this is a preventative rather than as a cure. I don’t find the polish itself to be damaging, but the removal process can be if you’re not careful, so when I got my kit, I also decided to invest in a couple of products – namely OPI Nail Envy and Avoplex Cuticle Oil– to try to keep my nails strong and healthy. Here’s what I’ve been using between my gel manicures… Nail Envy by OPI states that it provides maximum strengthening with hydrolyzed wheat protein and calcium for harder, stronger, natural nails. But does it work?

This iconic product is a holy grail treatment for many, but what even the biggest OPI fanatics don’t realize is that this nail strengthener comes in six unique formulas designed to target your most annoying nail conditions. So if you’re someone with soft or peeling nails, or perhaps you want a matte finish that strengthens, we broke down each and every treatment and what it can do for you. Sally Hansen Cuticle Massage Cream: During the day I applied massage cream. I did it at least 2 times per day, but even more if I had my hands in water, went swimming etc. I like the Sally Hansen cream because it comes in an easily portable jar that you can put in your purse and use on the go. All Nail Envy nail strengthener products can be used as a stand-alone treatment or as a base coat alternative underneath your favourite OPI Nail Lacquer.

If you’ve ever gotten your hands on a bottle of OPI Nail Envy, then you know it’s one magical potion that does exactly what it says it will do – make everyone envy your nails big time.

BEFORE: I had some major acrylic damage on my right hand. While my left hand nails were soft and weak, the right nails were a mess. That's my dominant hand so I had to repair and soak off broken nails more often on the right. Also, being right handed, I'm sure I was filing incorrectly when using my left hand. The right nails were so soft that they would split in the middle, peel and break down into the nail bed. Nail Care A Must-Try Treatment: Nail Envy Nail Strengthener If you’ve ever gotten your hands on a bottle of OPI Nail Envy, then you know it’s one magical potion that does exactly what it says it will do – make everyone envy your nails big time. The OPI Nail Envy Original Formula can also be used as a basecoat under nail polish to protect the nails from staining. This hasn’t completely cured my dry cuticles (I think it would take a miracle to do that…), but given that I’ve been soaking my nails in acetone on the regular, they’re looking much better than I’d have expected, and I do notice an improvement from before I started using this. There are various different OPI Nail Envy formulas available to treat different issues, but I decided to start off with the original, to see how I got on. This is a nail strengthener, and the main reason it appealed to me is that it can be used either on its own, or with nail polish (Regular nail polish, I mean: I don’t think it would be much use with gel polish!). One of the slightly surprising consequences of getting my gel nail kit has been a growing addiction to nail polish: I used to only wear it occasionally (and then only for a couple of days, maximum), but these days I find my nails feel very bare without at least a touch of colour, so I wanted to be able to continue painting them, even when I’m taking a break from the gels.

AFTER: After 2 months of steady use, my nails are finally past the fingertip and very strong. I haven't had a break in several weeks and there is no peeling at all. I'm still using Nail Envy 2 - 3 times per week along with my regular nail polish and I will continue to use it as a base coat. It doesn't work overnight because there is no real way to make your nails grow FASTER. But it definitely protects and strengthens them which helps stop breakage and that means you reach your nail goal sooner rather than later. So, Does Nail Envy Work? YES TIP: Don't get discouraged. After one week of wear, remove the OPI Nail Envy Original Formula with an acetone-free nail polish remover. As you can tell from the name, this is designed to treat the nail itself as well as the cuticle: I normally use it a few times a day on my cuticles, and will rub it into my nails too, any time I’m not wearing polish, to try to keep them healthy. My OPI Nail Envy Review Optional : Best Cuticle Pusher and Spoon Nail Cleaner Set - The curved spoon edges of the cuticle pushers are designed to follow the natural shape of your nails, preventing any damage to sensitive skin. Use the other side to clean under your nails. For natural and acrylic nails.If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably cottoned on to the fact that I’m a little bit obsessed with the gel nail kit I got for Christmas: mostly because I just can’t seem to stop talking about it, dammit. I promise this will be my last word on the subject (well, for a little while, at least…), but in my previous posts on gel manicures, I talked a bit about the importance of looking after your nails, and giving them a rest in between manicures, so I thought today I’d show you how I’ve been doing that.

The first lesson I learned is that you won't get far using only a nail strengthener. Your nails require moisture and massage. You heard me: MASSAGE YOUR NAILS. Your cuticles, to be more precise. Healthy moisture and blood flow to the cuticle area is what grows strong, healthy nails. So, I put together a full daily system. HOW TO APPLY NAIL ENVY OPI NATURAL NAIL STRENGTHENER With this product, you paint a couple of coats of OPI Nail Envy on to start with, then add another coat every second day for a week, at which point you remove it all and start again. In between coats, you can apply nail polish as normal: I don’t wear it all the time, but it’s good to have the option if I want it! Coconut Oil: Oil is extremely important with nail repair and upkeep. The health of your nails rests in the cuticle. When they are parched, torn or infected - nails can't grow. You can use just about any type of oil (almond, Vitamin E, etc) but I prefer coconut oil not just for it's ability to hydrate and protect, but also because it has antibacterial properties. I applied it to clean, dry nails each morning then massaged it into my nail, cuticle and fingertip. I never washed or rubbed it off, letting it absorb on it's own. Original Formula Nail Envy Maximum Strength is made to give you harder, stronger, longer natural nails. After getting a little ' acrylic happy' with my nails, I was left with a lot of damage. I'd tried the general nail repair methods: lotion, clipping, filing etc. They continued to split and peel into the nail bed. Not only was it painful, but it didn't look good either.Length Does Not Equal Strength. While the Nail Envy allowed the edges to grow out, they were still weak and soft. I frequently broke them off or snagged them and had to file the edges. I was also still growing out some areas that had broke off into the nail bed. As much as I hated to get rid of progress on length, I had to clip them several times to ensure that it was healthy, even growth coming from the nail bed. Once the strength returned, I was ready to stop clipping and start growing. You'll have to play the waiting game to achieve longer stronger natural nails - At first the change was amazing. Within two weeks my nails looked completely different and I thought they would be long in no time. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I've never been a nail biter, but you'd think I was lying if you saw my hands. I decided to pull out the big guns and add Nail Envy from O.P.I. to my nail repair routine.