Your nail has natural oils that prevent nail polish from adhering well. The best way to make sure your manicure will last longer is by applying basecoat before nail color and topcoat over it.
In her article “Do You Really Need to Use Base Coat?” Kara K. Murphy compares the base coat with the foundation of a house “Just like when you build a house, you need to start with a good foundation — and a base coat is the basis for a long-lasting manicure.” using the basecoat properly will help provide a professional looking manicure.
Dr. Heidi Waldorf, director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City says that basecoats:
-“stick to the nail below and the polish above to prolong the manicure, and allow for enough flexibility to move with the nail as it bends so it won’t chip off easily.”
-“provides a clear protective layer between the nail and the pigment of the polish above.”
When using Piggy Paint or SOPHi nail polish, we recommend using the Basecoat + Sealer (Piggy Paint) or PRIME + SHINE + SEAL System (SOPHi). This revolutionary formula provides best wear for our water-based polish giving it the durability of traditional nail polish.
A topcoat acts like a barrier to protect from peeling and chipping, giving you a long lasting manicure. Piggy Paint Shine Topcoat also adds scratch resistance and shine.
With Piggy Paint, for maximum durability you can also use Basecoat + Sealer over the top of Topcoat to lock in the color.
Resist the urge to use your topcoat as a base coat and vice versa. “Generally, a base coat doesn’t have the shine of a topcoat, and a topcoat doesn’t have the ‘sticky’ surface that’s important in a base coat,” says Dr. Waldorf. So switching between the two isn’t a good idea.
Since Piggy Paint/SOPHi is water-based and does not contain harsh chemicals, it takes longer for its ultimate hardness to be reached. That’s why we highly recommend blow drying your nails, the blow dryer also speeds up the application process.
See our video to learn how to apply basecoat and topcoat for best results and enjoy your eco-friendly manicure !!!