Nailtek • Foundation II - Ridge-filling • Top/Base Coats

Where To Buy?

JuniaIris on 3/14/2013 3:50:00 PM more reviews by JuniaIris

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

I do not understand why this didn't work for me. I have been using it for a few weeks and my nails are more peely than ever. When I have it on with polish and topcoat over it it seems like my nails are a bit stronger but I've had some breakages at the edges of my nails.
Also, the brush is absolute, utter garbage. The brush is not attached to the cap; instead it's attached to a piece of rubber that's jammed into the cap. This piece of rubber has come unattached from the cap and every time I open my bottle I get the cap off but not the actual brush. It's extremely frustrating to have to pull the piece of rubber off and then jam it back into the cap so I can use the stuff.
This product also absolutely reeks. I'm prepared for nail treatments to smell terrible but this is an extra special kind of stink.
I wanted to love this stuff so much, and I'm so disappointed with it. So many other people have gotten such wonderful results from it and it just flopped for me. Unfortunately I wouldn't repurchase this. I'll continue my search for a strengthening base coat.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

samsungasong on 10/15/2012 8:26:00 AM more reviews by samsungasong

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Other, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

So far so good, I think it’s difficult to really tell if ridge filler works or not unless you have fair quality varnish & topcoat to go with it. There's no cracking or peeling, dries quickly & fills in the ridges to create a flat surface. Will purchase again & will update with longer use.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* cleogirl on 9/19/2012 9:21:00 AM more reviews by cleogirl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

This has been my HG base coat for 2 + years. I purchase mine from a seller on Ebay and usually buy 2 at a time. When you apply this, it dries to a chalky, gritty consistency and really helps your polish grip onto the nail. It dries very quickly and I'm able to start applying my polish immediately after putting this as a base. Overall, my nails have been strong with no peeling and while I'm not sure if it's due to using this product, keeping my cuticles conditions or the nail file I use, I'm not willing to risk finding out!
Just a note that as you get down to the bottom of the bottle, the product tends to cake up on the rim of the bottle and you need to use polish remover to wipe it off, otherwise the chunks will get into the bottle.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Fiammetta on 8/3/2012 3:54:00 PM more reviews by Fiammetta

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

Well, looks like I've found a new holy grail. It doesn't work miracles; I work my nails hard, given my job (staff RN, dozens and dozens of handwashings in a 12-hr shift). But this has, over the past few manicures, given me about 2-3 extra days of wear. After a few days there's some tip wear, but none of that big chipping (or worse, peeling) that kept me doing my nails 2+ times a week.

When you apply it, it does seem to fill ridges and strengthen the actual nail somewhat, but the best thing about it is that it does seem to give colored polish something to grip. The "other stickier" basecoats didn't noticeably do that, for me. For the money, this is definitely going to become a staple for me.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

josieflo on 7/24/2012 8:29:00 PM more reviews by josieflo

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I ordered this on Amazon for under six dollars. I didn't know it had formaldehyde in it so I kinda regret buying it. I just decided to try it out since I got it already, but I couldn't help but breath, and I felt nauseous. It has a nice application and dries fast. I am usually a nail biter or I pick at my nail polish if I don't like it, but because it contained formaldehyde, I restrained myself from doing that. After a couple of days, I noticed that my nails grew significantly stronger and longer and started to create a nice shape. Although I got nice results from this, I do not want to risk my health by using this.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Shaz809 on 6/15/2012 4:30:00 PM more reviews by Shaz809

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

Holy Grail nail product for me. After years of buffing my nails i got sick of them splitting so decided to look up MUA for another option. Bought this from Ebay based on the good reviews....so glad I did. Use it on my toenails aswell, I however still have to buff my toenails a bit because I have VERY deep horizontal ridges. For my nails though, no buffing needed, it dries very fast so I am saving time. Like the reviews below it dries to a milky white matte finish so I am convinced this helps to enhance the colour especially pale sheer colours. I used Revlons Lilac Pastelle (which I had given up on because of its difficult application - I actually have a review on this) with this base and it went on smoothly. Would definately buy again x.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Ancora on 1/23/2012 6:37:00 PM more reviews by Ancora

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

After doing a bit of research online for a new basecoat for my soft nails, this is what I ended up with. My nails were in terrible shape, for some reason, never getting a chance to grow long before cracking and splintering. I didn't, and still don't, have a problem with ridged nails, but that doesn't matter; I will never, ever want another base polish because of what this product has done for my nails! HG status for sure.

I now have no problems whatsoever growing them as long as I want them, and despite being a lot harder than before, they don't seem brittle at all.

This is exactly what I wanted, and exactly what I got. It won't work for everyone, but if you are experiencing the same problems I had, do give it a try. I get mine from eBay cheaply.
As a basecoat, it performs well, in my opinion. I use Sèche Vite on top of the lacquer, and the end result doesn't chip or release from the nail, which I previously had a problem with. It also dries really fast.

The only problem is that you will want to use some thinner for the last 20-25% in the bottle to improve the consistency.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* takemenow on 1/20/2012 10:55:00 PM more reviews by takemenow

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This is a great base coat. But... I suspect that it has caused me an unsightly case of the peelies. I bought this in November and had been using it for about a month with great results until nearly all my nails started peeling pretty badly.
I do everything I can to prevent peeling and make sure I seal the free edge of the nail every time I file so I know that it's not from filing incorrectly. The only other thing it could be is this stuff, which coincidentally has been accused of causing peelies in the past. However, it does what it says it does and that is form a smooth foundation for nail color application. And as a bonus, prevents chipping!
So if you're looking for a good base coat that doubles as a matte top coat and are daring to see if it will cause damage to your nails, then by all means give it a go. If it turns out to make your nails peel, you can always just use it as a matte TC instead :)

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

duchy13 on 11/21/2011 2:12:00 PM more reviews by duchy13

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Does the job, but I believe there are much better base coats out there that have nail hardeners etc in them. Would repurchase but at a much cheaper price.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* georgia21 on 10/24/2011 2:04:00 PM more reviews by georgia21

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Ridge fillers add a little more strength to my nails. I use a formaldehyde nail strengthener (Nail Magic) to strengthen my nails from the inside and use this product on top of Nail Magic, as a second base coat, to add strength from the outside. A bonus with this (or any other ridge filler I've tried) is that my polish doesn't chip when I use it.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* FiestyFemme on 10/14/2011 3:15:00 PM more reviews by FiestyFemme

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I used up my first bottle several months ago, and I didn't repurchase at the time. My nails were in great condition when I was done with the bottle and have remained so until I started my new job a month ago. My new job requires me to wash my hands constantly with anti-bacterial soap and use hand sanitizer, and I've noticed my nails are breaking and peeling like there is no tomorrow. It's made it difficult to wear nail polish because it either stains where the nail has peeled (I like dark colors) or just chips off. I remembered how nice my nails looked while I was using the NailTek Foundation II, so I purchased another bottle. It seems expensive at $11 a bottle (at Ulta), but this one bottle will last me the better part of a year, even with painting my nails 2-3 times per week. I'm so glad Foundation II works so well for me! If not, I'd be in a real pickle right about now. If you've got weak, peeling nails, this is definitely worth a shot. I was skeptical in the beginning, but I'm definitely a believer now!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

MaddieEvans on 9/15/2011 2:02:00 PM more reviews by MaddieEvans

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This product made a huge difference for me. My nails just recently started to peel all the time, I even stopped wearing nail polish and moisturized constantly but it didn't help. So I finally bought this online (I live in Canada so I got it from ebeauty.ca for $12, not sure if that if that is a comparable price to other places but I didn't see it anywhere else). I used it by itself at first and then started using it underneath polish, and my nails never peel anymore, it's great.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* juicy70 on 8/31/2011 12:53:00 AM more reviews by juicy70

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

My nails are naturally weak and peeling - so much that I caved in and got gel nails. That lasted for a couple of months but the nails kept breaking off so I had a manicurist remove them - she actually picked them right off the nail bed, it hurt so much. My nails were a horrible mess afterwards and they hurt terribly if I didn't have a coat of polish on them. I headed to Ulta and the salesgirl told me that Nailtek was the product that she got the most positive feedback on to rebuild post-fake nail disasters.
I started with the Foundation II base coat, then my nail polish and I top it off with a coat of Nailtek Xtra. After 8 weeks my nails are looking really nice - hard to believe how far they've come along. I love The matte adhesive finish of Foundation II - it makes the nail nice and smooth. These days I do 1-2 coats of Foundation II, 2 coats of Essie Delicacy and 1 coat of Nailtek Xtra and my nails look gorgeous. This is my HG base coat from now on; and no more fake nails for me...

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Koo on 7/20/2011 1:51:00 AM more reviews by Koo

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Great Product!!

It comes in a MATTE formula and dries clear (mostly, a tiny tiny bit smokey).

Great as a base coat. It does fill the ridges and settles into any cracks etc.

This means that any colour nail polish I apply goes on smoothly and doesn't look ridged like my fingernails are.

Also, found out that as a base coat, it makes my colour coat on top last and last for ages. About double the wearing time on any colour applied. :) Me-Likey

Can also be used as a top coat just like Essie's Matte About You (which also looks smokey in the bottle) to give any colour a matte finish effect. The Nailtek matte effect as a top coat lasts longer than Essie, as Essie tends to rub off after a day or two and look like it is wearing thin.

There are also NO flaky bits around the screw thread of the bottle that fall into the polish and make it gross like Essie's Matte about you.

This item was SUPER CHEAP on ebay, $1.25 with only about $5 postage from the US to Oz. Much cheaper than Essie.

Interesting fact: After being very curious about Dr Frankenpolish method of mixing new and interesting colours to create her own individual nail polish colours...I read that she sometimes mixed in 1/4 bottle of this Nailtek Foundation II into a coloured bottle, which made the whole polish have a matte finish all the time! It sounds blah blah, but some of her pics of mixing this matte Nailtek stuff with a high-glitter polish are fantastic (check out the purple one).

And oh yes, I forgot to add it feels healthy on my nails. It just feels healthy, unlike nail polish. And I also have cuticles doing their own thing (I never push back or cut mine coz I believe it's there for a reason), and this Nailtek stuff can be painted over the cuticles right up to the edge of the nail bed, and smooths the whole thing out...looking like you have no messing cuticles.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Chellemakepeace on 2/10/2011 9:41:00 AM more reviews by Chellemakepeace

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have purchased this product over and over. IF you follow the instructions, I promise your nails will grow stronger and longer. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cherzleen on 2/4/2011 1:10:00 AM more reviews by cherzleen

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I'm in between with this product. I purchased it after reading the review here on MUA. I do agree with most of the reviewers that this products prevents chips waaaaayyy better than OPI basecoat, which i have been using for a long long time. With this, my mani lasts for 5 days and with OPI 3 days max. I love that it dries matte makes it easy to apply the polish on smoothly. I am a fan of red nailpolish, so far my favorite is OPI Affair in Red Square and oh my with this basecoat, my nails stained :(. It doesn't stain when I use OPI basecoat. So, from now on, will be using this basecoat when I'm wearing nude nail polish.

EDIT - After 1 month I realize that my nails have been brittle, I read a few reviews here that it happened to some other people too. My nails chipped so bad and I had to stop wearing nail polish for 1 month or so for it to repair itself. I have half a bottle left, if you live in KL Malaysia, I dont mind a swap.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* hooplehead on 1/31/2011 9:11:00 PM more reviews by hooplehead

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Received this in a swap as an extra when trading for the Nailtek Strengthener. Used a bit on my toenails, but wasn't really looking for results. Then I experimented with it in my manicures and WOW, what a difference. I used to use the Nailtek strengthener as my base coat and my manicures would have massive chips within the day. With this base coat, the only wear I notice is on the tips (I type a lot.) The difference is night and day. I am extremely pleased with how this has extended the wear of my manicure. Not sure about the strengthening, will post again if I notice a difference.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

maiw on 1/9/2011 2:20:00 PM more reviews by maiw

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this after reading all the good reviews. I was hoping this would strengthen my nails because they are prone to breakage. Unfortunately for me, this did not work. I don't think this made my nails break even more, however it certainly did not prevent it from breaking. Although this was the case for me, I gave it two lippies because it seems to be working for my mom. Her nails seem to be strong and her ridges are not visible anymore.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

EFENN on 12/14/2010 6:03:00 AM more reviews by EFENN

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

very good product my nails are much stronger.Will buy again

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* thebobcat64 on 12/13/2010 11:12:00 PM more reviews by thebobcat64

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I bought this on ebay after reading the reviews here. It has allowed me to grow out my nails without them chipping, which they always did before. My nails also don't stain under polish when I use this.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No