Essie • First Base Basecoat • Top/Base Coats

Where To Buy?

emzylla on 2/26/2013 12:07:00 AM more reviews by emzylla

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Best base coat I've ever tried. I scrub for surgery with heavy-duty soaps multiple times a day, and somehow this stayed on 5 days without a chip. Unheard of. I combined it with Essie Good To Go & a Sinful Colors (cheap) polish, and I've never had a homemade mani last so long. I apply & wait 10 minutes between each coat.

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

RoseJade on 12/24/2012 8:02:00 PM more reviews by RoseJade

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Wavy   Eyes: Brown    

I don't know what to say about this that hasn't been said. Its a basic first step but unlike others out on the market this truly does what it is suppose to! I'm really impressed and so happy I've finally found a base coat that works. The only problem was getting my hands on it. Haha idk y I had such a hard time finding it but it was well worth the aggravation.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

shinythings01 on 12/6/2012 8:43:00 PM more reviews by shinythings01

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

This is my first review on MUAbut this is seriously the best base coat ever! It makes such a difference in making my manicure last longer. I compared different base coats and when I use this one it takes atleast 4 days before I even see a chip in my nail polish. Go out and buy this!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

smanha on 10/11/2012 7:53:00 PM more reviews by smanha

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Prevents staining for all my lights AND darks!
Dries super fast!
Prolongs the life of my manicure!
ESSIE FIRST BASE TOP COAT WINS!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

linh989 on 10/9/2012 12:43:00 AM more reviews by linh989

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is a pretty decent base coat. Personally, I've found that it works great with other Essie nail polishes as well as Sally Hansen ones. With Essie I can last about 5 days with no chips. For my OPI nail polishes, it works okay, but not fantastically. I can get about 2/3 days with no chips.
Overall, it is definitely worth a try to see if you like it.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

fredinbed on 3/31/2012 11:21:00 PM more reviews by fredinbed

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

This is only my second try at a basecoat, the first product I tried did nothing for me and I was starting to wonder if basecoats were just a marketing gimmick but this one has been great. I usually manage to chip my polish within a day I'm on day four now with only minimal wear. It is expensive where I live ($18.95) so I might try something else next time.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* sensiblenails on 3/5/2012 1:18:00 AM more reviews by sensiblenails

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Dark, Cool   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

This was a good first base coat to have, no pun intended. It was an easy application and my nail polish didn't chip, not even a bit- usually I can bite through it (horrible habit) but it wouldn't even crack!

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

ehunyadi on 8/11/2011 6:00:00 PM more reviews by ehunyadi

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

This product blew.my.mind. I got CND Stickey before purchasing this, and I found the performance to be mediocre: it gave me the same result as using nothing at all. When I tried the Essie, it dried quickly and beautifully and gave my [cheap] nailpolish a super-smooth finish. I used LA Colors Base/Top coat as a top coat after two coats of cheap color. It dried in record time and was gorgeous. I went to sleep and no sheet marks! Ding, Ding, Ding...

Day #1: Went shopping all day. Pawed through various clothing, makeup and assorted other merchandise. I carry a large satchel and dove into that bad repeatedly. Not even so much as a ding. I was impressed, but wait....
Day #2: I was cleaning vinyl siding on my house today. I was scratching mud, bird crap, etc. off with my nails. True story. Did it for four hours. Then cleaned inside the toilet with my bare hands. Oh, yeah. Afterward, my manicure was as fresh as Day #1 without any appreciable edge wear. Wow.

That might have been TMI but when I find a product that I'm impressed with, I shout it off the rooftops. I'm a tough customer and this product was worth every penny of the $9.50 that it cost at ULTA.

I'm wrapping up Day #2 right now, but I'm already SOLD on this base coat. I didn't think this was scientifically possible. Anything that happens after this trial-by-fire is okay with me. It already earned a permanent spot on my shelf.

9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* cakie on 5/28/2011 12:16:00 AM more reviews by cakie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Got this since my fave essie protein base coat was d/c, and i was really indeed of a base coat. Nail polish usually never last more than 2 days on me since I have to wear gloves at work all the time. But with this one, plus a top coat... my nail polish could actually last up to 5 days :D YaYa for this product! Will most likely repurchase if I could no longer get the protein base @ eBay :P

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

jimsland on 4/8/2011 3:11:00 AM more reviews by jimsland

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

Love this product. My seche vite base and top coats dried up and I happened to have this. I've been using it as a base and top coat and it extends my manicures for longer than ever. I wore a dark color and did not have a chip until day 5! And it was a tiny, unnoticeable chip. I will continue to use this. Might be HG!

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

gingersnap90 on 2/8/2011 11:06:00 AM more reviews by gingersnap90

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I love this base coat! I was wavering between China Glaze Strong Adhesion and Orly Bonder, but the Orly Bonder reviews mentioned that polish tended to peel off in sheets and I had that same problem with an OPI base coat (which I do NOT recommend!). China Glaze is hard to come by in my area, so I picked up Essie First Base as a stop gap measure at my local drugstore. I LOVE this product! I've been using it for two weeks now and it really extends the life of my polish! I've also noticed that my nails, which have a tendency to split and peel at the tips, have been much stronger and have not been splitting or peeling. I will definitely buy this product again! This is my new HG base coat!

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Shabby413 on 8/18/2010 7:21:00 PM more reviews by Shabby413

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Best base coat I have ever used. Really prolongs the life of my polish. Couldn't find CND Stickey so I gave this Essie a try and I'm glad I did. Highly recommend.

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

*TOP REVIEWER* sterlingK on 8/17/2010 8:01:00 PM more reviews by sterlingK

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Fair   Hair: Brown, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Other    

I haven't used many base coats this is my second one (hated the first) and I really like it. It seems to make a noticeable difference in how long my nail polish lasts which is a big deal to me since I have to wash my hands MANY times in a day due to the nature of my job. It dried quickly and I got it on sale, couldn't ask for more. Don't know if this will stop my nails from turning yellow which is the real reason I looked into base coats, will leave the rating at 4 until I notice if the yellowing as stopped. Would repurchase so far.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Arbuz on 6/7/2010 5:12:00 PM more reviews by Arbuz

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I don't have so much experience with base coats, but this one is really good. I'm so glad I bought it after reading MUA reviews. Thin texture, dries fast and my nail polishes spread evenly. Great product! Some of my difficult nail polishes applied easily when I used this base coat. HG.

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

*TOP REVIEWER* maliastyle on 3/23/2010 10:54:00 AM more reviews by maliastyle

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

On a recent manicure kick (and obsessed with a couple of Chanel polishes that kill me to watch get chippy after a couple of days) I decided to shop around for a good base coat, which I've never bothered to use. Based on reviews, I picked up this product by Essie, and I'm very satisfied with it. It dries almost instantly (meaning by the time I get to my last nail, the first nail is already dry). I don't know if this is the case with all base coats, but that just thrills me to have no need to wait. My polish does stick a lot better, giving me a few good days of a fresh looking manicure.

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

MissDizzle on 3/4/2010 3:25:00 AM more reviews by MissDizzle

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

Dries quick. Provides a good base for nail polish to stick to. Prevents my nails from staining from red/dark polishes.

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

Centro on 2/18/2010 9:16:00 AM more reviews by Centro

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I love the name haaha. This base coat dries super fast and provides an even surface to paint polish on. I was skeptical about the small brush at first but it glides on precisely and easily.

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

EnglishRoseAmongThorns on 2/7/2010 2:07:00 PM more reviews by EnglishRoseAmongThorns

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I use this base all the time, it applies evenly in a nice thin fast drying coat. It leaves a smooth finish when polish is applied over the top and IMO extends the life of my manis, I usually get around 4-5 days wear with this base. I am around 2/3 down the bottle and it hasn't become a gloopy mess, still easy to apply.

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

JimmyToast on 11/4/2009 12:58:00 AM more reviews by JimmyToast

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I only use OPI or China Glaze polish with Seche top coat( just for the reference). I ran out of my Creative Stickey and our TS does not carry Creative, so I bought this. It seems to work better than Stickey. Polished on Friday and it is Tuesday and I have no chips, just a little wear line on the edge. I won't be surprised if this lasts a week or more. Thrilled to know another reviewer got it to stick to natural nails.

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

*TOP REVIEWER* newsystyle on 11/24/2008 2:40:00 PM more reviews by newsystyle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I don't get my nails professionally done, but I had a gift certificate and so I went. The tech used Essie First Base Basecoat on me much to my surprise. She swore by it and, a week without a chip later, I became a convert. I bought a bottle at Ulta (I think $7) and it has replaced all my other basecoats, including my former go-to Orly Bonder. Bonder would stain my nails yellow and, while it made polish last, it wasn't as long as this Essie.
My nails are not stained, my manicures last until I decide to remove them, and I love this especially because it works with my weak, bendy nails (the box description says it flexes with the nail).
This is my HG basecoat now. Combined with Oh So Wet! topcoat from Sally Beauty Supply, my manicures are very long lasting.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No