Rimmel • Lasting Finish Pro Nail Enamel Base & Top Coat • Top/Base Coats

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yinyue on 11/4/2010 2:16:00 AM more reviews by yinyue

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I use this polish as both base coat and top coat and I'm pretty happy with the results.


Proof that it works amazingly: Recently I used the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polish by itself with no top coat, and it chipped badly on day 2. But when I apply it with the Rimmel base and top coat, the color lasts for at least 10 days! When I got bored looking at the color and finally decided to change it, it was still in almost perfect condition!


I also *love* the wide brush, it makes it so much easier to apply the polish, 1-2 strokes is all I need. With brands like Essie, it's a nightmare trying to even out the streaks using the wimpy little brush, with my shaky left hand, lol!


The only concern I have is that this polish takes pretty long to dry. As a base coat, it dries fairly quickly and I can apply the color soon after. But it seems that when I apply the top coat, it kind of melts into all the layers under it, and then it takes forever to dry. So even if I leave it overnight, I would see some small scuffs and imperfections the next morning. I generally wait at least 20 minutes between applying each layer so I don't know if that's the issue.


Finally I think the packaging is really nice. The square design is very chic and how cute is the little crown?


Overall I really like this product and I would buy it again!

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alalia86 on 8/18/2010 2:27:00 PM more reviews by alalia86

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

LOVE it.

Using this as a top coat makes my nails look like I just stepped out of a salon.

I deducted a lippie because this product is worthless as a base coat and makes the polish peel off within hours.

I will repurchase, this has replaced OPI as my HG top coat.

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pinkrose838 on 8/4/2010 8:04:00 PM more reviews by pinkrose838

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

Love the packaging, and love the brush. I've only tried the base coat top coat pro as a clear coat, and trust me, it doesn't work. It just peels too easily. As for a base and top coat, I'll keep you posted when I do try.

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*TOP REVIEWER* binkari on 7/14/2010 6:06:00 PM more reviews by binkari

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

When it comes to manicures, I always sandwich my color between a base coat and a top coat. As a result, the vast majority (maybe 90% or more) of my manicures can make it through an entire week without much trouble. That said, I am not very particular about what base coats I use, though that hasn't stopped me from experimenting.


As important as base coats are, I haven't found the need to really splurge on them. They're the least visible layer and their purpose is simple: prime the nail. I have only used this product as a base coat (I'm married to Seche Vite as a top coat), but for all intents and purposes base coat, it works well. CVS was carrying this for $4, so I would say the price was reasonable.


THE BRUSH is very wide and the bristles are firm without being obnoxiously stiff, with a slightly rounded edge-- a real joy to work with. I can cover my thumb with two strokes, and the rest of my fingers can be coated in a single stroke. Honestly, I wish all brushes were like this!


THE ACTUAL POLISH is on the watery side, though that's not exactly a bad thing. Simply swirling the bottle around will show that. It dries a little slower than the other two base coats I've tried (Seche Base and Maybelline Express Finish), but not by very much. It takes about 3 minutes to dry. The final finish on natural nail is shiny, feels just slightly gritty to the touch on natural nail.


I haven't had any yellowing issues with this, either, though I recommend that you take any base coat out for a trial run to check for yellowing (sometimes it's not the base coat's problem, it might be your remover or something else).


All in all, I'm pleased with my purchase and would definitely buy this again, if only for the magical brush. :)


EDIT: just tried this as a top coat and was not particularly pleased with the results. The thin formula means your brush strokes may show up after application (so you might need more than one coat, especially for glitter polishes with a rough finish), and it takes a very, very long time to dry. Put this over a nailboard swatch and it still felt a little soft even after letting it sit overnight.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ashleyanders on 6/24/2010 4:42:00 PM more reviews by ashleyanders

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

- Skip down to 'Final Consensus' for short summary of overall thoughts on product -


* Edit in the review, October 2011: Lowered my overall rating to a 3.


What it Claims:
"Professional polished perfection for flawless up to ten-day colour and shine...Lasting Finish Pro Nail Enamel creates a smooth and super glossy finish for up to 10 days of maximum colour impact and shine...The formula is ultra flexible and long wearing with superior shock absorption and chip resistance. The Mistake-Free Pro brush features a wide angled brush for a fast and mistake-free professional application. With more than 800 fine textured bristles, the brush is designed to adapt to any nail shape and require less strokes to apply, while delivering a super smooth finish and truly streak-free results."


Claims - True or False?
1) Up to 10 days of wear: Depends on the polish.
2) Smooth and super glossy finish: False.
3) Chip resistance: Depends on the polish.
4) Fast and mistake-free application: True.
5) Streak-free results: True.


Packaging:
Comes in a square glass bottle, completely clear in colouring, and a white cap. The cap is quite long and narrows toward the tip, and has a small crown on the top. The plastic used for the cap is slick, meaning it has less grip. It's not a huge problem, though. The brush is on the larger side, although not as wide as the OPI brushes. I'd say that it is about as long as OPI's, and does not seem to have a V shape to it. It basically looks like two small brushes placed side-by-side, which it pretty much is. The plastic that holds the brush is not rounded, but instead flattened on both sides, making it easy to remove any residual polish from its sides before using.


Consistency:
This base & top coat is actually quite thin. In the bottle, when tipped, it moves around almost like water, yet is thick enough to stay on the brush long enough to use. I love how thin it is, as it easily spreads across the nail, mostly without assistance. It also dries quickly when used as a base, but takes a long time to dry when used as a top coat, I'd say at least 24 hours for it to dry hard.. Finish is shinier than it is glossy, and loses sheen over time - I am not big on super glossy, so this is not a negative for me. The formula thickened when there was about 1/3rd left. One thing I initially did not notice was the bubbling it caused. I'm not sure if it started bubbling as the bottle got older, or if my first bottle didn't bubble much, but eventually all of my applications resulted in way too much bubbling.


Wear and Tear:
As previously mentioned, this definitely does bubble. And it seems to be a common issue with the product, as I've seen many reviewers mention that it eventually leads to bubbles - I think that its bubbling factor varies from bottle to bottle, as some will experience bubbling immediately, and others only once it's been used for a while. It also only seems to really extend wear for the Rimmel polishes themselves, but with other brands it didn't seem to help in any way. It also didn't help much with staining. For Rimmel polishes, I'd say it extended wear by maybe 3-4 days, and for non-Rimmels, maybe a day. Aside from bubbling, I also eventually noticed that it caused peeling, so much so that in some cases I could peel off the entire polish application as though it were one solid sticker!


Bang for your Buck:
This base & top coat cost $5.00 for 0.45oz or 13.3ml. Not much is needed with each use, but because it does serve as a base and top coat, it can end up being used up faster than if you were using it only as a base or top coat. At 5 bucks, it's definitely a good deal, as you can easily find drug store products on sale or BOGO, and the bottle itself can usually last for quite a while before it starts to thicken beyond use.


Final Consensus:
Not the first product I'd recommend for a base or top coat, but if you need something cheap, you may as well give it a chance and see if it responds well with your nails. Average performance, average product, but not something I can really say I absolutely hate. Will not repurchase.
- Pros: Cheap, 2-in-1 product, easily accessible, gives a more natural sheen, easy application, great brush, formula does not seem to dry out easily.
- Cons: A little too watery, small bottle, may not provide enough shine for some, doesn't extend wear-time for polishes unless it's a Rimmel brand, bubbles, can peel quite easily.


Overall Rating: 3/5
Price: 1/5
Packaging Quality: 3/5
Would you buy this product again: No.

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