Neutrogena • Instant Nail Enhancer [DISCONTINUED] • Treatments

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alizkandariyya on 3/30/2006 3:27:00 AM more reviews by alizkandariyya

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Black    

I wanted to like this stuff, but even though it looked nice when it first went on, it is slightly problematic that it DESOLVES WHEN YOU WASH YOUR HANDS! It didn't improve or damage my nails, but if you wash your hands more than once per day (and I hope you do!), then this is definitely not worth the time.

I had some nail polish when I was about 5 made for kids that just peels off your nails & isn't permanent. This reminds me alot of that. And at the tips of you nails it kinda sticks off the end in globs.

Overall, nice in theory but completely impractical. Just stick with clear polish.

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villagemom on 3/20/2006 11:47:00 AM more reviews by villagemom

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

This stuff works like magic for me. I've never been able to grow my weak nails past the end of my fingers unless I polish, etc.. every day, something not possible for a busy mom with four kids and a business. With this product, I swipe it on in 30 seconds after my morning shower and enjoy longer, strong, healthy-looking nails without another thought. I no longer have to hide short, ugly nails from other people. I love it. One of my 4 used bottles did clog up, and I had to replace, but the others worked like a charm.

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*TOP REVIEWER* rperrin on 3/12/2006 1:17:00 AM more reviews by rperrin

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Other, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I love this product. As a makeup artist, my hands are always in and out of water, hand sanitizer and other cleansers/products. I can barely keep one coat of a strengthener on my nails, much less regular nail polish (except for a sheer coat of a high shimmer/light glitter polish on occasion) for more than a day.

I used to love getting my nails done, and when I started doing makeup I even went the "gels" route - ruined my natural nails that have always been strong. It took me forever to get them back to normal, with the use of the Jessica Nail System (wonderful productst, too!). So this nail enhancer is a gift to those of us who can't hold a french manicure or any other fresh look, but need a touch of shine with some extra strength. It wears off after a day or so, but never looks bad or unprofessional. Some of my cleansers remove a portion of it, but I don't really care. It's still worth it and it's so quick!

One other product I play with for my nails, especially during the winter when my naturally hard nails get brittle, is Jessica "Bend Don't Break". I can actually get a couple of days of wear, out of a coat of it.

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PissyMissy on 3/8/2006 11:24:00 PM more reviews by PissyMissy

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

for the first 2 uses, I loved this product. it gave a nice, natural shine and disguised chips.
BUT, after 2 -3 times, the product just won't come out of the tube. I shake, squeeze, press down on tip...everything. I thought it was just the one I bought, but nope...2nd purchase did the same thing. I won't buy this a third time. a clear nail polish will do the same thing for me.

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zila on 2/27/2006 12:30:00 AM more reviews by zila

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

right now, this is a holy grail product for me. i'd been using nail strengtheners, (nailtiques, etc), and they all acted, more or less, like nail polish---built up, had to be removed with remover. and chipped, instead of always looking smooth and lightly shiny. with this, my nails always look neat and shiny. they don't crack and break as much as they used to--and i can see a difference if i stop using it for a week. and the polish just rubs off in the shower, leaving nails clean for a new coat. i have and use both versions of this--i wish they would come out with a pale pink/ peach or rose--some other hint of color or opalescence. its a great product; i haven't found anything else like it.

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sayitrite on 2/22/2006 12:11:00 AM more reviews by sayitrite

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

The packaging is great, I didn't have any problems with it. I also liked how it dried so fast. But I dont like the smell and it doesnt really do anything for my nails.

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vtinkysx3 on 2/21/2006 8:36:00 PM more reviews by vtinkysx3

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

im using the pearl sheen one.
looove it cuz either i cant nail polish good at home or all those nail polish make my nail weak!! my nails have a tendency to peel/ rip/ break/ whatever in recent years for no reasons at all and instant nail enhancer saves my nail! i would love to see more color selections though...
one thing i dun like about it is that it always comes off in shower and i dun usually have time to re-apply before i go out (since i shower in the morning). another i that the dispenser is sometimes hard to use, either too much or nothing at all.

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JinaChan on 2/21/2006 1:52:00 PM more reviews by JinaChan

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

This gives a smooth, natural but flawless look to my pitted nails. Unlike nail polish, it does not contain phthalates, and it doesn't peel off and look terrible in a few days.

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TXwildcat02 on 2/1/2006 11:38:00 AM more reviews by TXwildcat02

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Overall, I think this product is OK. I bought the Buffed Sheen. I agree w/ other reviewers that if you get too much on, then it peels and becomes gummy. I do like the brush though - great idea! It also makes your nails look nice, not too shiny.
The only complaint I really have is that it doesn't last long on your nails - for me it hasn't lasted a whole day & then you can see spots where you have sheen & spots where it is just bare nail. So, the constant re-application is a little annoying, but it does dry SUPER fast. Also, to me, this smells a little like super-glue.
I think this is an interesting idea & am still undecided as to whether I will re-purchase.

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exdi on 1/25/2006 1:01:00 AM more reviews by exdi

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this in Buffed Sheen, and it works wonderfully. It really does give a natural look, and really strengthened my nails. I've been using this for about two weeks now, and haven't experienced any gumminess or peeling like some other reviewers have reported. I don't use it everyday, though. More like once every two to three days. Anyway, tonight I clipped my nails, and they were TOUGH. I've never had such a hard time cutting them before, and I guess this is to blame, but at least I haven't gotten any big chips and hangnails like I usually do after several weeks! Although I admit that I did get a hangnail today, but that was because I smashed my hand really hard into the wall. There's nothing to protect one against being a klutz!

Update: My nails do get gummy after a while, so use this wisely and sparingly. Also, it's important to degunk the brush. I'll have to take off a lippie. I'm just going to stick to clear polish, which is cheaper.

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*TOP REVIEWER* kitty62 on 1/16/2006 11:18:00 AM more reviews by kitty62

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Yes, this can definitely build up and peel off. But the trick is to apply as thin a coat as possible. And if you follow Neutrogena's directions .. to squeeze the tube while holding it upside down .. too much product will flow out. So after some experimenting, I found that it's best not to squeeze at all after shaking, and to hold the tube at only a 45-degree angle. I also tap the tube onto a tissue before applying to get any excess off the brush. With this method, I'm able to use this everyday without any peeling or buildup.
I use this in the daytime, applying right after my shower. At night, I use Burt's Bees lemon butter cuticle cream. The dry, ridgy look my nails usually get at this time of year is gone, and that's exactly what I was hoping for.
I highly recommend this if you want to break the vicious cycle of using nail polish to cover up peeling, dry-looking nails. Whether it's the actual product doing the job, or just laying off the polish, the mission has been accomplished.

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*TOP REVIEWER* redhairdreamer on 1/15/2006 11:11:00 PM more reviews by redhairdreamer

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

I didnt see much improvement, or really much of anything with this product. I know its a natural buffed look, but it didnt really look much different from the hand I didnt do. What I loveeee is the packaging. Every nail polish should be like this. I was able to do both the right and left hand with ease. I dont know why more nail polishes arent made this way. Maybe its because they are thicker? Overall I dont think ill buy it again. The smell wasnt bad at all I just dont see it really being worth buying it it doesnt do much. But maybe you would like it.
*UPDATE: I switched to No Miss products for nails. They are amazing! and as natural as nail products can be.

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Brendelwoman on 1/15/2006 9:46:00 PM more reviews by Brendelwoman

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

This is a great product is you want a pretty look for your nails but don't want to actually buff them or apply messy polish.

Pearl Sheen - I bought both the buff and the pearl. At first I did not like the pearl, but now I have decided it is a nice change and looks quite pretty. However, it requires more maintenance than the buff. For one, I shake the bottle more than I do with the buff and I only apply one coat. Putting on more than one with the Pearl tends to look gloppy, imo. I do dishes by hand and this will not last through a dish washing. And because of the pearliness of this, you will notice it as it wears away. But that's okay because I can easily put it on again.

Buff Sheen - this is great for that buffed look. With kids it is great because I just put a coat of this on after I apply my make-up. I can apply it every day as it takes a maximum of 10 seconds!

Price - $6 is a little price, I think, but I will keep using it.

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brooksbelle on 1/11/2006 12:51:00 PM more reviews by brooksbelle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Love this product!! I had to experiment a bit to figure out how it works best, but it really does strengthen the nails. The trick seems to be to just wear ONE coat of it until it wears off. If you get it too thick, it can peel and get a little gunky. I now apply it about 2-3 times a week. This product is best if you want a natural/no polish look and want a little shine and nourishing treatment for your nails.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Wendy1954 on 1/6/2006 2:06:00 AM more reviews by Wendy1954

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I was attracted to this product by the concept, but the follow up left a lot to be desired. When I first applied it, I was very happy with the product. It went on evenly, dried instantly w/o much polish smell. The negative is that if you don't apply it all the time and your nails bend even slightly, it leaves that cracked ridgy look that another application does not cover up. Then it just looks like clear polish that is wearing off badly. I do wish it worked because I like the clean buffed look on my hands. I am a cheap SOB so I will still use it and if I have a change of heart, I'll update my findings. Sorry Neutrogena, back to the drawing board.

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tropical___pinkk on 12/30/2005 12:16:00 PM more reviews by tropical___pinkk

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I LOVE this stuff. I am a big fan of being au naturale with my nails, and this is absolutely perfect! I have used both the Pearl Sheen and the Buff Sheen, however, I only used the Pearl Sheen once (it's my friend's). I have to say that my Buff Sheen is great! It dries very quickly, no bad smell, and it literally gives my nails an instant sheen that makes my nails look like I just buffed them. My nails already feel stronger and look so much healthier! After SHAKING the bottle, and applying ONE coat of this stuff at night, I wake up with healthy and smooth nails. I used Pearl Sheen, and I found that you neeeed to shake the bottle and give it a decent squeeze, then after that the product starts to flow. I am definitely buying this product again!

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*TOP REVIEWER* MegE on 12/19/2005 7:30:00 PM more reviews by MegE

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

At first I liked this product. I purchased the pearl shade and it left a, um, pearl sheen. =) I liked the applicator, and it applied smoothly and quickly. But it wears uneavenly and my nails don't look as healthy as they should. It peels a bit, too. Waste of money.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Brelki on 12/2/2005 6:17:00 PM more reviews by Brelki

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I just started using this product, but I haven't experienced the peeling of it in the water. I also can't really notice a difference yet either. It does give my nails a nice shine though (I'm using the regular clear version). I'm not one to wear nail polish, so this is a great choice instead of clear topcoat, and this sounds healthier for my nails too! I LOVE the applicator; it is so much easier to use than nail polish (sadly, my left hand cannot paint my right one).
All in all, this is a pretty nice product. I'll update this later after I've used it more. If it works well, I'll buy the pearl one.

UPDATE: I really do like this product, and my nails seem stronger. My dh even commented the other day that my nails look nice.

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vietgurlisa on 11/9/2005 10:43:00 PM more reviews by vietgurlisa

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

This product is great! Every polish or basecoat I use chips off in a day. I liked this concept. This makes your nails looked like you buffed them, with a very subtle shine, not like clear nail polish or anything. If you like the buff natural look, then this is for you!

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df1965 on 10/31/2005 7:57:00 AM more reviews by df1965

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

This is a great product. I have tried various other nail products for strengthening and have not been happy until now. I had read a review of this product in a magazine and decided to give it a shot. Within a week I noticed a smoother texture to my nail.My nails have definitely grown and spliting seems to have ended after only two weeks of use.Unlike other reviewers, I have not experienced the gummy feeling on nails. Use it lightly as the instructions say and you're good to go. Cudos to Nuetrogena- they have another fine product to boast about. Definitely my HG nail product forever.

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