I got this set as a gift from the mama as a self pamper present. was never really a big fan of manicure type things, mostly because I don't have the time or effort to do so. At the time of receiving these I was milking cows. My hands were constantly wet and covered in poop and chemicals. My nails were non existent almost. They were brittle, peeling and broken. I didn't feel confident to show them at all. As a result these were bought for me and oh the difference.
The bottles are quite generous in size so the value is definitely there in that respect. It is a 4 week program which I felt was a lot of effort for me personally to stick to but my nails were so damaged I was willing to give it a go. The instructions say to brush on two coats of the strengthener on the first day and apply one coat each day for a week then remove and start again. On each day you apply the nourishing oil to the cuticles, massaging it in. I was worried that the strengthener may not stick or peel off because of the oil but it definitely works in harmony together and I didn't find that at all. It does have some wear on it from everyday activities but otherwise it's pretty robust. Even after the first 5 days I noticed a huge difference in the appearance and they were no longer breaking. My cuticles weren't bleeding and cracked like they had been either. Winning already and we are only at day 5!
The cuticle nourishing oil isn't as oily as you would think and it doesn't leave your hands slippery like I was imagining it would. It sinks in to the skin pretty quickly and I have grown to like massaging my fingers every morning.....weird I know but it's a small pampering win when it comes to my nails. The thing I like about this duo is that even though it's for the nails as a polish and oil it's not overly smelly of harsh chemicals like alot of nail polishes are. It mean's I can apply it anywhere without the husband getting a headache.
We are now at day 20 and the difference is night and day! Although my nails will always need help because they are always in water they are so much healthier looking than I could imagine. They have grown so much to the point that they look like girls nails now yay. There is no more flaking/peeling or breakages. They are so strong that after having my finger trod on my a yearling my nail didn't break, nor my finger for that matter luckily. They are in the best condition of my adult life!
Day 39.....we reached the end of the system and the bottles are empty. My nails were in excellent condition!! I have already repurchased to carry on with the procedure. I am now pregnant and my nails are lacking in so much goodness. They are beginning to go backwards so time to begin the treatment over. I'm a believer!
My nails are a mess! They're very bendy, ridged, break easily and my cuticles look dry and ragged. I'd heard great things about this duo so I was quick to volunteer my nails for the cause for this trial.
I liked the ease of use of these products. You apply two coats of the strengthener which looks and smells like a thin, almost clear nail polish. It dries really quickly - the first coat is already dried by the time you get to the second coat. You then apply the oil and massage in for a minute This instantly makes your nails look better by giving them a nice shine. You then apply another coat each day for a week, then remove all the strengthener then start again. This is quick and easy to do whilst watching tv so I found it was a routine I could easily stick to.
The results during the first two weeks of using this were great as I didn't have any breakages at all! Sadly my nails began to snag and break in the following two weeks. By the end of the four week trial, my nails looked worse than before I started. My cuticles did look much better but they did start to look a bit ragged again after a few weeks.
On the plus side, I used hardly any product during the 4 weeks so this duo will last for months. It seems to work well for other reviewers so I will give it another go after the suggested two week break from application. Hopefully I'll have better results with prolonged use. I will definitely keep using the oil as this was the better product out of the two for me.