OPI Nail Envy, Nail Strengthening Treatment

I normally don't write reviews, but this one is sooo worth the money. I've had this for over a month now, and it's my holy grail. I've tried several nail strengtheners including the all famouse sally hansen ones, and those do not compare to this one. Small background: I'm an artist, but I also work as a security dispatcher. I use my hands a lot, whether it would be computer, phone, pushing, pulling, lifting, painting, whichever, so I am rough with my hands. This also means I'm constantly washing and sanitizing them due to cleaning work spaces very often, several times a day actually. I did not move/treat my hands any different when comparing the other products to this one. First, this one dries much quicker than the average ones: about 5-7 minutes.Personally, I still wait about 10-15 minutes before being normally rough with my hands and using them regularly. I've been fighting brittle nails for months. My nails would break even when they were only a 1mm long and would break at the pink parts of my nails (ouch..) very often. They would bend very easily as well. Nothing worked until I got my hands on this one. Usually with other nail strengtheners, there's always some sort of thick coating that you can 100% tell you have nail polish on of some sort; and they never last that long or actually help with brittle nails: they still break very easily. Other nail strengtheners work like a bandaid. When I would bend my nails, the polish strengtheners would crack like normal ones and deteriorate at a faster rate [~3days] (without bending purposely). With this one, from my experience, it goes to the root of the problem. The polish has a natural shineness and does not act as quick fix compared to others. Even when purposely bending your nails (for testing purposes), it doesn't crack and doesn't even look like anything was applied on top. Yes, orignially getting them done, will look similarly to a regular top-coat nail polish, but once it dries, it looks extremely natural. Even after a couple days, my nails look healthy and the shine on it looks like they have been buffed. It says to reapply every other day, but sometimes I go a week, and they still look good. I have pictures provided of when first applied (after cleaning up nails) and then the pic and video after is after 5 days. Also disclaimer: I started taking biotin & collagen supplements, but I've been using this nail strengthener way before i started them, so what I say still holds up. The supplements just give me extra support and make my nails and skin look a little more healthier.

Alright so this is pretty wild. I’m 24. I work in healthcare so constant hand sanitizer and hand washing. Not only does that make it hard to grow real nails but also I was a chronic nail biter. Constantly did my own gel extensions, dip, acrylic, overlays, everything under the sun. I had stopped doing all that prior to august of 2022 and grown my nails out. I wanted to get them done because my fiancé was going to propose so I went to a local nail salon and the nails they applied stayed on for like a month but as you can see from the first picture, they dug into my actual mail bed and left DEEP grooves in my nails where the edge of the acrylic was placed. Anyhow so that’s how I started. It’s now February 7th 2023 and the last two pictures are what my nails look like right now. I bought this OPI product and it made my nails grow quickly, so that the damage that was done to them initially was gone within 2 months. I’m not gonna lie and say it was instant perfection, but the strength difference even when my nails were compromised that badly was amazing. They didn’t bend anymore. Before even typing on my phone would bend them but after like 3 days of this stuff they were harder than I’ve ever had them be. That extra strength and speed grow boost helped me grow out the damage so I could keep cutting them back until only strong, healthy nail remained. I will forever buy this product. I can’t recommend it enough. Tips: 1. Apply as directed. Seriously. I usually double up the layers and that helps but it does start to chip eventually around the tip of the finger. 2. IT TAKES TIME. If your nails are trash like mine were there’s nothing you can do but grow out the damage and cut it off then grow them long. There’s no other way. Give it time. It took me 4 months to get where I am. 3. In between polishes I like to apply Hard as Hoof to my cuticles and under the nail, and I always give them at least a break overnight before starting fresh. I slap some vitamin E on there too for good measure. 4. Don’t bathe or shower without this stuff on. Moisture makes your nails weak. I also don’t go to work without it on because the hand sanitizer dries them out and makes them brittle.

UPDATE: I’m still using this OPI Nail Envy and loving it. And so is my Mom and all the other people we have converted along the way. Honest to god, this product keeps my nails strong and long. I can’t remember the last time that I had to cut all of my nails because one of them broke. Now I only cut them when they get too long for my own comfort. I still can’t believe these are really my nails, I take a lot of pride in polishing them these days. I will be a forever customer for this particular product. I saw mention that the formula changed...I personally haven’t had any different experience with the bottles that I’ve used recently. Everything is business as usual for me and my nails. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have been using the OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener (Original) all summer and my nails have been stronger and more beautiful than ever. I work in the medical field where there is lots of hand washing and moving of heavy equipment all day long which is just brutal on my nails. I also do a lot of gardening and landscaping which plays a big role in weakening my nails. I started using OPI Nail Envy as a base coat before applying my favorite color polish on top and I've notice quite a difference already in just a couple months. My nails are no longer splitting, peeling, cracking, or bending. This product dries super fast and holds on great to any polish I put on top of it. My color nail polish no longer lifts/separates from the nail, peels, or chips. It stays right in place and just wears evenly along the exposed edges of my nails. I was so impressed with this product that I had my Mom try it when she was staying with me. I forgot to ask her how she liked it before she left. I ended up buying her a bottle here on Amazon and having it shipped to her house. I got a phone call right away after it arrived and she was so thrilled to receive it because in the two weeks that she was using it while staying with me, she had noticed a real difference in her nail growth. She actually asked me where she could repurchase it when she runs out. My Mom follows the directions to a T and only applies the OPI Nail Envy on its own. She applies a coat of it every couple of days and then on day 7 takes all of the polish off and starts over. She loves it, I love it, how could you not love?! My Mom and I have different nail issues, however, this product worked great for both of us. I will definitely be repurchasing this nail strengthener when the time comes. This product is making me love polishing my nails and it's helping me get my money's worth out of the color polishes that I had stopped using because of all of my nail problems. So very happy with this product!

This stuff is amazing. I have naturally very soft, thin nails that are brittle and break super easily. I don't bite them, but they are just always hard to grow out very much. I've tried lots of other products that made little to no difference. This nail strengthener has been AMAZING. I mean I was shocked. I have not had any breakage except for one time when my nail polish had chipped, so it was no longer on top (after 7+ days of wear). I actually have to work to keep my nails short enough to be able to do housework and type well on my computer now! Never had that problem before. I don't use it exactly as the directions say. At the beginning I used it as directed but I don't like the look of my nails without color. Now I wear two coats and put my colored nail polish on top. I use two coats of color, and then a coat of Seche Vite quick dry nail polish (also amazing if you haven't tried it), and my nails look healthy, long, and professionally done. This nail polish is also a great base coat, much better than Orly bonder. My color nail polish does not crack or budge for at least 7 days unless I REALLY pick at it a lot. I think for people who aren't fussy with their nails, it could easily make your nail polish last 10-14 days. The only negative with this strengthener is that it seems to lighten the ends of my nails a very bright white. I wouldn't have a problem with that if it were just the tips that are supposed to be lighter anyway, but it goes further than that. I'm not sure what that's about. It doesn't hurt or cause me problems but I think it would be an issue if I didn't wear color on top. For me, the strength is worth the weird coloring, but I wish I knew what was happening.

I purchased this product after doing some research and finding several who claimed that this was awesome as a top coat and keeping a regular manicure for 7 days. Before I give my review I will say that when it comes to nail polish products, how good a product works is going to TOTALLY depend on your nail chemistry. For me, I am one of the fortunate ones who for the most part have no issues with most brands of polish and they all dry relatively quickly.....yeah for me. Now onto the review.... I have strong nails but wanted to try this as both a base and top coat. As a base coat it was good, but my only complaint (and reason for the 4 stars instead of 5) is that it did turn my nails yellow. And yes it WAS the nail envy b/c I wore the product for a week without any color... and it turned my nails yellow. I'm assuming from the formaldehyde in the product. I no longer use it as a base coat, but LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it as a "primer" for my top coat. I use this after applying my color but before my actual top coat. For whatever reason, the combination of this and my top coat seem to really SEAL in my color and makes my mani last from 5- 7 days with no chips. Doesn't matter if I use an expensive polish or my favorite "cheap" polishes, this stuff seems to work the BEST!! And using it as a primer to my top coat, as it isn't applied directly to my bare nails keeps my nails from yellowing. So..... if it works with your nail chemistry and does not turn your nails yellow I would say use it as a base coat and primer to/or as a top coat!! If it yellows your nails like it did mine, then DEFINITELY as a primer to your top coat or AS a top coat.

I've used OPI for 3 weeks now, following the process to the letter My observation is that the product is very nice, a good-quality attractive nail polish, but the product itself did not harden my actual nails. The process is to layer on the polish several times over a week, then clean it off and start again. My nails themselves are just as brittle as they were before, but the several new layers over a week help to keep them from breaking. Once the polish is cleaned off, I can see the nicks and peels just as they were before, and I haven't been able to grow them much. I've had to cut them down & file them every week. I like the product as a nail polish; it is better quality than drugstore stuff and looks better, with a nice semi-gloss. But my sense is that any reasonably good nail polish would work the same way, simply keeping the nails together, as it were, like a glue, if it was layered on several times over the course of a week. It reminds me of WEN, which purports to be a cleansing conditioner for the hair, making shampoo unnecessary, and making the hair more shiny & healthier. I suspected then (and now) that any good-quality conditioner would work the same way. Same with this nail polish. UPDATE June 13, 2014 -- 3 months later: Fair is fair -- I've upgraded my stars rating from 3 to 5. It did work! I continued to use OPI simply because I liked its looks, but stopped using it the way they recommend (i.e. every few days adding another coat )-- I told myself I'm too busy to obsess over my nails that way, and in any case I felt it wasn't working anyway. I just stripped & repolished my nails on Sunday nights and then not again until the following Sunday night. However, three months later, after this casual use, I can say that my nails are long and strong, without the cracking, chipping, and peeling I had had when I started. No one is more surprised than I, but I'm very glad to be wrong in this case! My recommendation now is to use this product, because it does work. My original review was 3 weeks in, which isn't long enough to grow a full nail. But now, after 3 months, I have grown a full new set of nails, and they are great. It is now clear to me that it is product, and not process, after all. When I cleaned off the polish before, my nails were still brittle & cracking (etc). When I clean it off now, the nails underneath are whole and not peeling & cracking. It really did make a difference. I will continue to use this product and I recommend it without reservation.

Ok, so I've been using this product for exactly a month now. I wasn't sure of it at first, but I read a review that said to stick with it at least a month, and I'm so glad I did. As a little bit of history, my nails haven't been able to grow long nails in the last 4 years - starting when I was pregnant with my son. My nails prior to that would grow relatively ok - they would still chip a bit. But in the last 4 years, my nails have been so brittle and pealed so badly that I couldn't grow them past little stubs. It has been frustrating to say the least. I tried different nail polishes. Different top coats. Shillac nails. Everything I could think of. One day, about a month ago, I got on Amazon and typed in Nail Strengthener. This little gem popped up. I was pleased with the price and read through the reviews and tips. Do, as other reviewers stated, read the instructions and apply it as instructed. In fact, apply it more liberally if you have really bad nails like me. I put on a new coat every other day. Sometimes I leave a coat on over a week since it still looks good and thick. Also, feel free to apply extra in between if you chip a nail or some of the polish wears down or comes off! It'll help your bad nails continue to grow. If I feel the tips starting to wear down, I'll liberally put on extra. Also, I don't recommend taking the polish off your nails and then taking a shower (running a finger through your hair) as your nails won't magically get better underneath (not that I've seen yet). Make sure you remove and reapply in the same setting. Do clean and cut your cuticles. I didn't at first, and the polish stuck to my cuticles dragging them along for the ride. Do buy something to dig the dirt out under your nails. I find, now that I have nails, they can get a little dirty. Do give it at least a month for fabulous results. In a month, as I'm typing this, I have a full set of hard, beautiful nails on both hands! This is the first time in years!!! Do use this product consistently and liberally. Do buy this from Amazon.com. I saw this for almost twice the price at a local pharmaceutical store. Do let this product completely dry before touching something. It takes a long time... a really, really long time to dry. And if you smudge it on something, just reapply extra. It'll harden and cover up the flaw (usually). Do not wear nail polish with it... but with gorgeous nails like this, you'll be ok with the trade off. Do try it!!!! I'm completely impressed. I have the bottle sitting right in front of me at work, and I'm debating buying a bottle for work and for home - for those little times my nails mess up and I need to save them. I can't believe how gorgeous my nails are.

OPI is one of my favorite nail polish but I didn't know about this stuff till my sister bought it and tried it. We both have soft, thin, very bendy nails that hold up to nothing. But she showed me her nails after a month of Nail Envy and they were longer and sturdier, stiffer even, than ever. This after only a month. Now, just to let you know, if you remove it the nails go back to being their old selves. Still, I consider this a miracle product. Not only is it strong and durable, I mean for weeks.....it's the prettiest milky clear I've ever seen, and only one other product has so much glossy shine, I can't remember the name, Diamond Hard I think. They are blindingly glossy almost. They glitter in low light. I kid you not. And they look so soft through the milkiness. It's just gorgeous. But it lasts for weeks without chipping or anything. How the hell this is true is beyond me. I just wear it as my color. And another great perk of this stuff......it cures to hardness amazingly fast. Even nail hardener doesn't work that fast. It goes on smooth and lasts forever....it's a winner in every category. It leaves everyone else in the dust. My hand to God on that. I"ve decided to never be without it again....now, if we can all just convince OPI to not try any "improvements" on it, we will all have marvelously durable, shiny and lovely nails forever. It's probably a smart move to buy a dozen bottles now and keep them in the fridge just in case. It isn't everyday I get to wax so enthusiastically about a product that actually lives up to it's claims. Sorry for all the gushing. My hat is off to your chemists OPI........they definitely know how to make a great product. Not to mention your pretty color pallettes. Thank you and DO NOT change the formula. You've perfected it.

Really good! I love it! It’s easy to apply, and my nails look healthy and polished. I no longer need to rely on gel manicures and pedicures, which could cause my nails to grow unevenly and turn yellowish.

弱くなった爪の保護として買ってみました。 他のブランドのもう少し安いエンビ―とは比べ物にならないくらい良いです。

Gostei do efeito nas minhas unhas.

Really good, quality product that hardens brittle nails. Love it!

I don't know what's in this product, but after 50yrs of doing my nails, this is by far the best I've ever used to help my nails grow. Love this so much I bought another one just incase I dropped my current one. It prevents my nails from splitting and flaking. So impressive, highly recommend