The 10 Best Nail Bases of 2022
The bright color of a manicure without chips largely depends not only on the colored gel polish itself, but on the base on which it is applied. We will tell you how to choose the right one, what is a rubber base, and how it can be used to strengthen and align the nail plate

Now on the shelves of cosmetic stores you can find dozens of a wide variety of bases for nails from a variety of manufacturers.1. It is on the transparent base that colored varnish is applied, and then the top. It protects the nail plate from the harmful effects of the polymer material, smoothes and strengthens it, and also saves it from staining and yellowing. It also provides strong adhesion of the nail to the artificial material, which helps to avoid chips and cracks.

The base is applied to a thoroughly cleaned and degreased surface in a thin even layer. Due to the self-leveling property, a high-quality coating will itself be neatly distributed over the surface of the nail plate without bubbles and sagging. Together with an expert, we have compiled a ranking of the best bases for nails in 2022.

Rating of the top 10 best bases for nails according to KP

So, let’s open our rating with the 10th position.

10. UNO LED/UV Rubber Base

A popular nail base for both professionals and home use is the Rubber Base from the UNO brand. A couple of years ago, this base was one of the five most popular products for nail service and still has not lost its popularity. UNO Base Strong has a medium-thick consistency, perfectly levels out, does not shrink on long nails and does not bake in the lamp. Due to the dense texture, it is well suited for flexible, soft and brittle nails, strengthening them and leveling the surface. Due to its rather thick consistency, it does not flow on the cuticle and on the side rollers, while it is quite easy to apply and distribute. It is worth noting a comfortable elastic brush with a smooth cut, as well as the fact that the base is easily soaked and removed with a gel polish remover. Does not contain formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate and camphor, which has a positive effect on the health of the nail plate.

Advantages and disadvantages

safe composition, does not bake in the lamp, suitable for all types of nails
rather high price, there is a risk of running into a fake
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9. Lovely Nails Rubber Base

Rubber Base from Lovely Nails has a fairly thick consistency, so when applied in one layer it evens out all the irregularities and defects of the nail plate, strengthening and protecting against yellowing and pigmentation, and is also very economical in consumption. And if you buy a tube of 50 ml, then it will last for sure for a long time. The base is camouflage: available in nude pale pink, beige and translucent white, can be used without a color layer for a jacket – just apply the base in two layers.

The main advantages of the base: easy to apply, spreads quickly, provides strong adhesion of gel polish to the nail plate, long and durable coating without chips and detachments up to 3-4 weeks (or even longer if correction was not required due to nail growth) . A comfortable wide densely packed brush, as well as the absence of a pungent chemical smell, makes application easy and convenient even for a beginner at home.

Advantages and disadvantages

incredible durability of the coating, economical consumption, strengthens the nail plate, suitable for jacket
bakes strongly in the lamp, can only be removed by cutting
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8. Vogue Nails Base Coat Rubber

Rubber base coat from the brand Vogue Nails is a thick elastic rubber base suitable for strengthening thin, soft and weakened nails, as well as for leveling the nail plate. The line has 12 nude translucent shades from pale pink to peach, and therefore the base can be used at the same time as a color coating suitable for a jacket. Any gel polish also fits perfectly on it, does not spread, does not form bubbles and does not shrink. The coating is durable and resistant – no detachments, chips or scratches for at least 2-3 weeks. The base polymerizes in both UV and LED lamps. The recommended curing time is 3 and 1 minute respectively.

First of all, the original design of the bottle attracts attention – the cap is made in the form of a half-blown rose bud. The brush is quite thick, you need to try not to stain the cuticle and side ridges.

Advantages and disadvantages

compatible with gel polishes from other companies, suitable for soft and weak nails
not very comfortable brush
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7. KLIO Professional Rubber Base Extra

Extra-thick rubber base Rubber Base Extra from KLIO Professional is ideal for problematic nails – thin, exfoliating, prone to brittleness. Despite the thick consistency, the base is easy to apply, it does not flow and is perfectly leveled, while the nail plate looks natural, without excess volume. At the same time, the cost of the funds itself is minimal.

Rubber Base Extra is great for repairing, building up and leveling the nail plate, as well as for attaching rhinestones – even large ones. Separately, it is worth noting a convenient brush – shortened, flat with evenly trimmed dense pile.

Advantages and disadvantages

well leveled, strengthens nails, economical consumption, does not flow
bakes in a lamp, especially if applied in several layers to even out the nail plate
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6. Luxio Gel Base Natural

Camouflage base Luxio gel Base Natural is a classic base coat from the Canadian brand Luxio2. The manufacturer describes the base as “a 100% gel that provides a strong, durable, beautiful coating, protects the nail from external damage and gives a bright glossy shine.” The base has a rather liquid consistency, is easy to apply and spread, does not have a strong chemical odor, does not cause allergic reactions, and is easily and quickly removed with a liquid (Akzentz Soak Off). Separately, it is worth noting the original and very comfortable brush – narrow, short, tightly packed, with a perfect cut. Such a brush easily applies the material even under the cuticle and paints over all corners well, without streaks. The durability of the coating with the Luxio gel Base Natural base is about 2-3 weeks, without chips and detachments, while you can only count on easy alignment, but building up and building the architecture of the nail is excluded.

Advantages and disadvantages

comfortable brush, easy to apply without streaks, resistance at least 2-3 weeks without chips and detachments
high price, not suitable for building, sags on long nails
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5.Imen Rubber base

The Rubber base from the famous brand Imen has a medium (closer to thick) consistency, which allows even beginners to easily and evenly distribute the coating over the nail plate, without sagging and staining the cuticles and side ridges. The base is self-levelling, suitable for all types of nails, including thinned and weakened ones. Curing time in LED lamp is at least 30 seconds, in UV – 60 seconds (professionals recommend using a combined LED / UV lamp).

The durability of the coating with the base is excellent – at least 2-3 weeks without chipping, does not conflict with the color coatings of other brands, and is also well removed with a liquid (after sawing off the top layer).

Advantages and disadvantages

does not conflict with other brands of color coatings, easy and economical to apply, durability 3 weeks
can sag on long nails
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4. Lianail Factor Base

The instant base for a thin coating from the Latvian brand Lianail has a rather liquid consistency, which makes it easy to apply, but does not spread, and does not weigh down the nail plate, and is also perfectly leveled. There is also a base option with a thicker consistency. Suitable as a base for gel, acrylic and acrygel.

Thin coating is suitable for nails that do not require alignment. But the thick rubber base is suitable for both leveling and building. The black matte bottle with the product itself looks very stylish and expensive, but it gets dirty easily. The brush has a standard shape, the pile is soft, the hairs are cut evenly, it paints well near the cuticle and side ridges.

Advantages and disadvantages

comfortable brush, does not spread and does not weigh down the nail plate
small volume (only 10 ml)
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3. Cosmoprofi Base Coat

Cosmoprofi rubber transparent base for nails eliminates all the irregularities of the nail plate and creates a smooth and durable base for applying gel polish. Despite the fairly liquid consistency, the base is easy to apply and level, creates a medium-hard frame without excess volume, protects nails from yellowing, delamination and coloring pigments. The base is mainly used on strong, undeformed nails, does not bake when polymerized in a lamp. Polymerization in the LED lamp takes only a minute, in the UV lamp – 2 minutes. The base does not chip or crack for at least 3 weeks.

Advantages and disadvantages

does not bake in the lamp, self-levelling, prevents delamination and yellowing of nails
not suitable for problematic or weakened nails
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2. ARTEX base coat Make-up Corrector Rubber

ARTEX Make-up Corrector Rubber is ideal for strengthening and smoothing the nail plate, filling all cracks and irregularities. The base is suitable for working with thin, brittle, short nails under gel polish or gel paint. Many masters use it to create nail architecture and to increase the length.

 Base coat Make-up Corrector Rubber does not chip or peel, easy to apply and level, does not bake in the lamp. Due to the ideal camouflage nude shades, it does not require an additional color layer and is not noticeable when the nail grows. When removing the coating, it does not require preliminary washing down of the surface and is perfectly removed with a liquid within 5-10 minutes, therefore it is suitable for an express manicure. The base coat is available in two volumes – 15 and 50 ml.

Advantages and disadvantages

suitable for brittle and problematic nails, not noticeable during regrowth, easy to remove
not compatible with other gel polishes
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Expert selection

BANDI base coat ULTRA CURE

The camouflage base coat ULTRA CURE from the professional Korean nail brand BANDI solves three problems at once – it strengthens the nail plate, at the same time it is both a reliable base and a color coating (the range includes a lighter shade of CC Nude and a darker BB Cover). The base not only levels and protects the nails, but also moisturizes and strengthens them due to the content of sunflower seed oils, tea tree leaves, rosemary, brown algae and horse chestnut oils, as well as wheat proteins and vitamins. The durability of the coating without chips and cracks is up to three weeks, due to the nude shade, the nails look natural, healthy and shiny. This base is ideal for French coats.

Advantages and disadvantages

natural composition, base and color at the same time, durability up to 3 weeks without chipping
small selection of colors
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How to choose a base for nails

When choosing a suitable base for nails, first of all, it is necessary to assess the condition of the nail plate, whether it needs additional strengthening, which layer – dorsal (keratinized keratin), intermediate (soft keratin) or ventral (nail bed keratin) will have to work with. So, plastic soft bases give significant shrinkage and do not strengthen nails. Bases of medium hardness give a small shrinkage and good adhesion of the material to the natural nail, and also weakened and soft nails can be strengthened with such bases. Rigid bases do not shrink, strengthen nails well, but the quality of adhesion leaves much to be desired, detachments may appear.

What are the bases for nails

Bases for nails are divided into several types. The first criterion is stiffness – the bases are hard, medium hard and elastic3. Solid bases after polymerization give a rigid fixed coating, hold their shape well, do not bend or crack. Hard bases work well for long nails, as they strengthen the “stress zone” and also help align the nail plate.

Bases for nails of medium hardness partially retain the mobility of the nail, but may crack. Such bases are well suited for short and strong nails.

Elastic nail bases form a flexible layer, ideal for weak soft and thin nails, as well as for leveling the nail plate.

Also bases for nails are divided into transparent and camouflage. Transparent bases do not contain any pigment, suitable for any color coating. Camouflage bases have a color (as a rule, shades are neutral – milky, soft pink, beige, peach), so they do not require a mandatory color coating and are ideal for a jacket and nude manicure.

Popular questions and answers

Why the base can chip or is it possible to use a top instead of a base nail master Anastasia Garanina will tell.

Is it possible to apply gel polish without first applying a base?
– This option is possible only when using a single-phase or two-phase gel polish, otherwise all the color pigment will go into the nail plate, and the coating itself will not last very long – chips and detachments will appear in a few days.
Can I use a top instead of a base?
– Top is a topcoat that protects the brightness of the color from tarnishing, and also adds shine. That is, the top and the base have completely different tasks, the top cannot but strengthen the nail plate, level it, or protect it from pigment penetration. So using it instead of the base will not work.
Is it possible to increase the length of the base?
– It will not work to fully build up a nail with a simple base for nails; there are special materials for this. But you can slightly lengthen the nail or its corner with the help of an elastic base.
Why does the base bake in the lamp when drying?
– During polymerization, a chemical reaction occurs in the lamp with the release of heat – hence the feeling of pronounced heat or even burning. Whether the base will bake (gel polishes and tops do not suffer from this) depends on several factors. For example, the more photoinitiators in the base that are responsible for its curing, the larger the oven will be. That is, the faster the base polymerizes, the more heat is released. The master can apply a thicker layer of material than required, or the nail is too thin and weak – all this also affects the intensity of sensations. Therefore, it is important not to endure discomfort, but to immediately inform the master about it in order to avoid burns. Also, instead of one thick layer of the base, it is better to apply two thin layers, and also reduce the lamp power if it starts to burn noticeably.
Why is the base chipping?
– Almost all professional bases provide high-quality adhesion of gel polish to a natural nail, so you don’t have to worry about peeling and chipping for several weeks. However, in some cases, chips may still appear. For example, if the technique of applying the base is violated, or the nail plate is too thin and very soft (in this case, preliminary strengthening of the nails with acrylic powder will help). If you often work with water and household chemicals – for example, you actively wash dishes every day or do wet cleaning without gloves, the base may also last less.
What is base alignment?
– Not everyone can boast of perfectly even nails – tubercles, dents, depressed areas are often found. Using the base for nails, you can even out the surface of the nail plate, due to which the coating will be more durable. For leveling, a base of thick or medium consistency is suitable (liquid will spread), which is applied in 2 thin layers and polymerized in a lamp.

Sources of

  1. Marketing research of buyers of goods. Aleksandrova V. Yu, Bolshakova Yu.S., Uskova AA Collection of scientific articles of the 9th International Youth Scientific Conference. Kursk, 2021, pp. 11-16.
  2. Features of brand promotion in the NAIL industry. M. S. Kaliev, N. P. Sokhatskaya. Bulletin of the Atyrau University of Oil and Gas. S. Utebaeva No. 1 (57) 2021.
  3. Analysis of criteria for choosing goods for a nail salon. Aleksandrova V. Yu, Bolshakova Yu.S., Uskova AA Collection of scientific articles of the 9th International Youth Scientific Conference. Kursk, 2021, pp. 39-43.

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