To strengthen thin, weak nails, Nails of the Day offers Fiber base with nylon fibers; for pedicures, the brand recommends its liquid Scotch base. The brand calls its Rubber base universal: it levels up to 1 mm but does not strengthen. In our catalog, BIAB means liquid builder gels that strengthen natural nails. Under Heylove Smart Gel, a thin layer of Rubber Base goes on first.
Nails of the Day clear bases: Rubber base, Fiber base, Scotch base and Builder base Strong Gel
| Parameter | RUBBER BASE | FIBER BASE | SCOTCH BASE | BUILDER BASE STRONG GEL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acidity (pH) | moderately acidic, pH 5.7 | moderately acidic, pH 5.7 | acidic, pH 4.5 | base gel |
| Consistency | medium | medium | liquid | liquid |
| Flexibility | elastic | non-elastic | elastic | elastic in a thin layer |
| Leveling | up to 1 mm | up to 1-1.2 mm | no | no |
| Strengthening | no | yes | no | yes *two-layer application |
| Purpose | universal | strengthening base with fibers | thin undercoat for all materials; for pedicures | under hard modeling materials |
| Cure time | 60 sec | 60 sec | 90 sec | 90 sec |
| Application | layer up to 1 mm | layer up to 1-1.2 mm | thin rubbed-in layer | thin rubbed-in layer |
| Nail prep | standard | standard | standard | roughening the nail plate with a 180-240 grit file |
| Ultrabond | on stress zones and the free edge | on stress zones and the free edge | no | on the whole nail |
| Time to infill | up to 3-4 weeks | up to 3-4 weeks | up to 3-4 weeks | until infill, no full removal |
| Volume | 10 ml/30 ml | 10 ml/30 ml | 10 ml/30 ml | 10 ml/30 ml |
Base coat for gel polish
Which base strengthens thin, weak nails?
Nails of the Day Fiber base 10 ml, with nylon fibers, is made for strengthening, growing out and protecting weakened or thin nails. Nails of the Day Builder base Strong Gel 10 ml strengthens too, but only in two layers. Nails of the Day Rubber base does not strengthen.
How do you level the nail plate, and how thick should the base be?
Nails of the Day Rubber base 10 ml goes on up to 1 mm thick and the brand's Fiber base up to 1-1.2 mm; Scotch base and Builder base Strong Gel are rubbed in thin and not meant for leveling. Lunamoon's main leveling rule: the free edge should be 0.5 mm thick. Lunamoon works in two steps: a base layer rubbed in with a flat brush, covering all the sidewalls, then a separate leveling layer. Lunamoon warns that its Rubber Base can cause a warming or burning sensation on damaged and very thin nails, but not on healthy nails.
Touch Rubber base 30 ml has a medium consistency that allows single-drop leveling; on long nails, use it only as an undercoat. Heylove Rubber base 15 ml works as an underlayer or a leveling base: it does not run and self-levels quickly.
Where does ultrabond go, and should you wipe off the sticky layer?
Under Rubber base and Fiber base, Nails of the Day recommends ultrabond (a bonder) on the stress zones and free edge; under Builder base Strong Gel, on the whole nail; under Scotch base, none. Rubber base, Fiber base and Scotch base take standard nail prep, while Builder base Strong Gel requires the nail plate roughened with a 180-240 grit file, ultrabond over the entire plate and thorough mechanical prep. Apply Nails of the Day Ultrabond 10 ml thinly to dry nails after the dehydrator, then wait 15-20 seconds. Heylove Ultrabond 15 ml goes on the nail plate only, avoiding the cuticle and nail folds; let it dry for about 20 seconds before the base. Before Heylove Rubber base, apply an acid primer or ultrabond for better adhesion.
Before gel polish, what you do with the sticky (inhibition) layer on Nails of the Day Rubber base, Fiber base and Scotch base and on Heylove Rubber base depends on the brands: if the base and gel polish are the same brand, it is better to leave it on; if you combine different brands, it is better to wipe it off so the materials do not conflict. Lunamoon recommends leaving the sticky layer on after the base layer: it helps the base bond chemically with the leveling layer, and removing it weakens adhesion and raises the risk of lifting. After leveling and filing the shape, Lunamoon advises wiping off the sticky layer and applying a thin coat of gel polish or camouflage base.
How long should the base cure in the lamp?
Nails of the Day recommends curing Rubber base and Fiber base for 60 seconds, Scotch base and Builder base Strong Gel for 90 seconds. Heylove Rubber base cures for 60 seconds in a UV/LED lamp. Touch Rubber base and Touch Builder Liquid cure in a 48 W lamp: the base for 60 seconds, the gel for 60-120 seconds. Lunamoon Rubber Base 30 ml needs 60 seconds for the base layer and 90 seconds for the leveling layer in a genuine 36-48 W lamp. Lunamoon warns that its Rubber Base is highly sensitive to ultraviolet light and can cure faster than classic bases, so the brand recommends working away from windows and direct sunlight and keeping the bottle in the dark.
Which base should you use for pedicures?
For pedicures, Nails of the Day recommends Scotch base: a thin layer under all materials that needs no extra ultrabond. Nails of the Day Scotch base 10 ml is a liquid adhesive base applied thinly under gel, polygel, colored bases or gel polish, not for leveling. Touch Rubber base is not recommended for pedicures.
Should you buy a 10 ml or a 30 ml bottle?
Choose by how fast you get through a bottle and how long it keeps once opened: Lunamoon advises keeping an opened Rubber Base no longer than 18 months. For Nails of the Day and Touch bases it is 12 months, for Heylove Rubber base 24 months.
All four Nails of the Day bases come in 10 and 30 ml. We stock the brand's Rubber base, Fiber base and Builder base Strong Gel in 10 ml, and Scotch base in 10 and 30 ml (Nails of the Day Scotch base 30 ml). We also stock Heylove Rubber base in 15 and 30 ml (Heylove Rubber base 30 ml) and Touch Rubber base in 30 and 13 ml (Touch Rubber base 13 ml).
Base coat and BIAB
How is BIAB different from a base coat?
In our catalog, BIAB (Liquid Builder Gel) means liquid gels that strengthen natural nails, while Nails of the Day calls its Rubber base a universal base that does not strengthen. These gels pair a base coat's consistency with the strength of a classic builder gel and hold their shape after curing. Three gels from our catalog:
Heylove Smart Gel Clear 15 ml is a liquid gel with medium elasticity, made for strengthening and sold in a bottle with a brush. Touch Builder Liquid 15 ml is a strong liquid gel with a base-like consistency, but from the hard materials range. Nails of the Day Bottle gel clear 10 ml self-levels and suits strengthening, repairing cracks and restoring corners. Nails of the Day recommends Builder base Strong Gel as a base under hard modeling materials.
Do you need a base under a liquid builder gel (BIAB)?
Heylove Smart Gel goes over a thin layer of Rubber Base cured for 30-60 seconds; the gel itself cures for 60 seconds. BIAB is a hard material, and under hard materials you can use a thin layer of Nails of the Day Rubber base 10 ml or Nails of the Day Builder base Strong Gel 10 ml, a liquid base gel. Touch Builder Liquid combines a builder gel and a cover base in one bottle, yet Touch still advises a thin underlayer of its own base, cured for 60 seconds, with the sticky layer wiped off before modeling.
Should the base come off completely at an infill?
At an infill, Nails of the Day Builder base Strong Gel 10 ml is not removed completely. Nails of the Day Rubber base used as a thin layer under hard materials or colored bases is removed completely at an infill. If the main coat under gel polish is Nails of the Day Rubber base, Fiber base or Scotch base, or Heylove Rubber base, you do not need to remove it completely where there is no lifting, but any lifted areas must be removed. Nails of the Day Rubber base, Fiber base and Scotch base wear for up to 3-4 weeks between infills. Touch Rubber base wears for up to 3 weeks. Applied correctly, Lunamoon Rubber Base wears without lifting for up to 3-4 weeks and can be filed or soaked off.