First, let me tell you that Cristine from SimplyNailogical has an awesome YouTube video out that details the most popular peel off base coat options and ranks them on things like application, drying time, formula and how they work under multi-chromes and glitters. I suggest you watch it when you have the time because you'll learn some stuff and because she's entertaining... but I'll give you the short version *spoiler*:
The winner is Ünt Ready For Takeoff. You can find it on Live.Love.Polish. and Amazon for $10 (but go on and support indies... unless you're Prime and get free shipping, then, well, support indies anyway because they give you rewards).
Based on this super stellar and thorough review, I logged on and bought my first blogger recommended product. I've been using Ready For Takeoff for 7 weeks so far and have done roughly 80 manis in that time (not exaggerating, just counted my IG posts - holy sheet I have a problem)... but what this means for you is that I can tell you that *ahem* I've got the trial and error thing covered for this product. I can also tell you that one bottle of Ünt Ready For Takeoff will do roughly 80 manis. Huh. Who knew.
So, with that part covered, I'm going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about RFT.
Q: Does it damage your nails?
A: When used properly, RFT doesn't damage your nails. I have found that it CAN peel up the top layer of your nail when you don't allow it to dry completely before polishing, though. You can't be impatient. As long as you wait until it's fully dry (3-5 min usually to be safe), I've had no issues.
Q: Will my polish pop off when I don't want it to?
A: Not gonna lie. It can. HOWEVER. I've found that for RFT to stay put, you really need to use it with a thicker polish or an extra coat and always top coat. I found that my glitters and crellies stayed put while my thinner polishes had a tendency to fly the coop when I was putting my hair up or bathing a kid. This problem can be pretty well corrected by going ahead and piling those crellies and glitters on the way the polish gods intended.
Q: How long does it last?
A: Well, kids, this is one thing I don't have a full answer to. Because I am a polish changing mad woman, I usually pop those bad boys off pretty quick. I CAN tell you that I have worn one mani for 4 days with no problems. I wore another for 3 days through 2 days of work, being a mom of 4 and having to take the toddler in for stitches right after bathing the poop off him... so overall I think it's safe to say that when used properly, this base coat can last as long as most others out there.
Q: How does it compare to OPI Glitter Off & Yellow Stopper?
A: I can't speak for Yellow Stopper personally (but click that highlight up there and Cristine can tell you aaaaaaaaaalll about it) but as for OPI Glitter Off? It's leaps and bounds better. Glitter Off is glue based and will dry your nails out ultimately leading to damage and breakage. Not only that, but it's hard to work with, doesn't apply or dry evenly and still doesn't always peel off the way it should. I used Glitter Off for a while but even knowing I had it, I stayed away from glitters because the base coat alone wasn't worth the hassle.
With those general things out of the way, I'm just going to quickly tell you a few things I've learned that can help you make the most out of your Ünt Ready For Takeoff.
- When applying your base, don't go to the far edges of your nails. If the base coat extends beyond the polish, you risk it peeling up and is a pain in the butt to clean up around.
- Always let it dry COMPLETELY before polishing. Not only will you be protecting your nails, you'll get the best wear and the best peel when you're ready to take it off. Plus, if it's not completely dry you can get strings as the tacky base coat gets pulled by your brush. Yuck.
- RFT works best with those super hard to remove polishes: glitters, crellies, the thicker the better for this base. The harder it is to get off, the better it seems to work with RFT.
- Always top coat. Always. It's a good general practice, but it really makes a difference when you go to remove your polish. It seems to hold everything together.
- Don't rush the removal. I usually push the edges up with my fingernail, but I (and you) should be using an orange stick. NEVER METAL... bad juju. Ease the stick around starting at the cuticle and find a spot to get underneath the polish. Usually you'll be able to just pop it right off like this but sometimes you'll need to just get under it and use a little common sense to peel it off.
- If your polish pops off before you're ready, and it could happen... you can put it right back on using RFT as "glue". Typically, if a polished nail pops off, it'll do it in one piece so it's easy to replace. Just apply RFT and place the polish back on the nail while it's still wet. (I've tried this with multiple other base coats and failed miserably. Just trust me on this one.)
- If you're having trouble with your nail polish popping off regularly, a little trick I found is to put a dab of sticky base coat at the base of your cuticle before applying RFT. Using a toothpick or tiny dotting tool, just dab a little. It'll help hold that polish down, especially if you're seeing your polish pop from the base. It'll still peel nicely (like this one) but you'll need to use a little more clean up.
(This was after swatching 6 colors so forgive the hot mess-ness)
As long as you follow these guidelines, you should have no issue using RFT with your pain in the butt beauties and you can even use vinyls and stamps and charms and and and and... well, check out my IG (*ahem*) and you can see everything I've personally done all while rocking this Godsend of a base coat.
But what happens when you're already wearing your favorite glitter and don't have the super awesome benefit of being able to just pop it off when you want a change? Well, you can do a couple of things.
You can soak a cotton ball/pad in acetone, put it over your nail and wrap your finger in foil. Not your whole finger, obviously, just the part where your nail is. Work with me, folks. Leave it there for a couple of minutes and let it do most of the dirty work for you. When you're ready to remove it, push gently on the foil/cotton while you pull the contraption off your finger. Finish removing whatever is left with another cotton ball and acetone/remover. I personally don't recommend this method because it's rough on your skin and cuticles... but if you're using acetone on your nails you NEED to grab a bottle of Supernatural Lacquer's acetone additive. If it's not showing in the shop, shoot her an email. Seriously. It's some pretty amazing stuff.
What I do recommend is that you cut yourself some felt squares and soak those in acetone - with the additive, of course. Using felt instead of cotton makes a huge difference. The felt grabs on to the glitters and it doesn't tear into little wispy shreds of disappointment with every pass. I've been able to remove stubborn glitters easily with felt when I would have usually been scraping them off piece by piece ...by piece... by... piece...
And when you've finished removing that glitter with ANYTHING, let's face it. You're going to have some random glitter SOMEwhere. So I like to give my hands a good scrub using Aroma Rebel scrubs. I'm currently on a cranberry kick but my favorite is her caffeine drip which is basically coffee infused with stuff that makes you all soft. She'll be getting a blog of her own before long (because everything is amazing) but for now, suffice to say that the scrubs make getting that last little bit off so much easier. If you haven't got a solid scrub lying around, liquid soap and sugar can help you until you can get around to placing an order for some really good stuff.
Well, I hope this has given you some helpful info on glitter removal and the revolutionary amazingness that is Ünt Ready For Takeoff... and if you have any questions that I didn't answer, please ask away!! If I don't have an answer then I'll try to experiment and see if I can find one! As always, thanks for reading and have a fantabulous day!! xoxo
