I don’t like to toot my own horn, BUT I have always held bragging rights for having long, strong nails AND being able to master an at-home mani (see evidence below).
My nails have always been their excellent selves, right up until the one time that I really needed them to behave - the week of my wedding.
Call it stress, poor nutrition or just plain bad luck, but like some sort of manicured curse, my nails decided to break, one by one (I, of course, documented this betrayal below).
Having always dreamt of rocking my usual long, manicured nails on my wedding day, I decided to go to the professionals and opted for a builder gel manicure that gave the illusion of my real nails.
If you’ve ever had a gel manicure, you know that the manicure lasts a LONG time and is super sturdy, so it is no surprise that I fell into the alluring habit of getting my nails done monthly at the salon.
Things were going swimmingly until a couple of months down the track when I decided it was time to get back to my at-home mani routine, because, let’s face it - life is expensive at the moment.
When we finally took the gel off, I looked down to see my dry, damaged, weak/brittle claws looking back at me and I knew it was time to reach for the brand-new OPI Repair Mode 9mL nail treatment that works to repair and strengthen nails from within.
What Is OPI Repair Mode & How Does It Work?
Introducing the first-ever bond-building nail treatment that works to repair, protect, strengthen and smooth the nail bed.
Similar to our hair, our nails are made up of keratin which is a protein that helps form hair, nails and your skin's outer layer.
OPI have included their patented Ulti-Plex Technology™ to help penetrate the nail to build new bonds and ultimately repair the nail structure from within.
If OPI Repair Mode had a dating profile, here are the facts you’d want to know about:
Bond-building nail treatment.
Helps repair, strengthen and smooth damaged nails.
99% nail keratin repair*.
94% protection of keratin protein from damage*.
4 x stronger nails in 6 days*.
Instant drying time.
This OPI nail strengthener is ideal to use in between salon manicures.
Vegan.
*When used as directed.
How to Use OPI Repair Mode.
My favourite part about the OPI Repair Mode is how versatile it is.
It can be used as a standalone treatment, applied to your nails between salon manicures, or used frequently to help repair and prevent everyday nail damage from hand washing, cleaning and harsh nail products.
For best results, OPI recommends applying one coat, twice a day on bare nails for six days, however, it can also be applied under nail polish and around the cuticle line.
If the thought of having bare nails sounds like a nightmare to you (I totally get it) apply two coats of repair mode to clean, dry nails and wait 10 minutes to allow the product to fully absorb into the nail bed.
Once 10 mins is up, follow with your fave polish and a top coat.
When my nails need some serious TLC, I always reach for the OPI Nail Envy range which is now available in nine versatile shades, including cult classics like Bubble Bath and Big Apple Red.
The Nail Envy range is designed to help strengthen and protect nails against chipping, peeling and splitting, AND includes biotin, calcium, vitamins A, C and E plus Tri-Flex technology aimed at supporting every layer of the nail.
Pair OPI Repair Mode with two coats of Nail Envy and your nails will be back to their former glory in no time.
My OPI Repair Mode Bond Building Nail Serum Review.
This OPI nail strengthener comes in a compact bottle, perfect to store at home or to pop in your handbag for on-the-go use.
It has a very minimal scent (MUCH less abrasive than a nail polish smell) and glides onto the nail bed with a moisturising, silky texture.
Extremely easy to use, you paint the serum on with the brush and feel an instant cooling sensation on the nail bed which feels very soothing for anyone (aka me) who is experiencing hyper-sensitive, damaged nail beds.
Being someone that ALWAYS has their nails done, not wearing polish for six days made me feel very naked but I was after intense repair, so opted to apply the serum twice daily to bare nails for six days straight.
I can honestly say that after the six days, my nails felt SO much healthier, not as sensitive and the chips and cracks I was experiencing beforehand had drastically improved, especially the damage on my middle finger nail!
I was able to achieve the type of results that would usually take four weeks in just six days.
The serum also has no drying time so I found that applying it twice daily didn’t interrupt any of my daily activities which was a huge bonus.
Once the six days were up, I gave myself a gentle mani with one coat of the OPI Start To Finish 15mL, OPI Top Coat and OPI Natural Nail Strengthener, which gave my naked lil' beds a nice shine.
Whilst my nails will need a good month before they are seeing any sort of length, I am blown away with the results I have seen in just six days and can safely say I will be using this religiously moving forward.
Final Verdict.
If you’re someone who is looking to repair, strengthen and smooth your dry, damaged nails OR you’re just looking to up your nail game, OPI Repair Mode should absolutely be your first point of call.
I was super impressed with the results I saw in just six days and will definitely be adding this to my at-home mani routine!
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