Base coat nail polishes are as essential as primers to your skin before you do your makeup. They work as a barrier between the nail color and nail beds to provide protection, make the nail colors long-lasting, and make your nail polish chip-resistant. These best base coat nail polishes come with all the above-mentioned benefits that are a boon to managing nail health! In addition, a nail base coat sets the foundation for your perfect manicure application because of its ability to create a sticky base that make lacquers and decorative nail art beads stay put. Moreover, it strengthens weak nails, and adds a protective layer, thereby acting as a flawless nail strengthener. This protective nail coating also prevents future damage to your nails by delivering a smooth surface, which gives you the freedom to apply your favorite nail paint with utmost ease. If you are a nail color fanatic who likes to explore shades and varieties, these are your ideal options to stay in the game without damaging the nails.

“Nails are the period at the end of the sentence, they complete the look,” says noted designer Prabal Gurung and he is absolutely right! You cannot complete your attire without an eye-catchy manicure, and the first step to achieving a flawless manicure is to have a base coat that smoothens your path to having amazing nails. Hence, we carried out intensive research, tried and tested a few, and then curated this fantastic list for you. Take a look at best of the best base coat nail polish you should slide into your cart—

• 1

  OPI Nail Polish Top Coat and Base Coat

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This lacquer by OPI ensures your vibrant nail color doesn’t get stained on your nail bed, as this top and base coat works as a barrier between the two. The formula comes in a semi-viscose, liquid form that is easy to spread evenly over your nails. Considered one of the influencers’ favorite products, the OPI base coat promotes longer-lasting manicures without affecting the natural health of the nails. Furthermore, the pack also consists of a top coat that adds unwavering shine to your nail polish.

2

Beetles 2 Pcs No Wipe Gel Top Coat and Base Coat Set

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This alcohol-free gel polish comes with double benefits and takes care of your manicure needs! With a long-wearing formula, the set of 2 chip-resistant top coats and a base coat guarantees to stay on the nailbed for more than 21+ days. This set of nail polishes promises easy application and good tenacity which make them the best base and top coat nail polishes available in the market. Toxin-free formula, low odor, and absence of harsh ingredients are what make the products a worthy option to adorn your nails with!

3

Best Formaldehyde-free Formula

RC Red Carpet Manicure Fortify & Protect LED Gel Base Coat

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The RC Red Carpet’s gel base coat has a formaldehyde-free formula that makes it safe to use on the skin. The vitamin A and biotin present in the gel base coat ensures your nails stay healthy. Moreover, they help combat brittleness, leaving you with shinier and stronger nails. Its cruelty-free formula makes it an excellent pick for those looking for sustainable products. The gel base coat is simple to use and addresses all the needs of fashionistas who want their nails to always look the best. However, the polishes require UV lamps to get cured and give you the results you want. 

4

HEMA-free

AIMEILI Gel Nail Polish No Wipe Top and Base Coat Set

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The vegan-friendly products are loaded with HEMA-free ingredients which are known to cause an allergic reaction to the skin. With a gentle formula, the base coat and top coat claim to be compatible with nail polishes from every other brand. The chip-resistant and smudge-free formula makes the product a great option to protect the nail color for a longer period. However, the polishes require UV or LED lamps to get cured and give you the desired result. Not to miss the adorable baby pink packaging that can keep you hooked!

5

Value-for-money

MEFA 23 Pcs Gel Nail Polish Set with Top and Base Coat

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Welcome home this value-for-money product that consists of 20 color gels, 1 glossy top coat, 1 matte top coat, and a base coat to beautify your nails single-handedly! Made with natural resin, the brand claims to be non-toxic and environment-friendly. With good tenacity, smooth finish, and high-pigmented formula, the quantity of each bottle is enough to use more than 12 times! Furthermore, the color-lasting technology for more than 3 weeks,makes this set a great deal!

6

Strong Adhesion

modelones No Wipe Gel Top And Base Coat Set

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The gel top and base coat from modelones are two of the cult-favorite products among influencers! With a cruelty-free formula, the nail polish comes with a safety certification which is backed by healthy ingredients like natural resin and skin-friendly components. The gel base coat nail polish provides your nails with a strong adhesion that works as a barrier between nail color and nail beds. The long-lasting formula needs to be cured under a UV lamp for 60 seconds to stay intact for 3-4 weeks.

7

GA&EN No Wipe Top Coat Base Coat Soak Off Set

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The Soak Off Set from GA&EN contains a base coat and a top coat to cater to your need to strengthen and protect the nail bed before applying the actual color. Extracted from natural resin, mineral powder, and formulated with purified water, the nail polish will cause no harm to the skin. The attractive packaging is another plus point that may lure you to add to the cart! With a strong adhesive, the nail color ensures great care for the nail bed while keeping them away from harmful ingredients at the same time.

8

Cruelty-free

essie Nail Care First Base Base Coat

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The color adhesion base coat gives you a smooth surface that sticks to the nail and provides an opaque color to flaunt! With a paraben-free formula, the vegan-friendly base coat comes without harmful ingredients like formaldehyde, DBP, or toluene. All you need is one coat of base polish to help your nail color bond strongly with the base and to make your actual polish smudge-free, chip-resistant, and long-lasting in no time. The vegan-free formula is derived without any animal testing and thus leaves no impact on the environment.

9

Best Vegan Formula

BELLEBOOST Matte Top Coat, High Gloss Top Coat, Base Coat Set

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Keep your natural nails healthy and free of harmful ingredients! The thin consistency of the nail polish has a glue-like structure that sticks to your nails to give you the ultimate result. With a worry-free guarantee, the set of polishes comes with a matte top coat, a gloss top coat, and the obvious base coat to protect your nailbeds. The natural resin-like texture is derived from natural ingredients that promise not to weaken your nails for a healthy appearance in the long run.

10

Best Long-lasting Formula

FZANEST Peel Off Base Coat Gel Nail Polish

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This hassle-free base coat comes with a non-toxic formula to make your manicure journey a lot less strenuous! With a peel-off formula, changing your nail polishes whenever you want is not a matter of dreams. The advanced formula makes it the best base coat nail polish for brittle nails that does not damage the bed of your nails. The vegan-friendly formula lasts for 2-3 weeks without chipping, smudging, and fading for an all-in-one benefit. This is the best option for beginners who like to change their nail colors frequently!

11

Best Chip-resisitant Lacquer

UNA GELLA Gel Polish Base Coat Top Gel Base Gel

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The Gel Polish set comes with two top coats featuring one glossy and one matte and the obvious base coat that makes your nail polish last long with good tenacity. Wear the base gel-like armor that won’t damage your nail beds and protect them from chipping and getting brittle. The base coat nail polish is loaded with toxin-free ingredients that ensure no contact of harsh chemicals or mal odor to the nails.

12

Best for Non-irritating Ingredients

Morovan 2 Pcs Gel Top Coat And Base Coat

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The non-toxic material of the top and base coat provide you with the nails of your dreams without tampering with the quality! With attractive packaging, the top and base coat takes care of your manicure needs with a skin-friendly formula. The brand comes with one of the best drugstore nail polish base coats that are cruelty-free, healthy, and have a low odor. With a cruelty-free formula, it helps gel polish last longer without chipping, smudging, or damaging the nails.

13

Best Easy-to-Peel Lacquer

GAOY Peel Off Gel Base Coat for Gel Nail Polish

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GAOY gel base requires a UV light to get cured and to give you a natural finish in a jiffy! The peel-off nail polish comes with a toxin-free formula that has a low odor and does little to no harm to your nails. It is one of the top-rated base coat nail polishes that have a peel-off solution which means you will have a hassle-free removal of the nail paints in seconds. All you need is 60 seconds to get the polishes dry, and voila, you are ready to rock!

That was all about the best base coat for nails that you should think of investing in. Now, allow us to acquaint you with the difference between base nail polish and a top coat.

Base Coats: Base coats are thick and sticky in texture. You can apply them on artificial nails as well as natural ones. They are enriched with higher amounts of resins. Despite being an extra step, it is considered to be an essential step to help your nail polish or nail art adhere better. Lastly, they might provide additional strength to your nails and help you deal better with damaged nails. 

Top Coats: Topcoats are thinner in consistency and are infused with more ingredients to help your nail polish stay for a longer period of time. On the other hand, they possess a high-gloss finish to accentuate the glory of your regular as well as a gel manicure. You should also note that gel nail polish brands have introduced coats for nails that can be used interchangeably i.e you can use it as a base coat to fill in cracks and ridges or as a top coat to lend your favorite color polish a high-shine finish. 

Now, let us help you pick some fail-proof nail base coats.

a) Ingredients- Ingredients play a key role in choosing the perfect base coat for your nails. Pick a product without nasty ingredients which are harmful to your skin. Toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP should be avoided if you have sensitive skin. Similarly, if you have skin concerns like brittle and peeling nails, vitamin E, keratin, avocado oil, cucumber extract, soy protein, mineral fusion, and castor oil-enriched products should be your preference.

b) Formula- Many of the base coats come with two-in-one formula, i.e., they can work as a base coat and a top coat to seal the deal. However, if you fail to find one, a regular set of top and base coats with cutting-edge resin technology will work just fine. Secondly, pick a base coat that does not contain artificial fragrances. 

c) Nailpolish color- The color preference mostly depends on what you are going to apply to after the base coat. If you are one of those who likes to flaunt subtle nails, a transparent pastel color works fine. But if you want to go overboard with it, pick any color you like, the color will be underneath the actual nail color anyway.

d) Wearability- Make sure that you pick the best nail polish base coat that is enriched with high-quality ingredients and contains no harmful chemicals. It should adhere to your nail surface for a prolonged period and strengthen your nails over time. Secondly, it should lend you a long-lasting and flawless finish. 

e) Opacity- Always invest in the best nail base coat that serves you desirable coverage in just one or two coats. Ensure that you get your hands on highly-pigmented base coats which possess a non-streaky formula. Such a nail base coat won’t leave any kind of strokes while you apply your colored polish. 

f) Easy application- While splurging for the best base coat for nails, make sure that it has a good-quality brush applicator to smoothen your nail polish application process. The application should make your polish application a breezy one with no possibility of streaks. Moreover, the brush should possess soft bristles and have an ergonomic design. 

g) Fast drying time- Every nail polish base coat that you are planning to invest in should come with a fast or quick-drying technology so that you don’t have to wait much before moving on to the next steps. 

h) Versatility- Vouch for a base coat nail polish that can also be used as a top coat. It should have a glossy finish and a natural shine to amp up the beauty of every regular nail polish.

Now, roll your eyes over to know the step of applying the best base coat appropriately.

a) First thing first, clean your nails and remove the residue from the previous nail color.

b) Take the file and shape the nails accordingly and push back cuticles to broaden the nail bed.

c) Take petroleum jelly or any oil and apply it around the cuticles outside your nails for easy removal of mess.

d) Now, take the base coat and apply it to your nails and let it completely dry before moving into the next step.

e) Pick your favorite shade of nail color, apply it all over the nails, and let it dry again. Always remember to wait for a few minutes before applying the next coat to let the previous coat completely dry.

f) Finish with a top coat and clear the residue around the cuticles.

These best base coat nail polishes come with a lot of benefits that cannot be put into words. It prevents discoloration and also prevents the drying of your nail cuticles. This protective shield nourishes and strengthens your nails while boosting the longevity of your manicure. Moreover, they are made with skin-friendly ingredients and provide great care to the nails and the skin around them. Furthermore, beauty products are excellent at making your nail polish chip-resistant, smudge-free, and long-lasting. Welcome this highly underrated product to your beauty stash, and see the magic of your nails by yourself!