Finger on the pulse

CAN A NEW STRENGTHENING TRANSFORM BEAUTY EDITOR LYNNE'S WEAK NAILS INTO LONG, STRONG TALONS? TREATMENT

- LYNNE HYLAND

They're flaky. They've got zero resilience. And they split at the first sign of stress. No, I'm not talking about Gen Z stereotypes, but my natural nails. Quite literally the weakest link in my beauty arsenal, they grow briefly in a paper-thin curl around my fingertips before disintegrating.

No strengthening polish has ever coaxed them to grow, and even making them look presentable is a challenge. Painting such ugly nails feels like polishing the proverbial, plus it chips within a day anyway. Frustratingly, even a gel manicure rarely lasts a week. My nails bend so easily that gel polish inevitably develops a catastrophic fault line and bits flake off into the abyss.

But could there finally be a solution at my fingertips? I've been hearing promising reports about Builder In A Bottle aka BIAB - which is pitched as gel manicure's tougher sister, capable of turning even feeble nails into long, strong, Insta-worthy talons.

"Just two or three treatments can completely transform your nails," promises Juanita Huber-Millet, founder of Townhouse salons. I can't sign up fast enough for my personal growth mission.

BUILDING SUCCESS

So what, exactly is BIAB? Think of it as gel polish on steroids, a painted-on support layer that gives nails super-strength. There are various builder gels on the market but The GelBottle's BIAB is the best known, and counts Kim Kardashian among its fans. It's applied and cured in a similar way to regular gels, yet gives acrylic-like toughness. "It's the best of both worlds," says Juanita. BIAB gels come in neutral hues, and can be worn alone or as a base to apply any regular gel shade or nail art on top.