PVA Peel Off Base Coat

You've probably heard a lot in the past couple months about "peel off base coats", if you read a lot of blogs! :)
When the Peel Off Base Coat from Essence came out (you can read a review HERE on OoohShinies) I immediately bought it, because I heard about the super easy glitter removal that I could have with it! But unfortunately, after a few tries, it didn't work for me. It peeled off (I use the word 'peeled' lightly), in TEENY TINY little flakes, and was sooooo hard to remove. I felt like I was damaging my nails because I had to press so hard with my cuticle stick to pick it off. So that was the end of me and the Essence Peel Off base coat!

If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that I have been SO into glitter. So I've been doing the foil method for removal a LOT lately and was getting sick of it. I used up so much remover and cotton balls, and foil too.
So I decided since the Essence one wasn't working for me, I'd have a go at making my own PVA Peel Off Base Coat! Because the Essence one is pretty much just PVA glue + preservatives so you can easily make it yourself at home.
PVA glue is also known as wood glue, white glue, craft glue, and in the US it is commonly known as Elmers glue.

Here's some tips for using PVA as your base coat:

• You can use your normal base coat over the PVA base coat if you're worried about staining. Do not put your normal base coat under the PVA because it will not peel off properly and will probably ruin your nail plate.
• If your PVA is a bit too thick for your liking, add a little bit of water.
• Don't get the PVA on your skin! If you do, clean it up with an orange stick or something similar right away, before it dries! You'll have a lot of trouble cleaning it up once it's dry.
• Avoid hot water for 3 hours after applying the PVA.

So, I headed on over to my local hardware store (I believe it was Stratco that I went to...) and bought a bottle of Selley's PVA glue for around $5 which will make me tons and tons of base coats!
I emptied a bottle of an old Sally Hansen strengthener with acetone and peeled off the label. Then I filled up the bottle with the good old PVA glue.

I applied one medium coat to my completely clean, dry nails and then waited for it to dry. I'd say it took about 5 minutes to fully dry.

30 seconds after applying first coat of PVA glue

3 minutes after applying first coat of PVA glue

I then applied a second, thin coat. For some reason this coat took a lot longer to dry. I think I waited 10-15 minutes for my second coat to fully dry.

A little while after applying second coat of PVA glue

After both coats of PVA glue dried! Excuse my stained nails!

When completely clear, I applied my two coats of glitter polish. :) You can use this base coat with normal polish too, but I've heard much better results with glitter polish as it's usually thicker.
The polish I'm wearing is Gloss n Sparkle's Pyjamarama*, you can see my review HERE.
Then apply top coat. I used two coats of Essie's Good to Go top coat and also wrapped my tips.

Gloss n Sparkle - Pyjamarama*

When you're ready for removal, use a orange wood stick or rubber cuticle pusher (don't use a metal pusher because the amount of force you need to use may damage your nails) and gently push, starting at the base/cuticle area of your nail. It might take a little force to begin with. If you go slowly, you should be able to peel the whole nail off (well, you know, just the polish, not the whole nail... eww) in one piece! I used the plastic/hard side of my cuticle pusher to gently lift the edge of my polish and then used the rubbed end to lift the rest off. Most people recommend wearing the polish for at least a day before removal but I removed mine after about 20 hours with no issue. But I'd probably wait about 12 hours minimum before peeling, even though it's tempting! After peeling, I like to wash my hands thoroughly and scrub with a nail brush to remove any excess tiny bits of the PVA that are left behind, and then use a tiny bit of remover to remove any leftover polish (I had some teeny tiny bits left on the edges of my nail that I missed with the PVA).

Essence said that their Peel Off Base Coat is good for when you're in a rush but I really wouldn't say so. When I'm in a rush I slap on my regular base coat/strengthener (Duri Rejuvacote) that is like totally dry in 2 minutes and then am out the door, or I'll do a super opaque cream polish and slap on a top coat which will take like 10 minutes all up. But the PVA Base takes about 15-20 minutes to dry two coats of it for me so I wouldn't exactly say it's fast. Fast removal, yes, but not fast application. 

I definitely recommend using this method if you like to wear glitter polish but hate removing it (I'm sure your cuticles hate it too)! :) It's great and not harsh on your cuticles like acetone.

Some other lovely Aussie ladies have reviews and LOADS of tips on their blogs about the PVA base coat too. Michelle from LabMuffin has some info HERE and Alanna from PrettyPurplePolish has some HERE. Alanna also did a wear test and FAQ post HERE. :)