Reviewers Say This $8 Nail Foundation Is The Secret To Nails That Don't Peel, Chip Or Split

If you have naturally thin, brittle nails or if acrylics and gel manicures have been taking a serious toll, you may be looking for something to help your claws look good and feel strong. For years now, HuffPost readers have loved Londontown’s Kur nail concealer for fortifying their nails, but at $20 a bottle and rarely on sale — it’s certainly not fortifying your bank account.

Thankfully, today we spotted a similar, milky nail strengthener from the brand Modelones. It’s a buildable nail concealer designed to repair your existing nails and help new nails grow long and strong.

This 3-in-1 concealer can be used in place of your normal nail polish, as a priming base coat or as a shiny top coat. Fans say it’s not just saving their nails; it’s saving them money and time.

Unlike traditional, clear nail strengtheners, the Modelones nail concealer hardens nails while offering a buildable, glossy, pearly white color. This means you can wear it on its own without your nails looking totally bare, or use it alongside your favorite polish colors. (You can actually now find the concealer in a selection of hues, but the pearl white is the best deal.)

Made with keratin to strengthen and protect, jojoba oil for conditioning and repair and evening primrose oil for hydration, many users say the concealer keeps their nails looking “healthy and beautiful” — without harsh smells. The brand recommends applying it in thin coats, as you would with a traditional polish, waiting two minutes between coats. You’ll add more coats for a deeper color, waiting five minutes when you’re done, for it to all dry. Reviewers say the product makes their nails look clean and cared for, “but not too flashy,” giving you that just-stepped-out-the-salon look, without the price tag.

It’s loved by users with naturally “paper thin” nails, damage from acrylics or whose nails are becoming more textured and fragile with age, for being a one-and-done fix, with lasting power.

“This strengthener works perfectly for me because it is like a treatment and polish in one,” a self-described “older” reviewer who doesn’t like to spend a lot of time doing their nails wrote. “It makes my nails smooth, glossy and gives them a nice, clean, natural color. Best of all, I’m good to go after two quick coats.”

One reviewer calls the product “the best thing since sliced bread,” noting they like it more than Londontown’s conealer.

“I was blown away by how smooth this was applied, they wrote. “This was way more luxurious than expensive nail polish brands.”

Another jokes the product was “love at first coat,” saying it makes their nails look, “like I went to a salon to get them done!”

Many say this concealer is the only thing that’s ever worked to get their nails to grow, saying the results beat professional manicures.

Reviewer PieTOgo compares it to “a whisper of fairy dust for your nails,” which covers up yellowing, cracks, and roughness, making hands look “elegant.”

Fans love this strengthener for keeping their nails smooth and strong. Check out more 5-star reviews and grab some for under $10.

“It’s been a week since applying this polish to my nails. My nails haven’t peeled, split or chipped at all. Before I applied polish I washed my hands. Then I used cotton and alcohol to wipe nails down. After they dried I painted a thin coat. I waited an hour and did a second coat.. They are perfect and growing.. I purchased a different color.” — Melissa

“I’ve reviewed them before but coming back to say…lasts longer than most polish I have and works great. Milky exactly as I wanted and is actually strengthening my nails! I wouldn’t call it quick dry exactly but it doesn’t take long at all. Extremely pleased.” — D.S.

“This stuff actually works! So tired of paying for things that don’t. My nails had ridges and were dry and flaky. They don’t even look the same now. They look so healthy and it lasts forever. Dries quickly too. Highly recommend.” — Laurie A. Lawton

“My fingernails are actually growing and nothing else has ever worked. This is lovely milky color and lasts pretty long considering I’m in a chlorinated pool almost every single day for hours exercising. Most success I’ve ever had even when I lived in NYC and got weekly manicures. My nails just never felt this strong or held up to doing housework or dishes by hand, etc. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Easy to apply. Dries Quick. Very Smooth. Very Pretty.” — Stephanie Acierno

“I bought this because I was looking for an alternative to londontown’s nail concealer, 20 dollars a bottle is just too steep for me. This works wonderfully. It’s milky and beautiful, it applies evenly without streaks and it doesn’t take forever to dry. I can easily get a weeks worth of wear with a good base and top coat. I definitely recommend this product.” — Christen

“I am very much a nude or pink nail girl. I stopped getting nail extensions because I’m in the kitchen often, I type on computers a lot, and I love to garden. I started doing gel polish on its own, but we all know what a pain it is to remove at home. My nails were getting pretty damaged even with very gentle removal, so I just stopped painting my nails entirely.

There is nothing wrong with bare nails, but I really prefer to have a clean-looking and slightly shiny nail just to feel put together. This product delivers exactly that!!

I got the peach-nude color and it is the perfect nude pink for medium skin tones!! All I did to prep were push back my cuticles, file my nails down, and wipe them with alcohol to dehydrate. I did not use a base coat, as I wanted to see just how long these lasted with minimal prep. I did 3 thin coats of the polish, and each coat dried down very nicely and almost immediately. I topped with OPI’s double duty top coat, and these pictures are of my nails after a week. I waited a week to write a review because I really wanted to see how they lasted. My nails very commonly crackle / chip with regular polish even from a salon. I am SO impressed with how these held up.

I will absolutely be repurchasing this, but it looks like I won’t have to for a while since there is so much product in the bottle. This is probably going to be my go-to nail product for a while. Removal is easy with 100% acetone as well, so if I ever need a refresh, it takes less than 15 minutes!

TLDR: MUST BUY! Quick dry, no base coat needed, lasts long without chips or cracks, stays shiny, easy to apply!” — Nida M.

Keeping fingernails healthy shouldn’t cost you your entire arm. In the spirit of saving money FOREVER, check three other favorites, all under $10, curated by HuffPost Shopping.

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)