Inglot lists this Nail Whitener under their treatment product category, but on the box is written “nail enamel with whitening effect”. I then wondered if it had any beneficial properties or if it was simply a polish like any other, which simply gives the ‘look’ of cleaner & whiter nails. In the ingredients, they also list evening primrose oil (which helps to strengthen nails), panthenol (Vitamin B5, a fortifier) and camellia sinensis leaf extract (green tea extract, which protects collagen from breaking down)…..all ingredients not mentioned on the list for the other Inglot polish I have, and therefore leads me to conclude that there’s more to this than just a ‘polish’.
I was told that it is meant to act as ‘clean nail look’ and that you only need to apply one coat to achieve this. I did use a base coat for all pictures because like all enamels, it should never be applied directly on your bare nail.
The first picture shows #04 on my pinkie and ring finger, while the middle and index fingers remain bare. It does give a slight milky look to the nail and effectively covers any ridges even with just one coat, as you can see.
1 coat of #04 on pinkie and ring fingers
With all nails done, you can see the polished & clean look that this product gives.
1 coat of #04 on all fingers
1 coat of #04 on all fingers
By applying a second coat of #04 on my middle and index fingers, it becomes significantly more opaque and looks to me more like a polish than a treatment product (Essie makes several shades that mimic this look), however I still like the look and love the fact that while it looks like a polish, it has several beneficial ingredients in it, making it rise above mere polish status.
2 coats of #04 on middle & index fingers only
2 coats of #04 on middle & index fingers only
Final thoughts: once in a while, it’s good to give your nails a break from looking ‘done’ and this is a nice & beneficial alternative to just slapping on a base coat. It applies smoothly and almost seems to be self-leveling, needing very little work to achieve a final ‘polished’ look (no pun intended!). It also has a wonderful glossy finish to it and seemed to dry reasonably well with a coat of Sèche Vite on top. Inglot #04 Nail Whitener can be purchased online at www.inglotcosmetics.com or at all free standing Inglot boutiques and retails for CAD $15.00 for 15 ml which is just slightly pricier than their regular lacquers (between CAD $12.00 – $14.00) but that could be because it is basically a dual purpose product (polish & treatment).
