Looking for a ‘hard as nails’ manicure? Add a layer of builder gel | Sali Hughes on beauty

The additional base layer won’t set you back much, protects nails and means you can go longer between treatments

I have just cancelled my Christmas nail appointment because my last manicure (brown tortoiseshell) is still going gangbusters.

This isn’t the first time I’ve saved myself the cash and 90 minutes of my life since I switched to builder gel around two years ago. Whereas my nails used to reach a certain length and then break or crack in the same places, now my manicure is more likely to grow out before that happens.