I paint my nails quite often and usually end up using a nail varnish remover about twice a week on average when I change the colour on my fingers. I use it on my toes slightly less often. I had been using a really cheap nail varnish remover for a while and my nails were getting a bit weak on occasion and had sometimes snapped, so I thought that it might help if I changed to a better nail varnish remover. I have bought this one a couple of times now. I picked it because Cutex is a well known brand for nails and I was also enticed due to the "nourishing" claim.

The nail varnish remover comes in a bottle, similar to most products of this type. The bottle is a slightly see through white, not completely clear but it allows you to see how much is left inside. It has a purple screw top cap and quite a narrow opening at the top. It contains 200 ml of nail varnish remover.

To use this I just put a cotton pad on top of the bottle opening, then tip some liquid out a couple of times. I find that one pad soaked in nail varnish remover in this way is usually enough to take the nail varnish off one hand. If the colour is a particularly bold, dark or hard to remove one then sometimes I would need a slightly bigger quantity of this remover on a couple more cotton pads. The bottle lasts a long time, I would say a few months for me.

I do find that it is effective and gets the nail varnish off efficiently without me needing to rub and struggle with it too much. It makes it a very quick job and it works well on most of my nail varnishes. A couple have been a bit stubborn to remove with this, such as one Models Own gold glittery polish which was really difficult to remove, but I think it was more a problem with that nail varnish rather than this remover, as I have loads of different shades from different makes and most come off with ease using this remover.

I also sometimes use a tiny bit of this to tidy up my nails after painting if I have been using a nail varnish which is more difficult to apply and has caused any messy bits. I pour a bit of the remover into the cap, get a cotton Q tip, dip it in, then use this Q tip around the edges of the nails to get any colour off the skin. This works quickly and easily and it hasn't irritated my skin.

The smell is not the most pleasant, as you can probably imagine. All nail varnish removers seem to have a similar scent. It does not overly bother me but you do notice if you use it, leave the room and then come back a couple of minutes later that tell tale scent is lingering. My dad hates this smell and moans about it if I use the nail varnisher remover in the living room or around the house.

As for the nourishing claims, well I was sceptical that any nail varnish remover would really care for and nourish nails as they are supposed to be quite harsh and strip the colour away. This claims to have vitamins and moisturisers as well as a nail whitening formula. I do think it is having some effect, as I do find the tips of my nails look quite a bit whiter since using this and it has made me happier to just put a clear varnish over my natural nails, as they look quite healthy. I have also hardly had any nail breakages, peeling or splitting or any problems with weakness. I have to point out this is definitely not only due to this nail varnisher remover, as I have been regularly using a Sally Hansen hardening and strengthening base coat, but the nail varnish remover obviously is not having a negative effect and seems to be keeping the nails looking good.

I am quite happy with it and I would definitely be willing to buy it again. I might try some of the other varieties from Cutex too or some other non-Cutex nourishing or whitening nail varnish removers just to try and compare, but as far as I am concerned this one does do the job.