I have been painting my own nails for, hmmmm, let's see, 40 years and I think I'm pretty good at it. I have tried ALL the systems, OPI, OPI Infinite Shine, Essie, Static... name it, I've tried it. This system is by far the longest wearing I have tried. My mani lasted 12 days, with a little top coat refresher in the middle to get the shine back. I think the secret is the base coat!