Secrets to a long-lasting mani
Can your manicure make it through the week?
I love my at-home mani sessions, but I definitely don’t have enough time to do it more than once a week. At the same time though, you’ll never catch me with a chipped nail polish. Bare nails, yes. Makeup-free face- all the time. Messy hair- yup. Chipped nails? No.
The secret to a long-lasting mani is taking your time. If you take your time, work with thin coats and care for your nails and cuticles between manicure sessions, you won’t have to worry about chipped nails. I work on a computer all day long and even with daily housework, my manicure lasts an entire week. Here are some of my secrets to a long-lasting mani. :)
PREP
Even if you aren’t wearing nail polish, gently clean-up your nails with an acetone-based polish remover, before applying a new nail polish color. This will dehydrate your nails- remove any excess oils and moisture from your nails, allowing the nail polish to adhere better. If you are wearing nail polish and your cuticles tend to dry out, mix your nail polish with a little olive oil. I usually do this at about 60% acetone and 40% olive oil. By doing this, I don’t over-dry my cuticles. After using this combo, I wash my hands with soap to remove the excess oil or instead, wipe my nails with a little vinegar.
A good base-coat is also something that will make a big difference here. My favorite is Essie Grow Stronger base coat. In addition to helping your nail polish last longer, a good base coat will also prevent staining. If your nails are damaged, try using a Ridge Smoothing Base Coat. Be careful with other nail treatments/hardeners though- they don’t always work very well under nail polish. When filing your nails, always go in one direction- not back and forth as this weakens your nails and can cause breakage.
APPLICATION
Work in thin coats. I know that sometimes it’s tempting to just use one or two thick coats, but they’re more likely to chip. Layering thick coats also means that it’ll take much longer for your nail polish to dry. This can seriously make the biggest difference in the way your polish wears. Always seal your nail polish with a top coat and be patient when it comes to drying them. When applying your base, nail polish and top coat, don’t forget to also apply it along the edge of your nail. Nail polish usually starts to chip at the top (edge) of your nail. Sealing it will prevent the polish from chipping easily.
STORAGE
Don’t store your polishes in a warm place. Keep them in a cool, dark place (away from sunlight) with consistent temperature. Your bathroom is not a good place to store them. Light exposure/temperature changes can lead to discoloration and pigment fading. When applying nail polish, avoid doing so outside or in hot/warm room. Don’t shake your nail polish bottle before applying it. This can create bubbles which tend to rise and can ruin your manicure. Instead, try rolling the bottle between your hands.
CARE
Maintain your mani by caring for your hands and cuticles. I love using oils on my cuticles. Argan oil is probably my favorite- this drugstore one is amazing. I keep it on my nightstand and massage it in my cuticles every night. It keeps my nails from drying and splitting. Your nail polish will be less likely to chip if your hands and cuticles are well-taken care of and moisturized.
I follow all of these steps and I can honestly say that my nails never chip and my manicure lasts for about 6-7 days. Usually, I just remove my nail polish once a week. I let my nails “rest” overnight (sometimes for a few days) and then paint them again. You probably already know this, but I love my Essie products. Three that are my must-haves are the base coat, apricot cuticle oil, and a top coat.
