"Make it Last Forever!" The Basic Steps to Making YOUR Nail Polish LAST!

When it comes to doing my own nails, I know it's a love/hate relationship! As a faithful customer at my local nail salon, two years ago I decided to give up the acrylics and work on growing my natural nails. It has been quite the process to say the least, but my nails are finally getting back to their healthy ways.

One thing I have experimented with, now that I am growing my own nails, is polishing them myself. For years I was lazy and wanted to have the salon paint them, but I quickly realized how much money I was saving by painting them myself.

I work a lot, mainly in retail and as a cheerleading coach, so I am constantly using my hands. Often my nail polish would chip after JUST painting them the night before, or even in the same day! How annoying! I know we all have had this problem...

But don't worry!

I have found a very simple (and basic) method to keep the polish from chipping, at least it works for me!

1. Invest in Quality Brand Polish!
Ok, so this is as simple as it reads. I know how tempting it is to buy the $1 polish at your local Wal-Mart because well, it's only a dollar! However, you do get what you pay for! A lot of times, "cheap brands" tend to chip within the first day of even applying it on your nails (and that's no matter how many coats you paint on it!). Also, the colors in cheap polishes sometimes tend to be extremely pale and more difficult to see on your actual nail than how it appears in the bottle.

A particular brand that can be rather pricy, but definitely worth the money, is OPI Polish. I have been an avid buyer of their polishes for quite some time and have not experienced any problems. These polishes are also what (most) nail salons use when painting your nails. On average, they run about $8 per bottle. Sometimes, you can find them in sets (coming in two per pack) for discounted prices.

Another brand I have yet to try is Essie. I recently bought a polish by them today, but haven't used it. I've heard nothing but good reviews. However, one thing I've noticed is their polish bottles are a little smaller in size, but still as expensive. :/ Wah.

Now however, just because you spend a little extra money for the brand name, doesn't mean that a cheaper polish will not work at all. SOME cheap polishes I have used actually lasted me for more than a week's time, this can easily be done by applying a little more coating than suggested in the later steps! :)

2. When Painting Your Nails, Use a Base Coat First!
This goes for ANY kind of polish, cheap or expensive! One mistake I made when first painting my nails myself is not applying a base coat! Base coats help prevent staining from the polish onto your real nails, and it also helps speed up the process when removing your polish with remover. You only need to apply ONE coat of this on your nails. 

Pictured to the right is the base coat I currently use. It is the Magnetico Adhesive Base Coat by Borghese. I found this at TJ Maxx in their cosmetics section for about $4.

You don't need to wait on the base coat to dry, it usually dries within three-five minutes of you applying it.

3. Now It's Time to Paint Your Nails!
Now here comes the fun part, actually painting your nails and applying the color. Usually what I do is apply ONE coat of polish onto each nail to start off. Then go over each nail with about two more coats, three all together. I would usually apply AT LEAST three coats, no more than four. You don't want it to look like paste on your nails! 

4. DRY TIME!
Next it's time to let the color sit in and dry. Dry time may vary depending if you have a nail dryer (which can be found at local beauty supply stores, or super stores), or if you let them air dry (which is what I usually do). If you're air drying, let your nails dry for at least 10 - 15 minutes before touching them to see if they're wet. 

5. Apply the Shine :)
Last, but certainly not least, apply your clear coat. This is where you can go the cheap route and buy a clear finishing coat for a low price. I use Sally Hansen's Finishing Top Coat. I usually apply at least two coats of this just to be safe, but this is up to you. Once your finishing coat is applied, apply step four and let your nails dry. The dry time will probably decrease because this is just for the clear coat. 

Enjoy, and I hope this might solve a little bit of the problems those of you may have with making your polish last.