Ever wonder why some people can wear the same nail polish for a week without chipping, yet yours seems to chip after one day? Well, some of that is genetics (stronger nails = less bending and less splitting, therefore less chipping) however some of it may have to do with the technique you use to paint your nails. Lets talk about how to get a beautiful manicure every time you paint your nails!
The first step to getting a beautiful manicure is prepping your nails! If you already have nail polish on, you obviously need to take it off. I like to use non-acetone polish remover whenever possible, because it is less drying. Cotton balls are the best way to take off nail polish because they do not break and flake off and make a big mess like tissue paper. If you have nail polish stuck around the edges, you should use a q-tip to remove that as well.
After my polish is removed, I always wash my hands quickly. Pretty much everyone who knows me has probably heard my rant about microwaving plastic tupperware and how I don't like to store my food in it. I am worried about getting cancer from the toxins that plastics leak into your food (I get this phobia from my mom, THANKS MOM) Same goes with nail polish remover. Wash those toxins off as quickly as possible! However, do not soak your hands in the water for a long period of time. Water makes your nails swell. When they are dry again, they will shrink. If you put the nail polish on while they are still even a tad bit wet, they will chip when dry. I usually wait about 5 min. after washing my hands to start applying new polish so that it gives my nails some time to dry.
If necessary, this is the time to use that great Sally Hansen cuticle remover that I talked about in my last post to soften up those cuticles and push them back. After I have waited for my nails to dry off, I then apply a base coat. This is where we get into the nitty gritty of nail polish application. Starting in the middle of your nail, do one smooth stroke then two on the sides. Come as close to the cuticle as possible without touching it. If you get nail polish under the cuticle it looks bad, and as your nail grows out, it may create some flaking near this line.
See that lighter line along the center of my nail in the cuticle? That is what you do not want. I came too close to the cuticle and the polish bled under it
If you do this by accident, you can take a thin paintbrush or nail art brush, dip it in polish remover and then run it along the edge of the nail where you made the mistake. This will remove it. It is best to do this right away while the polish is still wet.
Use the nail brush just like this
This is me capping my ends.
Next, move on to your color coat. Same process here. Thin coats, cap the ends. Don't touch the polish brush directly to your cuticle. I usually only do 2 coats of color, unless the color is too translucent and I am trying to cover up streaking. If the polish gets too thick, it is going to peal right off. Do the same steps with the top coat. One thin coat, cap the ends. Top coat is essential to make your manicure shiny, cover up any unevenness in the color, and to make it last longer. If there are any mistakes you can again use that thin paintbrush to get excess polish off your skin. Make sure you wait for all polish to dry between coats, usually about 10-15 min so that your manicure doesn't get ruined when you touch things.
When you are done, remember to wash your your hands again. Then use some moisturizer, like cuticle oil, or that great J.R. Watkins hand and cuticle salve that I talked about in my last blog.
Does anyone else have any tips or tricks to make your manicures last longer?
1 comment:
very helpful always see the manicurist start in the middle and cap the ends but never actually do it myself!
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