Christine KellerEveryone has experienced it. After you spend an hour doing your own nails or shelling out a small fortune at your favorite salon, you just discovered that your beautiful manicure got a chip. Nothing can be as annoying and frustrating to see that all of your hard work and hard earned money has gone to waste.
Good thing there are several simple tricks you can try to prevent unwanted chips and extend the life and beauty of your manicure.
Clean Your Nails First Before Anything Else
When your nails are professionally done, you will notice that they use a nail polish remover first to clean your nails even when you don’t have any nail polish at all. Why? This is because the natural oils will prevent the nail polish from sticking on your nails’ surface. Before you apply polish, make sure you swipe every nail with a nail polish remover.
Use a Base Coat to Prepare Your Nails
Polish is going to adhere best to your nails if you prep them using a base coat.
Don’t Shake the Bottle
The silver mixing balls you can see in the nail varnish bottle are responsible for activating the formula of the product. For them to work, just roll the nail polish bottle between your hand’s palms but never shake it. Shaking the bottle only increases the chances of getting air bubbles upon application.
Thin is Better Than Thick
Thinner coats have lower risks of smudging compared to thick coats. You can apply three thin polish coats instead of two thick polish coats.
It will cut down the drying time in between the coats, not to mention that this is also a lesser chance that bubbles will brew on your nails when they fail to dry up in time.
In addition, you can also use high quality nail polish as this can do a better job.
Don’t Forget Polishing Your Nail Tips
Polishing the nail tips should never be forgotten when polishing as this can help reduce the risks of chipping.
Experience Less Chip with Shimmery Colors
The small sparkle pieces help polish stick to your nails. If you are a fan of shimmery finish, it is another great reason to continue loving it.
Apply Clear Top Coat
A good top coat can extend your manicure’s life. The base coat can also be used as top coat. You can brush the top coat around and on the nail edges to serve as an additional seal from chipping.
Allow Enough Drying Time
Your nails require a drying time of around 45 minutes before you can hold objects such as your shoelaces and keys. After the drying time is done, submerge your nails in cold water and apply lotion. It will allow a slipper surface just until your nails become completely dry.
When it comes to pedicures, you can use a plastic wrap to wrap your toes if you are wearing shoes instead of sandals or flip-flops.
Have a Top Coat Available All the Time
Apply a top coat every other day to extend the life and beauty of your manicure.
