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Now you might well be rolling your eyes and muttering “Ah for feck’s sake, sure don’t we all know how to put on nail varnish” under your breath, but talking to people over the last while I’ve been shocked by the number of women who think that firing one thick coat of coloured polish straight on to their nekkid talons is the way to go. It’s really not: for nail varnish to last any length of time, look well, and avoid staining your nails, it needs to be applied properly.
Follow these three simple steps and you won’t go far wrong!
1. Always, always use a base coat. Seriously, don’t skip this step – it’ll help prevent bright or dark colours from staining your nails, and will also give your colour something to stick to, helping it last longer.
2. Apply two thin coats of your chosen colour. Yes, the first coat will likely look streaky and a bit crap, but the second will even things out and give the colour richness and depth. Going with a couple of thin coats rather than just the one big thick gloopy coat means that the nail varnish actually gets a chance to dry.
3. Finish off with a top coat to add glossy shine (you might think the colour’s shiny in itself, but you’ll really notice the difference a good top coat makes) and protect your handiwork.
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No matter WHAT I do – they chip the same day. I have given up and just get a weekly file and polish instead. I’m actually going to urbana tonight to ge the everlasting nail polish done – it supposedly lasts four weeks. I’m a bit sceptical but at 70 yoyos I hope I get a couple of weeks anyway. I’ll report back on it’s durability!
Am I also right in saying you should paint one strip down the middle of the nail and then one strip on either side leaving a little gap between the edge of your nail and your finger to make them look longer? A beautician told me that once…
Can you recommend a good base coat and top coat please?
Pink – I am very be intersted in hearing how that goes? Nail inc do a 3 week mani and as far as I can see its a form of gel nails.
When I’m painting my own nails I always paint my right hand first (I’m right handed). Very hard to explain but if I do it the other way round I’m never happy with the results.
Becks – yeah they claim it’s not like gel nails and that it doesn’t damage your nails but I don’t know. Sure I said I’ll give it a whirl and see. I hope it doesn’t though because I can’t stand the look of gel nails or acrylic ones
Tish, that’s exactly what I do and the gap means less mess to clean up too
Oh another thing I do is if I get polish on my skin – I let it dry and it comes of no bother.
My nails are SHOCKING today.
Shin – So are mine. Going to do them tomorrow night for the weekend
Just caught myself picking off my nail varnish which is a purple colour over a red colour. Am gonna do all the above tonight
Ya, mine are also desperate. Really need to be covered up!! Will prob do mine tomorrow evening too…
For a base coat, I think Creative Nails Stickey is brilliant…my polish usually lasts a week chip-free. And all I use for a top coat is some random Boots nail hardener for a bit of shine!
pinkpanther – i’d deffo be v interested to hear how you get on too!
there’s been a lot of talk about nails this week.. am i really the only one that gets days out of her varnish [bar twinkle!]?
zie – i find the sally hansen double duty great..
I have to say, I use a base coat, two layers of polish and then a top coat…and I can go a whole week with no chipping! I’d say as long as you leave each coat enough time to dry, it’s definitely possible to give yourself a really good manicure
I don’t seem to find OPI/Jessica etc last any longer than Barry M/cheapie brands…but I do find the more expensive ones easier to apply.
GK – we must be useless wenches who don’t do enough housework for our nails to last so long compared to everyone else’s?
hehe twinkle, i would reckon – i do as little housework as possible!
Zie, haven’t used it myself but the Creative Nails Sticky base coat Twinkle recommended always gets rave reviews & I really want to give it a go!! The Leighton Denny base coat is good too I think, review here: http://beaut.ie/blog/?p=5225
You might find this post helpful re: top coats… http://beaut.ie/blog/?p=5847
Thanks girls!
It seems I do everything “by the book” I use Sally Hansen Miracle Cure as a base coat and Sally Hansen Mega Shine as a top coat. My manicure does last but I get bored with one colour very quickly so do it every couple of days.
Yea I do pretty much the same, but since I’ve now become addicted to buying nail polish the colour changes every evening… They were deep purple yesterday in work, one hand was electric blue and one navy last night (was trying to decide on colours for this weekend) and today they’re a kind of fuschia (which should last me for the weekend)…
I’m only buying the cheapy brands at the moment till I get used to painting them, but the Miss Sporty and Collection 2000 ones do have good lasting time!
I find Perfectil great for strengthening my nails and stopping them flake. Bought a Barbara Daly nail varnish last night so am looking forward to applying it later for the weekend, her range has some lovely colours.
ip – but how do you paint the right hand?