Nail Polish CAN Last for 5 Days

Nail polish has always been one of those love-hate beauty items; the deliberate application of nail lacquer has more often resulted in chipped or cracked color 2 or 3 days after application. For those of us that are particularly rough with our hands, chipping can start as early as the next day. It is no doubt a hassle to pull out the manicure kit every few days just to keep your nails maintained.

Many women leave their hands to a professional but a weekly manicure or an acrylic or gel overlay every 2-3 weeks can add up. The idea is not to discourage you from going to the salon; everyone needs pampering but visiting a professional just to keep up with the chipping and cracking is no way to go. Making nail polish last begins with the polish. Some bands are better than others however; it is not a good indicator in determining which polish will give lasting results. This is also true of the price; there are plenty of great polishes that are under $3 that will out do any $8 bottle. The focus is really on the technique. How the polish is applied is what makes the difference between a 2 and 5 day last.

Tips for 7 day color- what you’ll need

1. acetone (not the same are regular polish remover)
2. cotton swabs or squares
3. nail file or emery board
4. base coat
5. color of choice
6. top coat
7. bowl of ice water

Why acetone? Regular nail remover has oils in to moisturize and promote restoration of the nail bed. Acetone removes the oils and allows the nail polish to take better onto your nail, this is important. It is also more effective in removing glitter polish.

Cotton Swabs are a give-in but are used to for holding acetone and wiping the nail clean of polish and oils. Remove or push-back cuticles and clean dirt from under the nails.

A nail file/emery board is just as important as the acetone. Of course you should file your nails to even and shape as desired. You also need the nail file to swipe in one direction over the nail. Do not move the file in a back and forth or in a side to side motion, this will greatly damage the nail and make polish look granulated when applied. Lightly swipe to create a rough surface for the polish; this will allow the polish to settle onto your nails and can help prevent lifting later on. Wipe the nails one more time with the acetone to remove debris and leftover oils.

Once you’ve filed and swiped, apply your base coat. Smooth the polish in long strokes, making sure to not make too many passes over the nail. Let dry for 10 minutes. Yes, it seems like a long intermission but it’s worth it. After the base coat has dried, apply your color. Wait 10 minutes and apply a second coat. Always apply a second coat, the color becomes more vivid.

A word about the top coat, this step gets skipped a lot of times. It provides shine and really keeps the color looking sharp. Apply one coat and allow nails to dry. After 20-30 minutes of letting your nails dry, dip your fingers into the bowl of ice water. Ice Water helps the nail polish to harden and speeds the drying time. After the ice dip, pat hands dry and moisturize.

Up-Keep

No one can avoid every day tasks for the sake of keeping their nails from chipping. But there are simple things you can do to keep not only your nails looking good but your hands nice and soft too.

• Wear gloves while washing dishes, mopping, gardening or for any other general household task.
• Don’t pick. If you see your polish cracked or lifting, leave it alone. Massive chipping can be avoided just by not bothering the polish.
• No biting the nails. Besides the germs and dirt you will ingest, the nails will become ragged and brittle from excessive biting.

Nail polish can have lasting results with a commitment and a little bit of patience, even an at home acrylic or gel application can be both rewarding and cost effective; saving you money and time in the long run.