Nail Time, Baby!

Alright… Here’s my tutorial for a perfect LONG-LASTING manicure!

Every time I do someone’s nails, or they see my own, everyone always asks “How does your polish stay on that long?!” I have a few tips and tricks for those who want to know.

First off: Polish brand! A lot of the more expensive brands out there advertise long-lasting color, bright color, etc. Don’t fall for it! The main colors I use in my awesome mani’s are from two brands: Spoiled! And Confetti, both I can pick up at my local CVS for under 3$ a bottle. Not to mention their amazing color selection! Girl’s dream!

My collection of Spoiled and Confetti polishes!

Second: Top coat and BASE coat! Get yourself a good quality top/base coat. I use Nailtiques strengthener base coat (I think it’s step 2) because with so many manicures, my nails were starting to look pretty terrible from all the polish remover. I also use it as a top coat because it provides a nice shine.

Nailtiques Formula 2

Third: The way you polish! Use thin layers. Don’t use old goopy polishes, as they clump up and get sticky. Make sure you have a nice set of tools to work with. Even something as simple as orange sticks and a nail file will work! I have a starter kit from Christmas. I’ll post pics of what I have within a day or two. Here is what I have:

My nail must-haves. Bobby pins work great for dotting tools!

Alright- here’s my step-by-step tutorial.

1.     Nail polish remover. Take off any old polish you may have on, and if you don’t have any on, it will take off any excess oils you have on your nails. Just a gentle swipe will be good. Also take a moment to clean out the underside of your nails.

2.     Wash your hands. Well. With warm water. Make sure to get the soap on your nail beds. I know I often forget to do this, so when I’m doing my nails, I like to gather some soap in the palm of one hand, and rub my nails form the other hand back and forth in it. Repeat on the opposite hand.

3.     While your hands are nice and soft, you can now clean up your cuticles and the skin around your nails. I use a cuticle cream on mine, but it’s not necessary. Just use an orange stick to gently push back the cuticle (not another nail or a metal object as they may damage the nail bed below).

4.     File your nails to the desired shape. I use different types of files and buffers, going from coarse to fine to get a nice clean edge on my nails. Also, don’t just go from the sides, shape the nail as a whole. Remember to only stroke in one direction, as going both ways (in a sawing motion) could cause your nails to split.

5.     Brush off any access nail dust and then apply a hand lotion. Take a little time to relax as you give yourself a little massage. Make sure to lotion your nails as they CAN dry out if you do your nails too often.

6.     Now you are ready to begin with polish! Start with your base coat. Get a nice thin, but covered layer on your nail. Let it dry a moment before doing your polish. Not a complete dry, just a few seconds to solidify.

7.     Start your color. I typically do 2-3 coats depending on the color. Don’t glob it on! Nice and thing layers give the best results. Let it dry a few moments to solidify (it should be ready almost as soon as you finish your other hand, so no worries). After your first coat, I choose to do a light swipe on the edge of the nail to seal the edge.

8.     Once your color is on how you like it, feel free to do any glitter or what ever you choose.

9.     Top coat. Do another layer of your base coat (or top coat if you have it) to give the colors a nice shine.

10.  LET IT DRY COMPLETELY before doing anything. ANYTHING! I like to have a movie going while I’m doing my nails, or something cued up beforehand so I won’t move an inch until it’s over. Old polishes will sometimes take longer to dry so I’d say about an hour before doing any SERIOUS nail motions. Like typing, opening something, scratching your head… yeah… be careful when scratching your head~

Pictures coming soon!

So, that’s it! If you have any questions or blog ideas for me, feel free to comment below!