8 Tips on How to Make Nail Polish Stay on Longer ...

An integral part of how to make nail polish stay on longer is choosing a length for your nail that allows you to comfortably do any activity while avoiding breakage. A chipped nail can sometimes be a traumatic and painful experience. It also is one of the main causes of a ruined manicure. If you play an instrument or your job involves a lot of typing on a keyboard, a shorter nail length is the way to go. Keep your nails trimmed to a length that compliments your fingers or toes, but remember to avoid going too long unless you have resilient nails.

Prepping your nails involves doing most of the things they do at nail salons, but this process is more than easy to do in the comfort of your home. First, remove any nail polish remnants using a reliable nail polish remover. I find 100% acetone ones to work the best. Next, buff your nails. A good nail buffer should always be a part of your nail kit. This creates a smooth, bare surface on which to apply the nail polish. You have the option of cutting your cuticles, which help open up the nail bed more and give the nail a cleaner look, but I prefer to only let the professionals deal with that. The final step of this process involves filing your nails to the shape and size of your preference.

After you are finished with all the buffing and filing, wash your hands of all the dust that has probably accumulated. I love using exfoliating scrubs on my hands to help get rid of any dead skin. Use a moisturizing lotion to replenish your hands and cuticles, and then swab only the nail beds with the nail polish remover. The lotion around your fingernails will help avoid any nail polishing mistakes from sticking to your skin while the swabbing of the nail bed keeps the actual nail clean and ready to be polished. Also remember to moisturize after your nails are painted and dry. I feel that when my hands are dry I'm more prone to pick at my cuticles and nail polish. Try and always carry a hand cream or moisturizer with you wherever you go.

Behind - and under - every well-kept manicure is a base coat. Using a base coat is a necessity when trying to make nail polish stay on longer. This simple step is helpful for many reasons. A base coat creates a barrier between your nail and the nail polish, helping to avoid any staining from occurring. It truly helps nail polish stay on longer too by acting as a primer for you nails. A base coat is a must for any and all manicures.

This step is easy to overlook only because it can sometimes take some time, but drying between each layer of nail polish is vital to keeping a long-lasting manicure. When I say dry in between coats, I mean literally between each and every coat of nail polish you put on. Let your nails dry after the base coat. Let them dry between each layer of nail polish you put on, which should really only be two or three. And definitely let them dry after the top coat. This can be a time staking process but is worth it in the end when your manicure is completely dry and smudge-free.

I’m obviously suggesting you follow all these steps in order to make your nail polish last as long as possible. However, even if you skip some of these, I have to insist on always using a top coat. The power of a really good top coat can literally make or break your manicure. You might also want to consider splurging a bit on the highly rated top coats such as Seche Vite. They prove to be worth their costs as they work miracles in quickly drying your nails while also giving them a professional looking shine. A great top coat can be the key to a durable, good-looking manicure.

The quick process of capping your nail is part of when you are using your top coat, but I think it’s important enough to deserve its own bullet point. When you are using a top coat, be sure to paint on the top most edge of your nail, maybe even paint over the nail a little in order to get the clear coat slightly underneath the edge of your nail. Don’t worry about the top coat getting on your cuticles or the skin underneath your nail. The extraneous parts of polish will come off the next time you wash your hands or take a shower. This is how you cap your nails. It uses nail polish to cover the tops of your nails so the nail polish won’t get caught on something and peel off.

Gel manicures have become one of my most favorite things ever. If you haven’t heard about the buzz surrounding this type of manicure then this can potentially turn your nail care world upside down. You can get a gel manicure either at a nail salon or buy an at-home kit. Either way, the process involves a base coat, colored nail gel, and a top coat along with a UV light that helps solidify the nail polish. Gel manicures can be a bit costly but are completely worth it when you end up with gorgeously shiny nails and a manicure that will last you two weeks, at the least!

Nail care is a primary part of my beauty routine. It’s such a shame to see the time and effort that goes into painting your nails go to waste because of a ruined manicure. If you follow these simple tips, however, I guarantee you will see a difference in how long your nail polish actually manages to stay on. Have you come across any other ways of maintaining a long-lasting manicure?