Nail Polish

[warrior queen]

The common mistake people make when doing their own nails is applying it too thickly. Try two or three very thin coats with a 20 minute dry time in between. I find if I apply it too thickly it tends to peel. That being said, I rarely wear nail polish on my fingernails. The thin coats has worked for me in the past when I have. I have to agree also with an earlier poster, buy the most expensive polish you can buy, it really is better. Top coats help as well!

BB

This isn't always the case.
My OPI colours generally go on as one thick coat, and last all week.
I think it has more to do with how you use your hands.... you'd be surprised just how often yiu use or knock your nails if you spent just a few hours paying attention!

 

[Recidiva]

This isn't always the case.
My OPI colours generally go on as one thick coat, and last all week.
I think it has more to do with how you use your hands.... you'd be surprised just how often yiu use or knock your nails if you spent just a few hours paying attention!

Yeah, this I know. I type a lot though, so the wear is at the tips mostly, and a few scratches on the sides from repeated wrongs done.

 

[FindingFire]

Remove all polish residue with pure acetone if your nails are real. Immediately moisturizer your nails the wash hands well and use a nail brush to remove all residue.

Allow hands and nails to thoroughly dry then apply a basecoat being sure to wrap the sides and tips.

Apply one coat of color, again be sure to wrap the sides and the tips. Apply additional coat(s) as needed.

Seal with a top coat being sure to wrap the sides and tips.

Apply a thin layer of top coat every or every other day until polish change.

For moisturizing my nails I actually saturate my pure acetone with coconut oil. Once the acetone dries I rub the coconut oil in and let it set for awhile before washing.

I use Sally's beauty supply base and top coat. For the polish I tend to buy colors I like regardless of brand. Most last 5-8 days and that is with my hands into everything.

 

[Recidiva]

Remove all polish residue with pure acetone if your nails are real. Immediately moisturizer your nails the wash hands well and use a nail brush to remove all residue.

Allow hands and nails to thoroughly dry then apply a basecoat being sure to wrap the sides and tips.

Apply one coat of color, again be sure to wrap the sides and the tips. Apply additional coat(s) as needed.

Seal with a top coat being sure to wrap the sides and tips.

Apply a thin layer of top coat every or every other day until polish change.

For moisturizing my nails I actually saturate my pure acetone with coconut oil. Once the acetone dries I rub the coconut oil in and let it set for awhile before washing.

I use Sally's beauty supply base and top coat. For the polish I tend to buy colors I like regardless of brand. Most last 5-8 days and that is with my hands into everything.

What do you mean by wrap the tips?

I use olive oil to moisturize and push back cuticles.

 

[desertslave]

I'm at the keyboard all the time, so my nails are short. Dark colors make them look stubby.

That's the other discouragement for me. I play classical guitar so my right-hand nails need to be longer and filed slightly wonky (relative to the usual styles) and my left-hand nails need to be very short. The disparity is a lot less obvious au naturel.

My daughter loves nail polish of all colors. When I took her to college a few weeks ago she was sporting an intense cobalt blue on her fingers and a nifty metallic green on her toes that reminded me of scarab beetles.

And there's that other quirk of mine. The idea of a pedi, with a stranger touching my feet, completely freaks me out. I can't explain it, it's just intensely squicky. I can tolerate family members touching my feet, to a point. Master knows that's a genuine, absolutely perfect form of torture though. (And NOT the fun kind.)

 

[satindesire]

*puts on her Makeup Fairy tiara*

Ahem!

So, your nail polish is chipping and peeling within three days? I hear you and I'm here to rescue you!

There are a few tricks that I can teach you that'll lengthen the span of your polish life.

One. Some people have naturally oily cuticles, and the oils in your skin will naturally break down the polish integrity, causing peeling and chipping. Keeping your hands very clean by washing (with cold water to prevent heat break-down of the polish!) with anti-bacterial soap will dry up the cuticle and keep your polish on longer. Side note: Heat break down can be a serious problem--so when you're doing dishes, cooking or doing anything that exposes your hands to any source of heat, keep them protected with the appropriate gloves for the job!!

Two. If you don't have naturally oily cuticles, it might be your polish brand that's the problem. When it comes to nail polish, like leather boots and winter coats, you get what you pay for. I generally stick to brands like OPI, Maybelline's New York Color Show, and my new favorite ESSIE! Essie is a fantastic brand and has a nice variety of color choices!

Three. Base coat. My favorite base coat is by (big surprise!) Essie, the "Ridge Filling" base coat.

http://www.essie.com/Nail-Care/Base-Coats/ridge-filling-base-coat.aspx

It extends the life of my manicure by at least two days, and I've gotten a full week chip-free with it more than once! You can even wear it alone for a pretty sheer pink look!

Four: The application process matters just as much as what you're applying, so for the best results follow these simple steps:

--*Gently buff the shine from your natural nail.

--*Wash your hands with antibacterial soap and water.

--*DO NOT MOISTURIZE YOUR HANDS! The oils in the lotion will break down nail polish integrity!

--*When your hands are -thoroughly- dry, Apply a thin coat of the base coat, allow that to dry completely, then apply two or three -very thin- coats of your chosen polish and allow at least 3-5 minutes in between coats to dry. The drier your polish is before your next coat, the longer it'll last! 10 minutes of dry time would be ideal, but Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo' Dat! So the Fairy won't punish you if you can't make it. SUPER IMPORTANT FAIRY TIP~~SEAL THE FREE EDGE OF YOUR NAIL WITH POLISH, I.E. Paint the tip of your nail, that will prevent chips and lengthen the life of your manicure!

--*When your polish is TOTALLY DRY (tap test to check it!) apply two coats of top coat to seal and protect and don't forget to seal the free edge with top coat as well!

--*Ideally you should re-apply top coat every day to prevent chippage, but at least once every two days if you're super busy!

With these steps, you should be able to squeeze a full week out of your manicure!

I hope this helps!

Stop by my Makeup Fairy thread for any beauty related questions you might have in the future!

 

[Recidiva]

My epic girl crush on satindesire continues.

I'm ordering some Essie. Ridge filler and ballet slippers (pink!) and top coat.

Would you please provide a link to your makeup fairy thread?

Also, sealing sounds...for people like me with shaky hands and lack of artistic ability, dubious.

Thin coats are hard for me because of the brush strokes it leaves and the uneven texture. That's why I've been overdoing the thick, because its' easier to apply thick that will even out flat, than thin that will leave brush strokes and bumps.

Hopefully Essie's texture of the polish will fix that.

 

[Aphro]

Thank you. I will try this, because I have the same problem. It seems maybe I have been putting the coats of polish on too thick.

 

[Sir Victor]

*puts on her Makeup Fairy tiara*

Ahem!

So, your nail polish is chipping and peeling within three days? I hear you and I'm here to rescue you!

There are a few tricks that I can teach you that'll lengthen the span of your polish life.

One. Some people have naturally oily cuticles, and the oils in your skin will naturally break down the polish integrity, causing peeling and chipping. Keeping your hands very clean by washing (with cold water to prevent heat break-down of the polish!) with anti-bacterial soap will dry up the cuticle and keep your polish on longer. Side note: Heat break down can be a serious problem--so when you're doing dishes, cooking or doing anything that exposes your hands to any source of heat, keep them protected with the appropriate gloves for the job!!

Two. If you don't have naturally oily cuticles, it might be your polish brand that's the problem. When it comes to nail polish, like leather boots and winter coats, you get what you pay for. I generally stick to brands like OPI, Maybelline's New York Color Show, and my new favorite ESSIE! Essie is a fantastic brand and has a nice variety of color choices!

Three. Base coat. My favorite base coat is by (big surprise!) Essie, the "Ridge Filling" base coat.

http://www.essie.com/Nail-Care/Base-Coats/ridge-filling-base-coat.aspx

It extends the life of my manicure by at least two days, and I've gotten a full week chip-free with it more than once! You can even wear it alone for a pretty sheer pink look!

Four: The application process matters just as much as what you're applying, so for the best results follow these simple steps:

--*Gently buff the shine from your natural nail.

--*Wash your hands with antibacterial soap and water.

--*DO NOT MOISTURIZE YOUR HANDS! The oils in the lotion will break down nail polish integrity!

--*When your hands are -thoroughly- dry, Apply a thin coat of the base coat, allow that to dry completely, then apply two or three -very thin- coats of your chosen polish and allow at least 3-5 minutes in between coats to dry. The drier your polish is before your next coat, the longer it'll last! 10 minutes of dry time would be ideal, but Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo' Dat! So the Fairy won't punish you if you can't make it. SUPER IMPORTANT FAIRY TIP~~SEAL THE FREE EDGE OF YOUR NAIL WITH POLISH, I.E. Paint the tip of your nail, that will prevent chips and lengthen the life of your manicure!

--*When your polish is TOTALLY DRY (tap test to check it!) apply two coats of top coat to seal and protect and don't forget to seal the free edge with top coat as well!

--*Ideally you should re-apply top coat every day to prevent chippage, but at least once every two days if you're super busy!

With these steps, you should be able to squeeze a full week out of your manicure!

I hope this helps!

Stop by my Makeup Fairy thread for any beauty related questions you might have in the future!

Reminds me somewhat of painting a car!
Have you every tried preping the nail before the first coat with alcohol?
It might help remove the oils and provide a better bond.
I don't use nail polish by the way - just trying to help.

 

[Recidiva]

Reminds me somewhat of painting a car!
Have you every tried preping the nail before the first coat with alcohol?
It might help remove the oils and provide a better bond.
I don't use nail polish by the way - just trying to help.

I'd like to see a comparison of prep methods. There's one that alters pH and a recommendation to rough up the nail a bit, the aesthete in me may be unhappy about roughing up a nail, even a little bit and afraid I'd get what looks like a popcorn ceiling.

 

[satindesire]

My epic girl crush on satindesire continues.

I'm ordering some Essie. Ridge filler and ballet slippers (pink!) and top coat.

Would you please provide a link to your makeup fairy thread?

Also, sealing sounds...for people like me with shaky hands and lack of artistic ability, dubious.

Thin coats are hard for me because of the brush strokes it leaves and the uneven texture. That's why I've been overdoing the thick, because its' easier to apply thick that will even out flat, than thin that will leave brush strokes and bumps.

Hopefully Essie's texture of the polish will fix that.

The link to my Fairy thread is in my signature, but for those of you with signatures turned off:

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=802027

For those of you with shaky hands or people inexperienced with polishing nails, here's a great way to fix mistakes!

Get a small dish, anything that can hold a small amount of liquid will do. Pour a small amount of nail polish remover in it. Take a cotton bud (Commonly referred to as a Cue Tip or a Quetip) and soak one side in the nail polish remover. Squeeze into a point for pinpoint-accurate nail polish fixes!

Sealing the free edge of your nail IS a delicate procedure -HOWEVER- it is vital to do this to lengthen the lifespan of your manicure! To fix mistakes, take the cotton bud point and rub away any polish slips before it dries!

Essie's texture is fantastically self-leveling, more so than many polishes, and several thin coats, when applied carefully, should last much longer than one thick coat without looking "bumpy". And remember, if the polish doesn't look right and you just can't deal, remove it and try again! There's no rule that says you only get ONE shot per finger!

Reminds me somewhat of painting a car!
Have you every tried preping the nail before the first coat with alcohol?
It might help remove the oils and provide a better bond.
I don't use nail polish by the way - just trying to help.

That would help for people with EXTREEEEMELY oily skin/cuticles, but for most people, a quick wash with soap and water will be just fine. If a regular person used an alcohol prep, it could actually do the opposite and -overdry- the nail and cuticle, causing hangnails. And those hurt!

But thank you for the thoughtful suggestion!

I'd like to see a comparison of prep methods. There's one that alters pH and a recommendation to rough up the nail a bit, the aesthete in me may be unhappy about roughing up a nail, even a little bit and afraid I'd get what looks like a popcorn ceiling.

If you use the very lightest buffing side of a nail block, it should only take off the shine and not "texturize" your nail visibly at all. What it should do is microscopically texturize the very top layer of your nail to give the polish a texture to "cling" to.

As long as this is done -very gently- and only once, it should be perfectly safe!

 

[Recidiva]

The link to my Fairy thread is in my signature, but for those of you with signatures turned off:

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=802027

For those of you with shaky hands or people inexperienced with polishing nails, here's a great way to fix mistakes!

Get a small dish, anything that can hold a small amount of liquid will do. Pour a small amount of nail polish remover in it. Take a cotton bud (Commonly referred to as a Cue Tip or a Quetip) and soak one side in the nail polish remover. Squeeze into a point for pinpoint-accurate nail polish fixes!

Sealing the free edge of your nail IS a delicate procedure -HOWEVER- it is vital to do this to lengthen the lifespan of your manicure! To fix mistakes, take the cotton bud point and rub away any polish slips before it dries!

Essie's texture is fantastically self-leveling, more so than many polishes, and several thin coats, when applied carefully, should last much longer than one thick coat without looking "bumpy". And remember, if the polish doesn't look right and you just can't deal, remove it and try again! There's no rule that says you only get ONE shot per finger!



That would help for people with EXTREEEEMELY oily skin/cuticles, but for most people, a quick wash with soap and water will be just fine. If a regular person used an alcohol prep, it could actually do the opposite and -overdry- the nail and cuticle, causing hangnails. And those hurt!

But thank you for the thoughtful suggestion!



If you use the very lightest buffing side of a nail block, it should only take off the shine and not "texturize" your nail visibly at all. What it should do is microscopically texturize the very top layer of your nail to give the polish a texture to "cling" to.

As long as this is done -very gently- and only once, it should be perfectly safe!

Thank you! Subscribed, yes, I do have signatures off.

 

[satindesire]

Thank you! Subscribed, yes, I do have signatures off.

I'm leaving the house shortly, but my girl Firebreeze posted about Autumn makeup and I'm going to be doing a fashion/cosmetics post about Fall tonight, so keep on the lookout for that!

And feel free to browse both the new and the old Fairy threads, they're a wealth of information! Love ya!

 

[Recidiva]

I'm leaving the house shortly, but my girl Firebreeze posted about Autumn makeup and I'm going to be doing a fashion/cosmetics post about Fall tonight, so keep on the lookout for that!

And feel free to browse both the new and the old Fairy threads, they're a wealth of information! Love ya!

You are my hero and I like linking people to real events.

It'll be nice to look at a pretty manicure and think of you every time I do it. It will make my spa day just that much more warm.

 

[warrior queen]

Reminds me somewhat of painting a car!
Have you every tried preping the nail before the first coat with alcohol?
It might help remove the oils and provide a better bond.
I don't use nail polish by the way - just trying to help.

We're painting a car atm, and between every coat you have to wet'n'dry sand the paint.
We're using an ultrafine, 2200, to give the next layer better 'purchase'.
I use the rougher side of a nail buffer (which is also ultrafine) on my nails before painting for the same reason.

 

[satindesire]

You are my hero and I like linking people to real events.

It'll be nice to look at a pretty manicure and think of you every time I do it. It will make my spa day just that much more warm.

Aw, shucks Ma'am. *kicks a can*

 

[FindingFire]

What do you mean by wrap the tips?

I use olive oil to moisturize and push back cuticles.

Wrapping the tips is the same as "sealing the tips". Make sure you cover the edges of the tops and the sides with polish.

Satin desire has some great tips but I don't fully concur with the advice of buffing the shine off the nail. My natural nails are buffed to a high shine and even bare look as though they have a high gloss top coat on them.

While the buffing the shine off may help, it is not always necessary.

I use great polish and cheap polish and my results are pretty consistent with longevity of the polish.

I'm not a brand snob, I buy by the colors I like. My collection includes a lot of China Glaze, Pure Ice, Sinful Colors and Wet N Wild with a few Essie's and other brands scattered in. My polish longevity results are pretty consistent.

Another thing to keep in mind is cuticle on the nail. You may not see it but a very thin layer of skin grows up onto the nail. Cuticle remover is great for getting it gone. Using an orange wood stick or a pusher after a soak in warm water to soften the cuticles will make a huge difference too.

Happy manicuring!

 

[satindesire]

Wrapping the tips is the same as "sealing the tips". Make sure you cover the edges of the tops and the sides with polish.

Satin desire has some great tips but I don't fully concur with the advice of buffing the shine off the nail. My natural nails are buffed to a high shine and even bare look as though they have a high gloss top coat on them.

While the buffing the shine off may help, it is not always necessary.

I use great polish and cheap polish and my results are pretty consistent with longevity of the polish.

I'm not a brand snob, I buy by the colors I like. My collection includes a lot of China Glaze, Pure Ice, Sinful Colors and Wet N Wild with a few Essie's and other brands scattered in. My polish longevity results are pretty consistent.

Another thing to keep in mind is cuticle on the nail. You may not see it but a very thin layer of skin grows up onto the nail. Cuticle remover is great for getting it gone. Using an orange wood stick or a pusher after a soak in warm water to soften the cuticles will make a huge difference too.

Happy manicuring!

No it certainly doesn't have to be done. But nail polish is like any other paint, it sticks to textured surfaces better, and when a person already has an issue with the longevity of their manicure not lasting as long as they'd like it, every little bit helps!

 

[FindingFire]

No it certainly doesn't have to be done. But nail polish is like any other paint, it sticks to textured surfaces better, and when a person already has an issue with the longevity of their manicure not lasting as long as they'd like it, every little bit helps!

I agree 100%. But all to often peeps overdo the texturing and keep doing it with every polish change and substantially reduce the strength of the natural nail. That's why I lean towards discouraging texturizing.

 

[warrior queen]

I agree 100%. But all to often peeps overdo the texturing and keep doing it with every polish change and substantially reduce the strength of the natural nail. That's why I lean towards discouraging texturizing.

I use a nail buff/polish block.
Those are so gentle you can se them twice a week for natural polished nails, so I don't see how once a week when putting colour on can be harmfull.

 

[FindingFire]

I use a nail buff/polish block.
Those are so gentle you can se them twice a week for natural polished nails, so I don't see how once a week when putting colour on can be harmfull.

Every time you use the buffer you are removing a small amount of the natural nail hence making it thinner.

 

[warrior queen]

Every time you use the buffer you are removing a small amount of the natural nail hence making it thinner.

Of course, I'm aware of that.
But tbh, my nails are thick and strong as hell.... I would need to buff many times a day for it to make any noticeable difference.
My nails don't break. They don't chip. They don't 'flake'. And they don't split.
They grow fast as hell too.... I measured it at 3-4mm/week.

 

[gotherella]

i find the thicker you put on nail varnish the quicker it comes off, a nice thin coat of a really good 7 day nail varnish will last longer than anything ime, but then you could turn goth like me, new nails on sunday then pick off the majority by monday and look like you have crawled out of a grave with chipped nail varnish the rest of the week, sorts the problem lol

 

[FindingFire]

Of course, I'm aware of that.
But tbh, my nails are thick and strong as hell.... I would need to buff many times a day for it to make any noticeable difference.
My nails don't break. They don't chip. They don't 'flake'. And they don't split.
They grow fast as hell too.... I measured it at 3-4mm/week.

Like you I am fortunate to have beautifully curved nails that are strong as hell. Not everyone is as fortunate. My post was not personal to you.

 

[Recidiva]

Okay, I have my Essie stuff and my ridge filler and two coats on. In my attempt to "seal the edges" I have some bubbles and essential snow drifts in "ballet slipper"

I have one long ridge down off center one nail. It looks like I've drawn a line with pen by the end of the week and it tends to split at the end. Should I just buff that down entirely or accept it as my special snowflake uniqueness?

Is it supposed to look like I just dipped my fingers in polish?

If so, why don't I just buy a lot of it, pour it into a sealed jar and dip my hand into?

It's pretty though and I'll see how long it lasts.