Five Ways to Make Your Manicure Last
by Substance Nail Expert Deborah Lippmann
1. Make sure you have a very clean nail plate before applying polish. The natural oils on your nail, lotion or a piece of cotton fiber will make the polish peel. I like to strip the nails by swabbing them with Sea Breeze or nail polish remover.
2. Always use a base coat and top coat. It’s sometimes tempting to skip them if you’re in a hurry. But remember, it’s not worth it if your polish chips faster. The base coat acts as a foundation for your manicure, and the top coat is a protectant for your polish.
3. Let each coat dry for a couple of minutes before applying another. This allows the polish to set so the next layer adheres better.
4. Wear gloves whenever you do a job in water or dirt: dishes, cleaning, gardening.
5. Try not to use your nails as tools. Concentrate on using the pads of your fingers and not the tips of your fingers when you reach, grab, hold and type.
