I absolutely love when my nails are manicured. I look at polish as an accessory and feel like the color on my nails allows me to express my mood and feelings towards the current season in a fun and easy way. While it’s hard to beat the quality of a salon manicure over the years I’ve perfected my at-home version and have a few secrets to getting your nails to look their best with minimal time and effort.
1. Skip the base coat.
Typically when I start my nails I’m racing against time to get them done {and dried} as quickly as possible. Most often I try to fit in my manicure while Annabelle naps or right after we put her down for bed. In either case I only have a limited amount of time before she wakes up or I have to go to bed myself. I’ve found that applying a base coat really makes no difference in terms of how my polish looks or lasts so I now skip this step all together. Instead I make sure to swipe my nails with polish remover a few times after filing and buffing, right before I apply my first coat of polish. I’ve been told by professionals that this drys out your nails and removes any oil or other residue which helps your polish last longer.
2. Use a Quality Polish and Top Coat
The polish and top coat you use makes a huge difference in how well your polish applies and lasts. My favorite brands are Essie and CND Vinulyx. Essie has the best selection of colors I’ve ever seen and for a standard polish it lasts longer than any other brand. Plus it’s sold almost everywhere so it’s easy to refresh your colors or pick up your favorite when you run out. CND Vinulyx is a weekly polish that lasts 7 days and is made by the same brand who makes Shellac, which is the 14-day nail color they use in salons. I recently documented my manicure over a week’s time and it really does last very well. There aren’t as many colors to choose from but I really love the color Cake Pop. It’s a lighter pink and covers very well {and it’s the color I’m wearing in these photos}. For topcoats I love Seche Vite and the CND Vinulyx topcoat which should be paired with the Vinulyx polish.
3. Let Your Polish Dry Between Coats
As hard as it is for someone as impatient as me, another salon tip I’ve picked up is to let your polish dry for at least a few minutes between coats. I try to allow 2-3 minutes between coats and do two coats of color and then one coat of topcoat.
4. Reapply Topcoat Every 2 Days
This step is great if you have time/remember but not required. I think especially if you’re trying to make your manicure last for a specific event it’s extra insurance to add a coat of topcoat every other day to avoid chips.
Ta-da! Easy breezy. Any tips I’ve missed? I’d love to hear your results if you incorporate some of these steps in your next at-home mani.
