Tips to make Your Manicure Last

Posted by Anonymous on Mon, 05/20/2013 - 5:06 PM

Nothing makes a girl feel like a million bucks like a fresh manicure…or maybe a wardrobe full of Chanel. But since most of us won’t experience the latter, we want to make sure the manicures we spend our hard earned moolah on last as long as possible. Follow some of these guidelines to extend the life span of your colored nails regardless of what you have to do afterwards.

Pre-Condition
Before you paint your nails, make sure they’re ready for polish. In other words, keep them healthy—moisturize and clean cuticles. We really like Calvin Klein's Nail Treatment Splendid Condition Moisturizing Cuticle Cream Treatment, which is designed to strengthen your nails and soften your cuticles pre-manicure. Let is soak in about an hour or so for the full effect.

Get Rid of the Oils
The biggest hurdle between you and a long lasting mani is the natural, non-visible oil on your fingernails. These oils prevent the polish from sticking, so you want to make sure your fingernails are completely dehydrated before you manicure them. One way to do this is by using an old, dry toothbrush to scrub the oil off. Or you could use polish remover or even vodka to dry out our nails.

Use a Base Coat
You’ve heard it a hundred times before: use a base coat, but the reason why is less well known. Simply put, a base coat sticks better to the nail that lacquer does; it also prevents bright colors from staining your nails.

Let ‘Em Dry
The biggest manicure faux pas? Not giving your nails enough time to dry. Despite the special heat lamps and drying sprays many spas offer, the best way to truly dry your nails is with good old-fashioned time. Sure, it can be dry to the touch, but nail polish takes an hour to dry completely. If possible, avoid putting your nails under heat for 24 hours after your treatment—keep water temperatures cool and mild so not to melt the layers of your polish.

Have any great tricks for making your mani last? Tell us in the comments!

Nail Trend: Half Moon Mani

Posted by Anonymous on Thu, 06/07/2012 - 8:47 PM

This nail trend, I just had to try, and yesterday, I finally made it out to find reinforcements, the most important factor for this nail look. I am in love with the fact that something I used to use in my 4th grade 1” binder for class is an essential “tool” in my nail beauty regimen…well at least for this trend look.

This may be the easiest look you will ever paint and it looks pretty awesome too! Do it yourself (DIY) and see how easy it really is!

First, what you’ll need

- -Reinforcements (5-10)

- -Nail polish (any color your heart desires + top coat)

To begin, I am all about being efficient, so rather than using 10 reinforcements for my 10 fingers, I decided to cut the circular stickers in half. I then placed the sticker on the bottom of my nail, leaving a small space for natural nail color to show thru. ((If you’d like to apply a color as a base, go ahead and have fun with it. For this look, I wanted a more natural feel, so I didn’t paint a different color as the base coat.)) After you have applied the reinforcements to the bottom or your nails, paint your nails like you would normally. I used an indigo blue, try Christian Dior’s Vernis Blue Denim Nail Lacquer, you’ll love it, plus you’ll be hitting two nail trends at one time! (half moon mani + blue polish—look at you!) Once you have painted your nails like you would normally, peel off the reinforcement. NOTE: It is important that you do not peel it towards your nail or with your nail but AWAY from your nail and towards your body. This is because you want a clean break from the sticker, your nail, and the polish.

Love the look? Keep it long lasting and apply a clear top coat. Voila, there you have it! Share this trend with all of your friends and show us your pics once you try it!