Nail Polish

The Problem: After spending five mintes oh-so-carefully applying nail polish and ten minutes letting it dry and an hour of doing everything carefully so it doesn't smudge, nail polish chips after four hours, rendering that part of your day and time and care and energy and effort absolutely pointless.

The Other Problem: One likes to look pretty. Seeing nicely done nails engaging in any task automatically makes that task seem cooler. (I hooked up a hose to a faucet the other day. All around me was mud and muck and grossness, but my nails looked really cool as I screwed on that hose.) However, chipped nails completely negate that effect, to the point of making tasks look worse, because you can't even keep your nails looking nice.

The Other Other Problem: Manicures are expensive. Whether or not you get fake nails, it's at least $15 every two weeks to have somebody you can barely understand do your nails for you. But those manicures last forever.

Ever wonder why that is?

I did. It frustrated me to no end. So, one day, I went to the repository of all knowledge (thank you, Google!) and looked it up. I learned some tricks, and I will now share them with you.

I know. I'm that kind. ;)

First, nail polish remover is an important first step. It removes the body oils from your nails and makes it so the polish has a clean surface to stick to. (I'd always seen manicurists do this, but figured they were just paranoid that I had some remnant of nail polish left over on my nails. Who knew there was a purpose to it?)

Second, use a base coat. Not a base/top coat, because they have different purposes, but the base coat is like primer. It gets your nails ready to take the color. Use a thin coat.

Third, do your color when the base coat is still slightly tacky. This gives the color a little more incentive to stick to your nails. Do thin coats (I often do two) rather than one thick coat.

Fourth, cover with a top coat. This is not clear nail polish; this is a clearly labeled "Top Coat." Let all the layers dry thoroughly before doing major construction or taking a shower. At this point, it's the normal nail polish routine... the blowing, the not smudging, the reading a magazine for half an hour or so until they really are dry.

Each manicure lasts about a week before you start to notice serious chips. This is a week of hand-washing dishes (we don't have a dishwasher, so I wash a lot of dishes by hand!) and taking care of a horse and a cat and doing laundry and chasing after a 1-year-old with all her messes. It's still not quite as good as professional, but it's a loooooong way better than pre-trick manicures!

Now, the Base Coat and Top Coat I found at a grocery store for $6/bottle. It's a little expensive, I'll grant you. At the same time, it's waaaaaaaay cheaper than getting professional manicures! I got the Revlon brand. They work great. And I get many good manicures for $12 instead of one for $15. Great deal. Still a somewhat frivolous expense, but worth it, in my mind.

Happy Painting!