When you have had a professional manicure or pedicure and your nails are looking perfectly gorgeous you want to keep them looking that way for as long as possible. Here's my top tips to help...
Its all about the Top Coat...
The top coat is the first thing that will wear off and cause the polish to chip, dull and discolour. My top advice is to apply an extra coat of top coat every other day, ensuring you seal the tips of the nail too, this can make the manicure last for up to two weeks, try it, it really does work! Also keeps the nails looking really glossy. My favourite hard wearing topcoats are OPI Top Coat or Seche Vitte Fast Dry Top Coat and for extra gloss as a top up Jessica Brilliance.
Avoid products containing lanolin...
As this often can cause the polish to dull or discolour. Also worth noting that often sunscreens can contain lanolin, which is why that holiday pedicure can often dull quicker than normal. Most of the organic creams on the market do not contain Lanolin.
Massage a cuticle oil or balm containing natural oils around the cuticle as often as possible...
Ideally once a day before bedtime. This will keep the cuticle supple and help prevent the polish lifting from the base.
Invest in a box of vinyl gloves...
That way when you have your had your manicure whenever you need to do any household chores just pop on the gloves first to prevent water or detergents softening the nails, which can cause them to dry out and split.
What if just the tip of the polish has warn off?...
If you have noticed the polish at the tip of the nail has worn off, file the nail down and seal the tips with a coat of top coat.