Nail Expertise 101 :)

Summer is just around the corner and it's time to get those nails ready! Now, if you're like me, you try to avoid color polish because it just chips off in a day or two after application! Has me seeing red after all my hard work, all the careful avoidance of touching anything for no less than 30 minutes, and all the investment in time and effort to making them look just right only to have them smudged, dented or streaked. How frustrating right?! So you stick to the clears, nudes and barely there tints. Yawn! While these choices are ideal for the winter, dearest readers, summer is here! Time to bring out the candy shade, neon hued, eye popping colors.

Secret #1: Invest In A Great Primer

My friend is the girl that is always prepped, primed and pretty. Her hair, makeup, outfit is always together; and she is, from head to toes, ready for everything. So I stole this little nugget from her hidden gems of being beautiful.

Nail polish is basically paint for your nails right? Paint today is usually preceded by primer to help maintain the longevity and color of the paint. So INVEST!

The little gem she shared with me was to purchase Essie's "First Base Base Coat". I usually don't product name drop, but how else are we ever going to learn what products are true to their statements and actually do what they say they do?

Make sure your nail is free of any existing polish or gloss and apply a single coat.

Secret #2: Make Sure The Color Is High Pigmented



A high pigmented color results in a clean finish for your polish. If you choose to go cheap, you risk a nail color that applies thin or runny. And then you've gone and wasted $3 on this nail polish anyway. Better to invest a couple more bucks in a high pigmented polish than waste money on a $3 nail polish that you'll only pull out when it's the last thing in your drawer.

Essie does have some magnificent colors, however, like their primer, they are a little bit pricey. They run at about $8 per little tube. Expensive I know. If you can splurge, I'd go for it, but it is not a necessity. I have really started to love L'oreal's nail polishes. They have the usual nudes and safe colors, but they are starting to release nice and bright colors!

Apply two coats, even coats. Make sure that you do not gob on the color.

Secret #3: Invest In A Good Top Coat/Quick Dry Top Coat

 

Well I guess this is two tips in one. If you are patient (not me) and can allot the appropriate time to let your nails dry (not me), invest in a good top coat. I recommend using Essie's "Super Duper Top Coat". If you are like me, and end up smudging your nail polish 2 minutes after your apply it because you are way too impatient for it to dry, you need to invest in Essie's "Good to Go: Fastest Drying Top Coat".

Apply single coat and then supplementary coats during the week to maintain shine and polish.


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I painted my nails on Saturday and they just started to chip at the very tips of my fingernails today and the pigment is still really nice and bright. Yay for solutions!