Nails, Nails & More Nails
As anyone who knows me knows, my nails are a serious priority. Serious. It's not all self-indulgent...I do have a pretty good hand-modeling career (tv, print, web), so I certainly welcome that as an excuse to pay extremely close attention to my nails and my nail polish. And yes, these are my hard-as-nails natural claws!
People often ask me, "What polish do you use?", "How come your nails don't ever chip?", "How do you keep your nails so perfect?". I finally decided to offer nail tips and some of my proven secrets about how to keep those mani's and pedis almost perfect for as long as possible. I mean, that the key--even I don't love taking the time to go to the nail salon so the goal is to keep that just-manicured look as long as possible.
Here are 5 tips that will help you maintain that mani!
1-Invest in a good, no-chip top coat ( I suggest Sally Hansen/No Chip Top Coat) and apply it within 4 hours of leaving the salon.
Our nails are still salon-fresh and we are usually still doing the careful "I just got my nails done" pose with our wrists. This is the perfect time to add another layer of protection.
**Extra Tip - Apply another protective top coat again in 24-48 hours**
2-Invest in owning your favorite, go-to colors
We are creatures of habit or, in this case, creatures of color. Some of us like to experiment with colors while some of us remain loyal to Essie's Marshmallow or OPI's Alpine Snow. Whatever your go-to colors are, BUY THEM! Order them from Amazon (usually less expensive then buying them at the salon or beauty supply store) and use them for a mid-week touch-up or additional layer of color.
Some of my go-to colors
3- When applying polish, top coat or touch ups, go a little heavier on the tips of your nails.
The tips of our nails are typically the first point of contact with just about everything we touch during the course of the day. That's why chips appear there first! Give your nail tips a little more coverage -with lacquer and top coat. This will delay chips on the tips.
4- Use gloves when doing household chores
As. a hand-model, we were always advised to wear gloves. All the time. Even in the summer. I didn't but I know models that did. And they had very lucrative careers! I digress but I highly suggest using latex gloves while doing any household activities that require water (except bathing obviously). Water tends to wear away the polish on our nails so keep them away from direct H20 contact --only when possible.
5-Keep hands and cuticles moisturized - even in the summer.
Invest in a good hand and cuticle lotion. I suggest Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. This is a great heavy, cream that you can use to apply and massage into your cuticle beds. It's heavy yet absorbent and lasts even after a hand-washing. I also like Sally Hansen's Cuticle Oil. This comes in. a small glass tubular jar with an applicator brush. It's oily so I often use this one before I go to bed. Good ole vitamin E oil also works-you can use a pin to burst a capsule and use that as well.
Now I know everyone is thinking they don't have time to pay this much attention to my nails, but truth is, YES! you do......and it will make your manicure go further! and require less time in the mani chair in the longrun not to mention, give you more bang for your buck! I use my Bravo, Scandal, or Netflix time as the perfect opportunity to add a layer to these talons. You'll be surprised how easy it is!