Nail care and How to make your polish last

Growing your nails
Eating good food and drinking water can greatly increase the ease of growing your nails long, strong, and healthy. However, genetics play a part as well, and just eating well is not enough for everyone.

Luckily, there is still help for those of us not blessed with great nails, and that help comes in the shape of nail strengtheners. My favourite one is the  Essie Millionails, though OPI Nail Envy is also a good option, but a little pricier.

Keeping your nails looking good
While your nails are growing and even after it is important to take good care of them in order to keep them looking great.

There are two products that I think are very important in caring for your nails:

1. A good nail file

Lots of nail files rip at your nails and leave the edges open and vulnerable, especially metal or cardboard ones. What you need for best results is a crystal file, which helps to seal the nail's edge and keep it strong and whole so the layers of your nails can't peel. A great option is this  pretty green crystal file for only $3.29 USD.

2. A cuticle oil or cream

Cuticle oils help to nourish your nail bed and cuticles so that your nails remain strong but not brittle, and it helps to prevent or minimize rough, cracked cuticles and hang nails. It can be rubbed into your clean, dry cuticles before or after polishing your nails, or at any point. Just make sure that all traces of oil are removed from your nail before applying polish, or else your manicure will not last. One good option for cuticle oil is Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil.

How to make your manicure last
Some polishes are better quality than others, and can last for a good week where another polish treated the same way will only stay chip-free for a couple days.

That said, there are still tips you can follow to make any polish last longer on your nails.

1. Make sure your nails are clean and oil-free

As I mentioned above, your manicure will last a lot longer if your polish is applied to clean nails. Make sure to wash your hands before you begin, and I would suggest using some nail polish remover on a cotton pad to quickly remove any soap residue or oil from the nails before starting.

2. Use a good base coat

A good base coat will not only help your polish last, but it will protect your nails from staining or yellowing. The nail strengtheners listed above can be used as base coats no problem, though there are also plain base coats if you don't feel you need a strengthener. I would stick to good brands like OPI and Essie for your base coat, as they have better lasting power than many cheaper options and will prolong the wear of even cheaper polishes.

3. Paint in thin layers and don't rush

I apologize if you are someone who finds painting your nails tedious, but you can't really speed up the process if you want good results. Make yourself a cup of tea, put on the TV, a good movie, or some YouTube, and settle in until you're done. And go to the washroom. There is nothing worse than getting halfway through a manicure and realizing you desperately need to pee! Your polish will dry smoother and faster if you paint in thin layers and wait for each nail to dry before adding another coat.

4. Use a good top coat

A top coat is the armour that your manicure wears against the world. It protects the colour from rubbing off on paper (which is possible without one), and protects against scratches and chips. The best option is to use a quick-drying topcoat. They dry much more quickly, at least on the surface to the touch, and help to protect against dents and chips sooner. They also tend to dry to a hard, shield-like, super-glossy finish. My favourite is the INM Out The Door topcoat (pictured above).

5. Make sure to let your nails dry completely

The quick drying topcoat will help, but you still have to make sure they are dry all the way through before trying to do too much with your hands in order to prevent smudging, denting, warping, wrinkling, or whiping off your polish. Be patient.
I hope this article was helpful to you in some way, and that you managed to find some good tips and recommendations. Thanks for reading and best of luck!