Fail-safe manicure process

[nychick1384]

I can never seem to paint my nails and not mess them up. It seems like no matter how long I sit there not doing anything, even after a few hours, I always seem to smudge or dent my nail polish

. I've tried several quick dry top coats and nail dryers and I still can't seem to get this right. I guess my main problem is that I just can't seem to get my nails completely dry without doing sitting still for several hours (which no one really has time for

).

I love painting my nails, but I get so frustrated when I spend all that time doing my nails just to have them get ruined. If anyone has any helpful tips or recommendations I would be extremely grateful.

 

[xsnowwhite]

i use seche vite base and top coat and it dries almost instantly ! maybe try that.

 

[dressedtokill]

I paint really thin coats and let them completely dry before applying the next one. When I'm in a rush, I use Seche Vite top coat which dries super fast!

 

[tarnii]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xsnowwhite i use seche vite base and top coat and it dries almost instantly ! maybe try that.

I second this but although it is touch dry if you bang your nail into something it will still dent for a while. I find it hard to sit still long enough as well so I have found that I paint my nails when I sit down to watch one of my fav tv programs which pretty much guarantees I wont be doing anything too strenuous for an hour or so.

Although with my recent obsession with True Blood this has meant I have had red or black nails a lot more than usual....

 

[ruthless]

Someone posted a link to ebay-they are "finger tip guards" for manicures, you will look like pink freddy krueger but it's worth a go. I have the exact same problem

Some polishes are more forgiving than others-do your manicure at the end of the day when you have nothing left to do but get into bed. (hands on top of sheets)

 

[ruthless]

PS-I've dented a manicure THE NEXT DAY. If you are using a thicker polish it's best to make sure the coats are completely dry. And sometimes I swear using certain base coats with different polish brands stops them from curing properly

 

[ThePowderPuff]

I do my nails in front of the tv, which makes me sit still for enough time.

I make sure to have a cup of coffee and a glass of water etc. nearby so I dont't have to mess with that.

I dry and clean my nails (even if there's no polish on them) with a nail polish remover.

I use first a layer of OPI Nail Envy matte or Nailtek foundation and then two layers of nailpolish. It's essential to make them dry in between for at least 5 minutes. It's in my experience more important than the drying time in the end.

When the last coat of polish is still wet I put a layer of Seche Vite on top right after. It makes them dry right away. If that doesn't work OPI Drip Dry is also very effective and make your nails dry instantly.

But try to be carefull for the next hour or so. Getting nail polish to last is all about being carefull with your nails.

 

[Kragey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tarnii I second this but although it is touch dry if you bang your nail into something it will still dent for a while. I find it hard to sit still long enough as well so I have found that I paint my nails when I sit down to watch one of my fav tv programs which pretty much guarantees I wont be doing anything too strenuous for an hour or so. Although with my recent obsession with True Blood this has meant I have had red or black nails a lot more than usual....

This, totally (without the True Blood obsession

). I'm REALLY clumsy, so I just sit down to watch an hour-long program while I paint and make sure I've got any stuff that might damage my nails done, like cooking dinner or opening up my Brita pitcher. Also, if you get a minor dent, you can try pushing it back a bit, very gently, to soften it up. Most minor dents are invisible to other people!

 

[friedargh]

I usually try to find something to watch while doing my nails, and I find that using the computer doesn't affect my nails at all if they have become touch dry. I also like to dip them in cold water for about 1 min after they've become touch dry

Make sure you don't take a hot shower just after polishing even if you think it's dry since the heat can make the polish go a bit soft and this is terrible if you like to use a loofah (say hello to fishnet imprints in your polish!).

 

[LittleMaryJane]

I also watch something occasionally when I'm doing my nails but more likely I'll play a couple of games of Monopoly (or a simple card game or something) online. Not a lot of hand-use needed so I can clickity click without messing up my nails--I obviously have to be a little careful.

Seche Vite works great but like someone else said, you can still dent them even with the top coat on.