Nothing brings me more joy than perfect nails and soft hands. I love changing my nails every three to four business days, so I’ve never been a big gel or dip girl because I can’t commit to just one color. Over the years, through trial and error and random beauty articles and videos, I’ve collected a few hacks that I swear by to elevate your regular polish mani. Here’s my routine!
Prepping the nail: cuticle pushing, cleaning the nail and base coat recommendations!
The first thing that takes my nails to the next level is gently pushing my cuticles with a plastic cuticle pusher. I’ve tried cuticle remover and metal pushers before and find them a little too rough. Doing a gentle push on my cuticles and using the other side to pick at the dead skin makes my manis look that much more professional. I’m able to get the polish much closer to the base.
Next, going over all my nails with a nail polish remover-soaked q-tip before painting helps remove oils and prep for the polish. I find using a base coat helps the polish last longer and offers a smooth and even base to go over with the polish. I swear by the OPI Natural Nail Base Coat because it’s thin enough to not make the polish goopy on top but still evens out the surface.
Painting: how to keep your hands steady and make your mani last longer!
The easiest way for me to get a perfect coat of polish on my nails is by first putting a big dollop of polish about a quarter of an inch below the cuticle. Then, I swipe the brush slightly up to get as close to the cuticle as possible without flooding it. Next, I’ll swipe down and repeat this motion on both sides.
Some ideas to keep your hands steady are to put the hand you’re painting flat on your desk or table and rest the elbow of your painting hand on the surface as well. When I’m painting with my non-dominant hand I move the finger being painted if my hands are extra wobbly that day.
The main complaint I hear about regular polish is that it chips too fast. What I’ve found helps is wrapping the brush under the tip of your nail after each coat so the polish under your nail chips before any chipping becomes visible on the surface. For some nail shapes this is difficult to do without getting polish on your skin, but using a q-tip to wipe off excess paint afterwards is worth having your mani last longer.
Avoiding thick, goopy layers helps polish chip slower. I try to have no more than two coats of color and keep my layers as thin as possible. That way it’s harder for them to catch on things and chip. I also wait at least five minutes for the layers to dry to keep them separate and thin instead of bleeding into each other.
Aftercare: how to dry your nails fast and keep them looking fresh!
Fast. Drying. Top coat. Spending a little bit more on the Essie Speed-Setter changed the regular polish game for me because it makes painting with regular polish go that much faster. I wait about five minutes between my last color layer and my top coat, and then wait about 15 minutes until the mani is complete. Finishing with a top coat elevates the mani from the typical at-home, regular polish mani. After the polish is dry and complete, I run my hands under cold water in the sink to help lock it in.
Lastly, keeping your skin soft is another key step to making your nails look professional. After running my hands under the cold water and gently patting them dry, I go in with cuticle oil and hand lotion and wait another 10 minutes before using my hands again. Having pushed, moisturized cuticles makes the mani look professional. Keeping my cuticle oil and hand lotion on my desk reminds me to reapply and keep slaying.