Monday's Manicure and How I Make It Last All Week

      

Okay! So over the last year or so I have had a few 

requests to show you what I do and use to make 

my manicures look like a salon manicure and so that 

they last more than a week.  (sorry for the run on sentence)

So here's the whole process. 

First I wanted to show you what my nails look like after a week.

Not to bad. I do a lot of crafting, and clean my own home. 

Plus, I work full time.  

Okay, let's get started, shall we?

Before I take my old polish off, I file. Leaving the polish on

helps to to quickly see the shape of my nail. Plus I feel like

it helps to protect the nail from splitting. I also think that

a glass file works best for me. This is the OPI file that

I mentioned in my favorites post down below.

I use pure acetone. I know that there are a lot of people that 

won't like this. But here's the deal. It's fast and I wash my hands

several times during the process anyway.  Plus, its cheap!

Once that's done, I wash my hands and apply the cuticle remover.

The one that I am currently using is from Sally Hanson.

This is not my favorite, but they have changed the formula and

I'm still looking for a replacement. 

After the cuticle remover is worked in, very gently push the

cuticles back. Now wash your hands. NEVER leave the 

cuticle remover on. It will continue to work, so you want

to remove it when your done.

Next, I nip any dead skin that might be around my nail. 

Never clip your cuticles.  This can make any possible 

hang nails worse.

After all the polish is off and the cuticles are addressed, I

buff the top of my nails. I do this because for some reason

as I have aged, my nails have developed vertical ridges. If 

I do this every time then I don't have to work very hard at it.

A couple of passes and I'm done.

I wash my hands again to remove any nail dust.

Okay first coat is my base coat, Stickey by CND.

Why a base coat? It gives the polish something to stick to and

it can help prevent your nails from yellowing.

Try not to flood your cuticles when painting. The base 

coat dries very quickly.

Next, nail hardener. This really is a favorite of mine.

I have used it for years. Nailtiques.  Here's my theory. Part

of what makes your polish chip is when your nail bends or 

folds. When this happens your polish actually will crack and 

eventually will chip off. 

This products will prevent your nails from bending.  

Again, don't flood the cuticle.

Now we're ready for the color. I was inspired by the 

sunflowers in the background so I picked this Julie G

color, Canary Islands.

Never shake your polish before you use it. Doing so will

cause air bubbles in the polish. Instead, gently roll between your 

hands. 

Here's one coat, we'll need another one.

Now this next trick is a secret that I learned and 

I'm going to show you.  I pour a little acetone in a 

small jar and use an angle brush. 

I correct any uneven lines. The trick is to do it 

before the polish dries.

Finally, I use a coat of quick drying top coat. 

My favorite is Seche Vite.  But others are good too. 

Just make sure that it is quick drying. All told, 

I think that I can get a manicure done from start to finish,

including dry time in about 30 to 45 minutes.

SO! there you have the whole process. Let me just say, I'm not 

a professional. I'm not saying that you have to do any or all of 

this. I'm just sharing that this is the process and the products 

that work best for me.

After it is firm I use a serious moisturizer. Like coconut oil. 

This makes the cuticles look healthy and picture ready.

I hope this was helpful. Let me know what you like to 

use or if you have any favorite techniques.

 I would love to hear your secrets!

Whew! Done!

Now lets have tea!

I'll be joining Stephanie for Roses of Inspiration