chipped nailsIt seems like I only get to flaunt my pretty bright blue nails for a day before the colorful polish starts chipping away.

Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take when doing your at-home manicure to keep your nails looking fresh.

  1. Use nail polish remover: Even if you don't already have polish on, the remover gets rid of dirt and oil.
  2. Use a base coat.
  3. Several thin coats of polish are better than one thick one: Three is the magic number here, and make sure you let each coat dry before applying the next.
  4. Polish the tips to cut down on chips: The very tip of your nail is where a lot of chips start, so painting these helps cut down chipping.
  5. Apply a clear top coat: You can use the same polish as the base coat. Make sure you get around the edges to completely seal it.
  6. Let it completely dry: I repeat, let it completely dry. I know, I have a problem with this, too, and it usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes, so make sure you have a good TV show on.
  7. Dip in cold water: Once your nails are DRY, dip them in cold water.
  8. Maintain: Each day, do a quick brush of a top coat polish to maintain your pretty manicure. 

Are you guilty like me and have a tendency to skip over these steps (I'm trying to do better!), or do you usually follow them?

 

Image via No Big Fish/Flickr