How to Make Your Manicures Last Longer: One Week Without Chipping

You know what heartache is when you’ve watched your pretty french manicure chip!

Here are some tips to maintaining your manicure (chip-free) for a week or two!

Before painting your nails, always remember to swipe off any trace of your old nail polish by using a nail polish remover. Cleaning your nails before applying a new coat makes your nail polish last longer. Do a round of cleaning with nail polish remover even if you didn’t have any colour on previously, as this will ensure clean nails. Even a tiny bit of residue can make your nail polish chip faster.

Prep before you polish! The base and top coat thicken and protect the manicure, making it less likely to chip. Base polish also makes a good foundation for your colours and while easing polish application. Score!

Don’t get hand lotion on your nails before a manicure. The greasy nail surface means that your nail polish won’t go on as easily, and may cause the polish to chip later. After you’ve painted your nails, apply cuticle oil every night before bed to prevent dryness which causes chipping and peeling.

We often forget to pull the brush right to the edges of our nails when painting them. The ends of our nails are most likely to chip first from all the tapping on our keyboards and phones. If your polish starts to chip at the ends, take a cotton bud, dip it in a nail polish remover and dab it around or on the chipped area. Apply a thin layer of nail polish at the chipped part, then seal it with a top coat. Ta-dah, your manicure’s as good as new!

There’s no escaping your daily dirty dishes, so put on some gloves before you get scrubbing. Obvious tip, but here’s another small trick: rub some Vaseline onto your nails before putting on your gloves. This protects your nails while keeping your cuticles moisturised, preventing cracks and chips.