Top Ten Tips for Polishing Nails
Written for Walgreens.com
Nothing makes your hands look as beautiful as a well-done manicure. But don’t head to the salon just yet; you can add color to your own nails in a few easy steps. Read on for our top ten tips for polishing nails.
1. One of the best things you can do when polishing your nails is to start off with a good canvas. Take a moment and remove all of your old polish, even if you’re going to be painting on the same color. Also, push your cuticles back and trim and file your nails.
2. To help your new polish adhere correctly, remove any oils or lotions from your nails. Soak your hands in a bowl of warm, soapy water for five minutes or if you’re in a hurry, use dish soap to quickly wash your hands. Both methods will do the trick.
3. If your nails are prone to being stained by nail color, which can happen a lot with inexpensive polishes, paint on a clear bottom coat. Make sure to let this layer dry before adding color.
4. While you are waiting for your bottom coat to dry, take a few moments and mix your nail color. This is important, because the different colors that make up your polish can settle if the bottle is left sitting for too long. Most bottles have a metal bead inside of them to help you mix the color. But don’t shake the bottle. This can cause air bubbles that may transfer to your nails once you start painting. Instead, hold the bottle between your hands to warm it and then roll the bottle back and forth. The metal bead should do the rest.
5. You’re now ready to add color to your nails. Start by painting a stripe down the center of your nail, beginning at the cuticle and ending at the tip of the nail. Wait three to five seconds, then apply polish to the right of your original stripe. Wait another three to five seconds and then apply polish to the left side of your original stripe.
6. If you make a mistake and paint outside of your nails, use a Q-tip with some nail polish remover on it, or a polish correcting stick, and gently wipe away unwanted color.
7. Let your polish dry for at least a full five minutes before adding another coat.
8. For an extra boost of color, paint on a second coat of color. Add color using the same method as before.
9. Wait another five minutes for nails to dry, then paint on a top coat. This is one of the best things you can do to create chip-resistant and peel-resistant nails, as well as leave nails with a beautiful, shiny finish.
10. The last step is also the hardest. Now that you’ve painted your nails, you’re probably itching to move on to other parts of your beauty routine. But don’t move too quickly. Wait at least a full five minutes or until your topcoat has completely dried before you use your hands, or you may have to paint your nails all over again.