Does
your nail polish simply flake away, and no sooner than you put it on? Listen up: A great
manicure is all about procedure. Follow the right formula and you should get a week's wear
out of your new nails.
Polish peels because it hasn't adhered properly to the nail, says
Maisie Dunbar, owner of M&M Nails in Silver Spring, Maryland, and educator for
Creative Nail Design. To create a clean surface, prep the nails with a few swipes of
non-acetone-based polish remover.
But even the slightest bit of polish remover or your natural
cuticle oils can get in the way, so give the nails a good washing to remove any residue.
Dry well. Then, treat nails with a product like Creative Nail Design's Nail Fresh or
Orly's Clean Nails, which are formulated to prepare the nail for polish.
Next, apply a base coat. "Skipping this step is like trying
to hang a poster on the wall without using any tape," says Dunbar. "Eighty
percent of women don't use a base coat, but that's what the polish bonds to." Let the
base coat dry and apply two very thin coats of polish. Seal out moisture with a top coat,
and reapply it every few days to protect against daily wear and tear.
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