I know I had mentioned in a previous post that I was a bit "obsessed" with nail polish. Well I figured I would share a few tips for you girls that do your at home manicures. The idea of this blog came Saturday when my hair girl asked if I had on Shellac polish. She was shocked when I said I did it at home, so I shared with her my secret. I have also told a few of my friends about it, and they all love it as well!
I have to credit this find to my friend from work, Ali. We were talking about my love of nail polish a few months ago and she shared this amazing gem with me. One of the secrets to an awesome mani (or pedi) all lies in this little bottle... Seche Vite. This is the BEST top coat I have ever used. You might wonder what is so great? First off, this makes your polish dry ASAP. And I'm not talking about the "fake" top layer dry, but full to the nail dry! There is a secret to how to use this best. You have to apply it while the nails are still half way wet, or it actually can make your nails chip. DO NOT apply on dry nails. Also, don't apply when they are too wet because this will just smear it off obviously. I know they sell this at Target. It is near the OPI polish in one little row, so you have to look hard. I ordered mine off Amazon with free shipping for around $9-$10, which is what it sells for in stores. I have had my bottle for quite a few months, and am not even half way through.My Method when applying-- 1. Apply base coat and let completely dry. 2. Apply one full coat of color. 3. (depending on how many coats you need- 2 is normally good for me unless it's a super light color, then I do 3 color coats). Go back to apply second coat in 2-3 nail increments. 4. Once you see the polish has a little bit of dry to it (just enough where it's not completely wet as mentioned before) go over it with a thick glob of the Seche Vite. 5. Repeat until all nails are complete.
In about 5-10 minutes max, your nails will be all ready and completely dry! Another thing great about this top coat, it makes your nails stay so shiny and gives them that salon gel look. It also gives them the durability to stay nicely polished a full week with no chipping. If you do notice it chips, you probably waited too long to apply. I have only had this happen once in all the months I have used it. With that being said, I only use OPI, Essie, or some versions of Sally Hansen for my color polishes. I am not sure if this will work good on cheaper polishes. I only do my nails once a week, so I like mine to last the full week. If you are a gal that doesn't mind painting more often, you might be able to get away with cheaper polish with this top coat. You may even get the full week, I just have not tried.
Now when it comes to base coat, I use the .99 cents LA Colors Base/Top Coat that I believe I picked up at Dollar Tree (also at drug stores, Target, etc). I have heard many people swear by expensive base coats, but to me it's what sits on top of it that really matters. If you want to spend a lot on a good base coat, go right ahead- but this little number works perfect for me!
I hope these tips help and give you better at home results with your painting! :)
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