6 Secrets to Make Your Manicure Last Longer
Keep your fingernails shiny, chip-free, and fresh looking for weeks
A new manicure is just the thing to help you relax for a few minutes and feel like a million bucks—until a day later when you notice that your fresh coat of paint is starting to chip. You know it’s not going to last forever, but you don’t have to feel like your mani starts to disappear faster than PSY can thrust his hips. What you do before, during, and after your manicure can boost your polish’s staying power—and save money. Follow these easy steps and you’ll look like you just left the salon no matter when you actually last visited.
Calling all conspiracy theorists: The relaxing hand soak that most nail salons include as part of your manicure may actually be shortening the life of your polish, causing you to come in more often. “As your nails absorb the water, their natural shape expands,” says Faina Ritz, founder and chemist of Duri Cosmetics. “Then the nails are polished, and when that water evaporates, the nail contracts, causing the polish to chip and crack.” As soothing as the soak may feel, skip it.
