Make It Last

by | Mar 28, 2014 | beauty, Loves | 21 comments


Essie: Muchi, Muchi
Sinful Colors: glass pink over ring finger
I can’t lie, I don’t love it.
I’ve tried this polish a few times.  And every single time I end up taking it off almost immediately.  The formula just isn’t right.  When you’re working with light colors, the formula has to be spot on.  But most light colors end up just being streaky.  And that’s what I’ve found with this one.  This is two coats.  I should probably have done three.  But like some other Essie polishes I have, the formula is both streaky and goopy–so 3 coats would have been a disaster.  It’s a shame, too.  Because I really like the color.
After last week’s post, Jayda requested I share some tips on making a manicure last longer.  Now, I may not be the best person to ask this because I have polish ADD and often change it every couple of days. But I have learned a thing or two about making polish last–especially if I don’t feel like packing up my supplies when we take trips!
  1. Buff your nails.  You know those fancy little cube things?  You can snatch one up at Sally’s for practically nothing.  Buff your nail out just slightly.  This will prep your nail as well as get rid of any imperfections.
  2. CLEAN YOUR NAILS.  What? Yes.  Whether you have polish on already or not, always use nail polish remover over your nails just before you paint them.  This will remove the natural oils from your nails and allow the polish to really “stick”
  3. Base coat base coat base coat.  I know it is tempting to skip this step completely, but don’t.  Not only will it protect your nails from staining, it gives a nice base for your color to stick to.  Orly Bonder is the best (I’ve found) for long lasting manis.  I don’t use it regularly because it’s pricey, and I’m not usually going for long lasting.  My day-to-day base coat is Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener.
  4. Cap your nails.  Basically, drag the nail polish brush over the free edge of your nail (think: the part that you would “tap” on a desk).  Do this with both the color AND your top coat.  It’ll help prevent chipping.
  5. TOP COAT.  Now, I think this one is kind of a no brainer.  And there are hundreds out there.  I like Seche Vite.  But many others work just as well.
  6. Moisturize.  Keep your hands moisturized.  I’m talking, slather those babies up multiple times a day.  Luckily for me, I have almost an addiction to hand lotion–but it really saves the life of your manicure.
A lot of times, the length of your manicure will simply depend on the brand.  And don’t be fooled–just because you spent a lot of money on a polish doesn’t mean it’s long lasting.  
  • Essie polish, while it’ll cost you a pretty penny, almost always chips on me within a day or so.  
  • Old OPI polishes will stay on forever and ever (pre 2011).  
  • Newer formula OPI (2011 on) doesn’t last as long for some reason.  
  • W&W Mega Last polishes will only cost you about $2.  And those suckers will stay put for up to a week.
  • Sinful Shine with Gel Tech will also only run you about $2 or $3 but will last for a good 7 days or longer.  

linked: thenailfiles

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21 Comments

  1. i love this! and i agree, light colors are so pretty but streaky and i hate that. i have a similar color and it does the same 🙁 i find OPI too chip-prone, same with essie. i LOVE cheeky monkey; it's a canadian brand and the packaging is awesome.

    -kathy
    Vodka and Soda

    Reply
  2. I actually really like that pink color! Very girly and natural, and I love the sparkles. Thanks for the tips! You know my best tip- go to nail place and get a manicure 🙂

    Reply
  3. I agree–with light colours, the formula has to be PERFECT! I have yet to find a perfect, two-coat light pink. I got a new release from China Glaze, Oxygen, and it's okay, but not good enough for me to end my search. Haha! Thanks for your tips, too! To add to your list of polishes to avoid, I've NEVER had good experiences with e.l.f. The price is right, but the quality is not. I get chips right away, even with using a base and top coat. 🙂

    Reply
  4. I love these tips! I will possibly be able to pull off a decent manicure for once in my life- I have a terrible track record!

    Reply
  5. I like light colors during the summer when my skin gets really dark, I need to find some of the W&W polish. I like inexpensive polish that lasts a long time!

    Reply
  6. I love Essie polishes– I can get more than a week out of them sometimes. But I also reapply a top coat every few days. And with light colors like that I always do three thin coats because it's so streaky. I love the sparkles you've got there!

    Reply
  7. I am so glad that you shared this!!! I have been getting more into painting my nails again .I mean, my toes are always painted but RARELY my nails. I love a lot of Essie's colors but I only have 3 bottles of polish that I actually purchased. The gray color I have is PERFECT. The peach and nude colors take a lot of coats and the nude one just didn't look right for some reason. I think there are better brands out there. I love OPI.Always have. What do you think about China Glaze?

    I have never heard of W&W. Where do you get that?

    I am going to check out your top coat suggestion! I am looking for a new one. I found the perfect base that I like. It is in a green bottle from Sally Hansen. It makes my nails strong and they grow faster when I am wearing it.

    Reply
  8. I really like the soft color of this mani – but totally know what you mean about light colored polishes being a biatch to work with. I can't ever get a mani to last – it usually is chipping by Day 2!!

    Reply
  9. I think that color is so pretty, but I agree about Essie's pastels, they need three coats. Sinful Shine and Sally's Xtreme Wear are my favorite cheapies. They really do last forever.

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  10. Okay I'm going to give myself a manicure tonight will all your tips! I'm feeling really good about this 🙂

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  11. GORGEOUS! And yes, essie is ever so tricky to apply, but such gorgeous colors!

    Reply
  12. Love the sparkle & color, bummer it didn't work out though! I have yet to find that perfect soft pastel pink.
    Also- thanks for the tips on making a mani last longer!

    Sincerely,
    Aishah

    Reply
  13. I will work with the light color. I like this mani a lot!

    I took pics last week for an at home nails blog post. People are always like how do you do them? LOL

    Reply
  14. YAY, thanks for this!! And thanks for the shout-out too 🙂
    I'm going to try these tips, like, right now. Most of them are things I don't already do, and I mainly use Essie polish, so that might explain a thing or two! I've never heard of capping your nails before…genius!

    Reply
  15. I think they look GREAT!!!!!! I actually had to read TWICE that you DIDN'T love it! haha!!!
    I do agree though, light colors can be a pain in the ass to get right.

    Reply
  16. I'm going to really have to keep these bookmarked! I've been getting my nails (gels) done for the past few months, but after the wedding I'm going to stop… so I'll definitely need your tips!

    Reply
  17. You seriously have the best nail/hair/beauty advice Joey! I constantly find myself digging through your archives trying to find the advice I need at the moment – currently it's a good top coat as mine is almost out!

    ps. Any tips for when the bottle is 2/3's full and it's hard to get your brush coated to paint but not junky? I have the hardest time using the polish once it's at that level.

    Reply
  18. The color is really pretty, but if it was a bad formula, that's a deal breaker! Streaky is annoying but I get really frustrated with goopy polishes lol.

    Reply

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