My Tips: Nailed It!

I know what you are thinking- Casey is going to give us tips on hammering and using nails. But you would be wrong! Today's post is about fingernails and how to make them look like they were professionally manicured! I don't know about you, but I don't have $20 to spend every two weeks on a manicure, and even if I did I would probably smudge it before leaving the nail salon.

Therefore I contacted my ever-sleek friend Jeni to ask how she keeps her nails in tip-top shape, and here is what she had to share.

• Store your nail polish in the fridge for a longer life
• Roll the bottle between your hands to warm up before use. Do not shake as that will put air bubbles in the polish!
• Use an emery board (metal is best) to smooth out the edges
• Wash hands well, especially if you have used nail polish remover
• If your nails are thin or brittle, keep them short to prevent breakage and round the edges of your nails (We both find regular polish use beefs up our nails)
• Skip the base coat (I actually have read that a base coat prevents the polish from staining your nails, but if you switch it up often or use pale colours this isn't a concern)

And now for the fun part- how to paint your nails!

1. Apply the first coat and wait for it to dry completely. You can poke a nail with another nail to test- if it is dry it won't leave a mark
2. Apply second coat and let it dry as well
3. WAIT OVERNIGHT
4. Apply third coat, if needed
5. Apply top coat, if desired. Some higher end nail polishes will be plenty shiny on their own! However, a top coat can prevent colour transfer on paper. Dark polishes can rub off and leave marks, and I don't know about you, but my boss doesn't appreciate pink marks on paperwork :)
6. If you get a chip, file it down and paint over the nail

Because my Anthralin treatment causes staining under my nails, I haven't worn a light colour in awhile. But the staining has been minimal lately so I busted out the pale pink! This is OPI's "Sweet Heart" and it is one of my favourite colours.

Before you even start a nail regime, be sure to invest in good quality polishes. Jeni and I both like OPI polishes because they last longer and go on smoother (less coats needed). If I am buying another brand, I like to open it in the store and see if it has a wide brush- so much easier to apply!!

Other awesome tips that I heave learned over the years!

• If your hand is not that steady, apply vaseline to the edges of your nails. Nail polish won't stick to vaseline, so when your nails are dry you can just wipe off the vaseline AND extra polish! This tip works well for letting a kid do your nails too ;)
• Another tip is to do the dishes once your nails are dry- the extra polish will break off and disappear, leaving only the polish on your nails. Clean dishes are a sweet extra!
• Just wait a day and peel off the polish on your skins
• If it is winter and you just painted your toenails- there is still hope for getting your boots on! Apply oil (If you're at the salon, use cuticle oil. If you are at home- why are you wearing boots? haha) to your toes, wrap in plastic wrap, and put your socks over!
• If you DO invest in a professional manicure, bring your own polish! That way if you get a chip you can fix it yourself!

Even if you have short nails, I recommend keeping polish on. I am a nail picker, meaning if I see an imperfection I pick at it- and usually ruin my nail- and that is just as bad as biting. If I can't SEE the imperfection, I leave my nails alone! If you are a biter, you may find pretty painted nails will keep you from biting :)

And I know, you are probably wondering why I don't have step by step photos. Well...I tried. But it is impossible to take action shots of doing your nails ;)