Possibly the most annoying thing for me in the world of nails is chipping polish. It's devastating to put so much effort into painting my nails and doing nail art, only to have it chip the next day, in which case I remove the whole thing and do somehting else. Granted, I don't mind this much, because I get bored with my polish pretty fast, but still. If I want something to stay, I want it to stay.
...Which brings me to the topic of preventing chipping. Let's review the possible causes of chipping.
Excess/Residual Oils-- Your nails naturally produce oils. If you apply hand lotion and cuticle oil you have those oils as well. It's important that they have oils to keep them hydrated, but these oils and nail polish are a bad combination. They prevent the polish from firmly adhering to your nails, which causes chipping. Be sure to swipe your nails with nail polish remover immediately before polishing to remove these oils. Some brands also make products to clean your nails, like the Formula X by Sephora Nail Cleanser.
"Water Damage"-- While washing your hands won't really penetrate the nail polish, submerging your nails in water (pools, baths, etc.) for extended amounts of time can be detrimental to the life of your mani. If your nails have some length past your finger, a "free edge," water can seep under the polish and cause your polish to chip. To create a barrier against water damage, always "wrap" your free edge. To do this, do one last swipe of polish along the free edge. You can choose to wrap using your color and top coat or just your top coat. See this post by All Lacquered Up for an in-depth how-to!
Inadequate Base and Top Coat-- Base and top coats are essential to a long-lasting manicure. A good base coat sticks the color to your nails while providing a nice surface for the polish to be applied on. I recommend Orly Bonder and Essie First Base, which both have rubberized elements in them to adhere the polish to your nails. A good top coat seals your polish, preventing wear and tear. I recommend Essie Good to Go and Essie No Chips Ahead to protect your mani.
I hope this post has educated you on chipping and has given you some good tips and products. If you have any questions or want to share your own tips, comment down below!
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XOXO
Is
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