Remember how I painted my nails green last week in honor of St. Patrick’s Day? Well, when I glanced at my hands last night I noticed they looked almost as good as when I polished them seven days ago! Somehow they’ve remained chip-free with just some minor growth near my cuticles.
Perhaps I’ve finally cracked the code on how to make at-home manis last. Here’s how I achieved my long lasting manicure…
1. First, I filed my nails with Sally Hansen “Handle Me with Care” Fine Nail Board.
2. Then I swept a cotton pad soaked with Sally Hansen Polish Remover across each nail to remove any excess oil. (Note: Do not rinse off your hands afterwards!)
3. Next, I gently used a nail buffer to ever-so-slightly rough up my nails.
4. I immediately applied my favorite base coat, CND Stickey, followed by two thin coats of Rimmel London Long Lasting Pro nail polish (yes, a drugstore brand!).
5. After letting my nails dry for a minute or two, I applied as thin a layer as possible of Seche Vite Dry Fast, a clear fast-drying top coat that has the tendency to get thick and gloopy over time.
Just how amazing is Seche Vite? I literally went to bed an hour or two after I painted my nails, and they didn’t smudge or wrinkle.
I’m going to see if I can replicate my long-lasting results by giving myself another DIY manicure soon. I own two additional colors of Rimmel’s Long Lasting nail polish — a greyish purple and bright red. Which should I choose next?
Let me know if you try this manicure at home! Or if you have any other tips for long-lasting manicures, please share them below.
Seche Vite is my favorite thing ever. I can’t paint my nails without it, otherwise I’d mess them up immediately.
I can’t paint my nails without it either–but I hate how quickly it gets thick sitting in the bottle.
Be careful with Seche Vite if you’re pregnant. It’s not free of the “big 3” chemicals to avoid when pregnant. But I LOVE ME SOME Seche Vite. I’d buy it by the case if I could!
It’s a good thing I’M NOT PREGNANT! haha! Seriously, though, I had no idea that Seche Vite shouldn’t be used during pregnancy. I’ll bet I actually used it while I was pregnant with Levi… I’ll have to remember for next time.