I have ALWAYS been a nail polish girl. My nails are polished 95% of the time, just because I feel like it makes my hands look prettier and its a fun, personal expression! Even my co-workers have caught on to the fact that I paint my nails almost every Thursday night. It’s something fun that I look forward to and enjoy doing, and I do it well thanks to lots of practice and using the best tools. Plus, when you have manly hands due to too many broken or jammed knuckles (okay, maybe this is just me), a little color on the nail makes them look skinnier! (wink)

If you’re someone that loves getting your nails done professionally, then by all means go for it girlfriend (and I’d be more than happy to discuss gel vs. dip powder manis with you!). But if you’re someone like me that doesn’t want to part with the money frequently, or is indecisive about committing to a color for generally two weeks, then I have some tips for you about nail painting and my favorite products! I’ve tried so many different polishes, gel/shellac, and gel alternatives, and I’ve found some tried and true favorites that I think:
1. Last a decent amount of time 2. Wear durably and 3. Produce great color and shine.
Let’s start things off with my favorite nail polish line!

Essie Gel Couture is a product line that I am obsessed with. Most weeks when I paint my nails, it’s using one of these colors…and I only have a small assortment of colors! It’s a two step process using one color, generally applying two or more coats depending on the opaqueness of the color, and finishing it with a high-shine topcoat that is extremely durable….and NO UV LIGHT REQUIRED! As someone that works with their hands every single day, I don’t want to apply a nail polish that’s going to chip in three days and then drive me absolutely bananas. Luckily, the Essie Gel Couture line is extremely durable and I can usually get at least 7 days of chip-free wear with these colors, some weeks even longer! And on the plus side, it is easily removable with regular fingernail polish remover unlike an actual gel/shellac manicure.

For usual nail polish brands I love, OPI, Essie, Zoya, and Sally Hansen Salon Manicure. I’m picky about the brush type on my nail polish bottles just as I am with my mascara wands. When I’m applying any regular nail polish color, this Essie Gel Setter Top Coat is the absolute best. While it is thick, this top-coat dries to a seriously gel-like shine and truthfully makes the polish feel indestructible. It’s a great product to add to your nail polish collection if you’re a fellow avid nail painter, and its easily available at many stores!

Here are some of my tips to getting a great self-made manicure:

1. Try to allow yourself enough time from start to finish to apply your color and a top coat. Nothing ruins a hard-earned manicure more than pillow smudges or chips!

2. Always apply the color first down the middle of the nail pushing the color towards the cuticle, then sweeping along the cuticle line to each side of the nail, then do a final sweep up the middle of the nail.

3. More thin coats are much better than several thick coats. This will subject you to a longer dry time and bubbling! (Nobody wants bubbly nail color!)

4. Trim cuticles after showering or washing your hands so that the skin is softened, similar to how the nail salon will have you soak your nails before manicuring.

5. Always finish with a top coat! No matter what color I’m using, top coat will allow your polish to wear much longer and usually provide more shine.

Pro Tip: I will generally apply a refresher top coat-coat on around day 3 of my applied manicure. It helps the mani last longer and refreshes any spots you may have missed initially!

Also, if you’re looking for a convenient way to store your nail polish then look no further! Amazon prevailed once again and I’m so glad I purchased this nail polish case to easily organize all of my polishes, and it’s clear so I can see all of my colors and I don’t forget about any of them! It can hold up to 48 different polish bottles and is two sided. This is the case.

I hope you’ve hopefully learned a tip or two and feel more confident to try painting your own nails! A beautiful pale pink is always a safe color to try, or maybe you’re a dark nail color kind-of girl, but most importantly is to have fun with it! Nail art can be a fun expression of your personality…so go for it!

xoxo, Chelsea