Wedding Woes

I need help being a woman

I have once again managed to stop biting my nails. So I'm trying to be good and keep them tidy and manicured. Last night I tried painting them. Every time I give myself a manicure it looks bad in about 30 seconds. They never seem to dry and of course, they end up smudged and dinged.

This is what I'm doing: I put on a basecoat (Sally Hansen's Tough as Nails since they are still a little brittle), then I put on two coats of polish, and then a top coat. I let everything dry for about 5 minutes in between.

Is it because I'm using crappy polish? Or am I just putting too much on possibly?

I have gotten manicures in the past and I never have this problem. Short of becoming an Asian nail tech, what do I do?

Re: I need help being a woman

  • *Barbie**Barbie* member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    pay an asian nail tech $15 to do it. that's even more incentive not to bite. 
  • 6fsn6fsn member
    Knottie Warrior 10000 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    I don't have nail experience, but from other painting projects I'd venture the paint isn't drying.
  • loveshine1loveshine1 member
    Ninth Anniversary 5000 Comments 25 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    You're probably applying too much at one time. Thin coats are best.

    Also, higher quality nail polish will give you better results.

    Nails take time to dry. I like to give it at least an hour of uninterrupted drying time. Like when I'm watching TV at night.
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  • edited December 2011
    I have the worst luck with Hard as Nails-I think it takes longer to dry than a regular basecoat. so maybe try a different one?
     I use a 60 second base coat, then 2 to 3 thin coats of color (5 minutes apart). I do that at night, then in the morning I put this over the top:

    http://beaut.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Insta-Dry-2.jpg


    because there is a 100% change I will have sheet imprints in my polish, even though I thought it was dry enough.
    It usually last three to four days before it chips.
    image
  • **O-Face****O-Face** member
    10000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 25 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    Plus some basecoats don't adhere well to to the colored coats.
    image
  • edited December 2011
    Are you letting each layer dry before putting on another layer?

    Are you using a bona fide base coat? I started using CND Stickey and haven't had any issues since.

    Are your nails oily? Try a drop of OPI Bond Aid on each nail before your base coat. Use thiiiiiiiin coats. The first coat of polish shouldn't look like it does in the bottle.

    Sit still. I know it sucks, but I do one nail at a time and sit my ass down someplace.
    "I would be sad if sex was only about the climax, lame." Someone who is obviously doing it wrong
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  • TheDuckisTheDuckis member
    Seventh Anniversary 5000 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    Nail polish takes a day to fully dry, which is why I don't bother with it anymore.

    On the rare occasions that I do paint them, I dunk them in ice water for 5-10 minutes after painting, then dab a drop of vegetable oil on each one.

    The ice water helps them set faster, and the oil is like a slippery barrier so if you bump something lightly it won't smudge. They make oil-based drying products, but vegetable oil works the same way. The danger is that then you have to be careful not to touch anything you don't want oil stains on.

    Oh, and I also paint them at night so that I can go to bed after they set and I have less chance to do serious damage before they're all dry.
  • **O-Face****O-Face** member
    10000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 25 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    I get sheets marks that way, TD.  FAIL.
    image
  • TheDuckisTheDuckis member
    Seventh Anniversary 5000 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    The oil prevents the sheet marks (as long as you don't mind oil marks on the sheets, which is another reason I rarely paint my nails).
  • zsazsa-stlzsazsa-stl member
    Eighth Anniversary 5000 Comments 100 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011

    I have better luck with a little buffing before I put on the base coat. 

    image

    I just a friendly gal looking for options.

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