8 nail polish secrets to making your manicure last much longer

8 nail polish secrets to making your manicure last much longer.

Moisturize Your Cuticles
Dry, peeling cuticles can be both ugly and painful, especially when they
turn into hangnails. Keep cuticles moisturized, especially in dry,
winter months, with a good cuticle cream or oil. (See my list of the
best cuticle oils and creams).
Once cuticles are softened, you can use an orangewood stick covered in
cotton to push back the cuticles.
Don't have cuticle oil on hand? Use a rich hand cream or even lip balm.
Choose the Shortest Nail to Cut By
Not sure how short to clip nails? Choose the shortest nail as your
guide. Once you've clipped, line each finger up with its opposite,
cuticle-to-cuticle, to ensure you cut short enough.
Prep Nails by Filing
After you clip nails, file them into an oval shape mimicking the curve
of your nail base. Some women prefer square nails. My hands happen to
look better with oval nails, but other women swear their look better
with squared nails. It's really your preference.

Remove Oils from the Nail before Polishing
It's important to wipe nails with a nail polish remover before applying
polish even if you don't have nail polish to remove. Oils left on the
nail (like the hand cream or lip balm) will keep polish from sticking.

Wrap the Tips of Your Nails with Polish
When applying polish, be sure to bring it over the front edge of the
nail and slightly under the tip. This helps prevent chipping.
When polishing, 2 thin coats are better than one thick coat. You'll find
it dries faster. If the polish chips, it's best to remove the paint from
the nail and start over.
If you don't have time, dip your finger in nail polish remover and
smooth over the chipped area and re-apply a topcoat.

How to Maintain Fresh Polish
Keep your mani/pedi looking fresh by adding a new layer of topcoat every
other day. A proper manicure should last 1 to 2 weeks. A pedicure should
last 2 to 4
How to Deal With Smudges and Stains
Smudged your polish while painting? Try this trick: dip your finger in
nail polish remover and use it to smooth the surface, repainting with a
topcoat.
The secret to keeping nails from smudging is proper drying time.
Surfaces will feel dry to the touch after 10 minutes, but don't be
fooled. It actually takes an entire hour for nails to completely dry.
Fingers stained from nicotine, berries or too dark polish can be fixed
with whitening toothpaste like Rembrandt. Then brush the skin or nails
with a toothbrush
How to Deal With a Broken or Torn Nail
When a nail breaks, the best thing to do is to cut it off. But here's a
trick if the break is low down (and painful, undoubtedly): cut a tiny
strip of gauze from a tea bag, place it over the tear and the paint over
with polish.

The Trick to Longer-lasting Pedicures
Want your pedicure to go the extra mile? Cheat by painting nails with a
neutral or clear polish.
My pedicures can last more than a month without obvious chips because I
always opt for a light pink. It looks great with a tan but isn't obvious
as the weeks wear on that I haven't had a pedicure in a while. My
friends who get bright pinks or reds have to be more careful, nail
growth and chips are very obvious.
about.com

--
Ayanda Penelope Tom @ReflectSA

Why not compare to a model?

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Welcome to 2018, where again we will do our best to look beautiful and
presentable, mostly comfortable in our own skins,now here is why you
should stop comparing yourself to models.

Reason No. 1: Many Are Photoshopped to Look Thinner
Models are notoriously thin; in some circles, anything over a size eight
is considered plus size. But even the thinnest model is often not thin
enough for fashion editors. Graphic editors slim and carve out the
features of these beautiful women, making them impossibly skinny.
They've also been known to lengthen legs, narrow necks and enlarge busts
so the models look more like a cartoon than a real person.

Outside of the magazine, models look more normal. They're still thin,
but with regular proportions. If you want to give yourself the model
treatment, play around with the liquify feature in Photoshop. You can
turn yourself into a size zero, six-foot model anytime.

Reason No. 2 Models Get Airbrushed
While modeling may seem like a glamorous gig, it can be hard on people.
The days are long and grueling, and models often go without regular
meals, water, and proper sleep.

That lifestyle can make their skin break out or become very dry. Many
models backstage have heavy circles under their eyes due to poor sleep.

Airbrushing makes the skin look poreless and wrinkle free. Under-eye
bags are eliminated, dark spots deleted and features blurred until the
skin looks like satin.


It's no use bashing your own skin; even the models on the pages don't
have such perfect complexions.

Reason No. 3 Makeup Artists Are Magicians
Makeup artists can work wonders with cosmetics. With some powder and
creams, they can define cheekbones, slim down jawlines, and make noses
look smaller. They can make lips fuller and eyes bigger, and of course,
give models lush eyelashes.

Unless you are trained as a cosmetologist or hire your own makeup
artist, it's impossible to replicate the looks of models. Under all that
makeup, they're just normal women.

Reason No. 4 Models Wear Extensions
While you may envy a model's thick, long hair, chances are, it's not
entirely hers. For almost all runway shows and photo shoots, models have
hundreds of grams of hair extensions added to their hair. Sometimes it's
just to add thickness, but they are also used to add length.

If you want to try the look yourself, you can buy clip-in hair
extensions at any beauty supply store and have thick, long hair.

Reason No. 5 Models Have Off Days, Too
Don't beat yourself up for throwing your hair in a bun and wearing yoga
pants. Models do it too! If you walk the streets of Los Angeles or New
York, you'll see models in their sweats, sans makeup and with their hair
in a ponytail.

They enjoy a break from the heavy makeup and hair styling, so own your
look.

ARTICLE BY:JULYNE DERRICK from liveabout.com
PICTURE: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Penelope Tom @ReflectSA

Reflect SA Publicity management for Brands: For all your make up needs book an appointment wit...