How to Make Your Mani Last Longer

How to Make Your Mani Last Longer Spending time doing your nails can be a great way to practice self-care, but how can you enjoy the fruits of your labor for longer? We’ve rounded up our favorite tips on how to prolong your mani. Nail Prep The key to a good, long-lasting manicure is the proper prep. Use An Orange Wood Stick Or Cuticle Pusher To Push Back Your Cuticles Pushing back your cuticles will help the nail polish adhere to only the nail plate. This will prevent lifting and peeling in the cuticle area. Gently Buff The Shine From The Nail Plate Much like sanding before painting wood, gently buffing the shine from your nails with a fine grit buffing block or nail file will provide a grippier surface for the polish to stick to. Be careful though! A light hand is best as over-buffing can remove too many layers and damage your nail. Remove Natural Oils Use nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol or a nail dehydrator to remove any natural oils from your nail plate. This will help the nail polish to stick better and prevent peeling and chipping. Manicure During the manicure there’s a handful of things you can do that will prolong your mani. Use A Good Base Coat A good base coat will provide a sticky layer, like paint primer, for the nail polish to stick to. Try our Foxology Base Coat that will set the stage for a polish that lasts and is formulated to work with our Foxology Nail Polish. Apply Polish In Thin Layers Apply your nail polish in thin coats in order for your nails to dry more thoroughly. A quick drying polish like Foxology Nail Polish can help speed up the process. Using multiple thinner coats also gives you more control over the polish and will help prevent flooding your nails and cuticles. Nail polish should only be applied to the nail plate in order to prevent peeling and lifting. Use A Good Top Coat A good top coat, like our Foxology Top Coat, prevents chipping and protects the nail. It contains Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Argan Oil, Aloe and Biotic to provide strength and hydration to the nail plate. Apply All Layers of Polish On the Free Edge The free edge of your nail is the edge of the nail that extends past your finger. This area gets a lot of wear so protecting it will extend the life of your mani. Allow Nails to Fully Cure Your nails may appear to be dry to the touch, but they are not fully cured underneath. Avoid soaking in water or other activities that are hard on your hands for 1-2 hours until fully cured. Post-Manicure After following the above steps, there are a few things you can do after your manicure to help it last as long as possible. Avoid Soaking Your Hands in Water or Using Harsh Chemicals Soaking your nails can allow water to seep under the layers of polish and damage your manicure. When cleaning, harsh chemicals and repeated water exposure can also break down the polish. Wearing cleaning gloves when cleaning can help! Reapply Top Coat Your top coat can wear down over time with everyday use. Reapplying every few days can add extra protection and shine to your mani. Be sure to thoroughly clean the nail before reapplying your top coat. Keep Your Nails Moisturized Apply cuticle oil daily to keep your nails moisturized and prevent breakage and cracking. Avoid Biting or Picking Your Nails Biting or picking at your nails can chip your polish and damage your nails. Avoid doing this, if possible