How To: Achieve Beautiful Nails

You might wonder why your nails are so prone to breakage, why your manicure never lasts or why they refuse to grow! I can't say I can solve all your nail problems, but I can give you a little insight as to why and what you can do to achieve picture perfect nails!

The first step to better nails is to address your problem.

If you notice that your nails are flimsy, split or break easily or if you have difficulties growing your nails, they're most likely sensitive and/or dry. You will need to use something extra nourishing and strengthening. There are several products out there ranging from high-end to drugstore brands that you could try. If you opt for this, look for products that are protein and/or vitamin enriched, and that have the words "strengthening", "growth", "nourishing", or any derivation of that.  My suggestion is to look for a base coat that has these properties. You can also go the homemade route! Try using Vitamin E and Olive oil mixed in a 1:1 ratio or pick one of the two to use. You will apply this to your bare nails regularly until you see a difference. This will differ person to person and can range from a week to a month. Which ever method you choose, and as with everything, be consistent!!!


If your polish chips and peels extremely quickly, your nails are likely oily. I tend to have oily skin, scalp and nails! Again, there are several products out there to help correct this problem. You should look for products that say "no chip", "priming", "dehydrating" or any derivation of that. If you are like me, you most likely have thick nails. If so, you are fortunate because we can get away with being a little harsh to our nails. I don't use any treatments, I like to lightly buff my nails to get rid of the shine with a super fine buffing block. I then get a cotton pad soaked with pure acetone and wipe my nails in a downward motion to dehydrate them and follow with any base coat I have available. After my nails are prepped I apply two coats of polish and one high shine top coat. I honestly don't know if this is good or not (it is probably terrible), but this is what I do to my nails. They are super healthy, super strong, equally long, they never break, and my polish never chips or peels!! 

The next step is to know the formula for applying nail polish like the pros!

1. Cuticles. You always need to push them back carefully. To do this, soak your fingers in warm water for a few minutes, pat them dry, and gently push back with an orange stick. Don't hurt yourself, the last thing you want is an injured finger! I have very steady hands and a cuticle nipper, so after pushing I trim my cuticles and any bits that stick out. It is up to you if you want to do this. Like I said, I have very steady hands and feel comfortable doing it myself on both hands. Use your own criteria. If you don't feel comfortable trimming your own cuticles, it is okay! 
2. Buff and shape. As I mentioned above, this step is crucial for me. If you have very thin, soft or brittle nails use your treatment then a ridge filler for this step. If you find a ridge filler with your treatment, use that and skip to step 4! Your goal is to create a super smooth surface. If you are able to buff your nail bed, do so with strokes in a single direction. Try to get rid of all the ridges with minimal buffing. Patience is a virtue, this takes practice! Decide what shape compliments your hands the best. My tip for you is to follow your natural cuticle shape, you can't go wrong with that! Make sure that your free edge is soft and that it wont snag on something later. Try running your free edge on the tops of your hands. The skin is sensitive enough that you will feel if your nails are smooth or not. 
3. Base. This is where you will apply your base coat. Regardless of our nail type, this step is just as important to achieve a long lasting finish. You only need a thin coat, and this usually dries immediately. Make sure to cap your nails with your base coat.
4. Color. Pick your color and apply two thin coats allowing dry time between the two. I like to start with my left pinkie and work my way to my right pinkie. By the time I finish my right pinkie, my left pinkie should be about dry. If you get polish on your skin, don't worry! You can remove this in the shower, or with remover and a cotton swab later! Don't risk smudging, just move on, let your nails dry and then go back and fix anything that needs it. Top coat can fix many things!!! Make sure to cap your nails with polish with each coat! 
5. Top it off! Yay, we are almost finished!! Choose a high shine or matte finish top coat. You only need one coat, and usually dry fast. This is important, pay attention!! Do not, under any circumstances, apply more than one coat thinking it will last longer, be shinier or stronger. This will only drag your color, and I promise you it will look weird. Use the same method as above, work your way through your fingers and you should be fine. Allow between 5 to 15 minutes of dry time. This will depend completely on the thickness of your coats and if it is a speed-dry formula or not. I don't tend to use speed dry polishes, and my dry time is about 10 minutes. If you absolutely need to move or touch something, wet the pad of your finger and gently touch your nail. If it is still wet your finger will drag, if not it will easily slide over your nail. If your polish becomes harmed, you can use the wet finger trick to smudge it back into place. An exception to no more than one clear coat would be to fix a smudge, in some cases adding another clear coat could be all you need!  

After your nails are dry, make sure to moisturize your hands!! Use an ultra thick, nourishing hand cream and avoid your nails! 

To avoid chips or breakage try filing your nails daily or every other day. It doesn't have to be rigorous, a few light strokes with a fine nail file would suffice! I promise you, your nail polish will last a lot longer, and your nails will be so much healthier!

Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did writing it! 

Much love,

-Mireya G.