How long does polish last on natural nails?

[emily22]

Hi, as you all prob know I use OPI for my manicure and pedicures.
Can anyone tell me how long it should stay on without chipping? And what are your top tips in a) applying it b)looking after it once its on to keep it long lasting?

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

My tips for application would be ,
To remove all traces of tissue from the nail plate firstly, using a really good cuticle remover (personally I love CND )
Then make sure you remove all traces of cuticle remover too, using either a mix of water and citrusoak, or have client wash hands in soapy water,

Then remove the shine gently in downward strokes with a high grit buffer ,i use the koala buffer by CND, but I have also used spongeboard file (240)
I like both .

Then dehydrate the nail plate with nail dehydrator (lol don't want to sound like I'm advertising ha ha but i use scrub fresh, its the sound of the little pathogen fighters ..i just love using those words lmao)
I have also heard the NSI one is good, or nail plate cleanser by mundo.
I'd give each nail a good seeing too, using a lint free pad, getting right into the sidewalls too,

Then a good base coat (I like stickey )
followed by two thin coats of enamel allow to dry completely in between coats,
And finally a good top coat , at the moment I am using air shield (NSI)

To give added benefit you can then apply solar oil, the tiny particles in solar oil can penetrate through the minuscule gaps in the enamel to speed up the drying process,

Then for aftercare you would recommend all the usual (rubber gloves , nails are jewels not tools etc...)
Daily doses or cuticle oil, to keep the nail supple, prevent drying out, flaking and peeling.
The client could also re apply top coat every 2 or 3 days .

and breathe !!!! :green:

 

[emily22]

thanks!
How long would you say it should stay on for then?
Ive never been told about using a nail dehydrater so may give that a go. I cant buy from CND so is there another you could recommend? And, just to confirm, this is for natural nails NOT extensions, is it ok to use the dehydrator in a standard manicure?

We were taught to squeeky clean with remover, then buffer with 3-way buffer to smooth and give natural shine. Would you say its better to just smooth NOT shine if applying polish?

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

thanks!
How long would you say it should stay on for then?
Ive never been told about using a nail dehydrator so may give that a go. I cant buy from CND so is there another you could recommend?
And, just to confirm, this is for natural nails NOT extensions, is it ok to use the dehydrator in a standard manicure?

We were taught to squeeky clean with remover, then buffer with 3-way buffer to smooth and give natural shine. Would you say its better to just smooth NOT shine if applying polish?

You can buy from CND babe even if you are not trained with them, you just cant buy enhancement products, liquid and powder for example,
but you can buy enamels , abrasives, scrubfresh, solar oil etc...

And yup Nail dehydrator is perfectly fine to use during a standard manicure,
its just removing all the oils and dirt allowing the enamel to form a better bond with the nail plate.

No I wouldn't shine the nail before applying enamel, all you are doing then in basic terms is giving the enamel a slippery surface to sit on.
when you are removing the shine, its just removing any oils, debris off the nail plate again allowing the products to form a strong bond whether it be enamel, gel, or l+p , if something is in the way (oils ,dirt) that strong bond can't form.

Imagine you are hanging a piece of wallpaper, and underneath is a bit of fluff
the wallpaper cant bond fully to the wall ,the fluff is in the way ....so there you will see an air bubble , eventually the bubble will get bigger...
you know, you look don't see any ...go make a cupper, walk back into the room, hey presto "big bubble"
same go's with any grease on the wall .prevents that bond.

its a similar scenario .get all the crap off that nail plate gently does it.
and you're sorted x

It's hard to say how long it will last for as it would depend on the client and her lifestyle ,
I'd say possibly 2 weeks , more or less depending on all of the above xxx

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

Just thought to add,
Nail dehydrator only temporarily dehydrates the nail plate,
I think scrubfresh lasts for about 20 minutes before surface oils begin to come through again,
this is long enough for it to do its job though.

I'm not sure about others though ,

(please correct me peeps if I am wrong don't want to mislead anyone with false info xx)

 

[littlegrohl]

Great Advice Emma.. couple links to add that might be of help..

http://www.salongeek.com/nail-application/12048-perfect-preparation-prevents-poor-performance.html
http://www.salongeek.com/nail-finishing-maintenance/11972-precision-polishing.html
hope this helps..

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Just thought to add,
Nail dehydrator only temporarily dehydrates the nail plate,
I think scrubfresh lasts for about 20 minutes before surface oils begin to come through again,
this is long enough for it to do its job though.

I'm not sure about others though ,

(please correct me peeps if I am wrong don't want to mislead anyone with false info xx)

Emmsy, I'm a bit confused re buffing to remove shine? I was taught that when doing a manicure and applying polish to the natural nail, you gently buff then shine before applying the polish. I was taught that you need a buffed dehydrated nail plate for gels/l&p but a clean smooth surface for polish.

After removing cuticle, filing and shaping, I use an express 2 way buffer to lightly buff the nail plate. Then I flip it over and use the opposite side for bringing the nail plate to a lovely smooth shine. I then wipe the nail plate with my sanitizer before applying base coat.

My manis last a good week and I also advise clients reapply topcoat after 2 to 3 days.

 

[Ophala]

i only use OPI products for my manis but do pretty much the same procedure.

NAS 99 is what i use to cleanse the nail plate (nail antiseptic solution), also spray all my implements with it before use. I also use the OPI Avoplex cuticle exfoliator first.

To dehydrate the nail OPI make a product called Bond Aid (also called Chip Skip but think this is more for retail use). I then use OPI base coat depending on clients nail type, 2 coats of lacquer and rapidry top coat then quick dry spray and drops. it's touch dry in about 10 mins.

as to how long it stays on i would say it depends on the clients nails. i've had some people say it lasts up to 2 weeks, others a week. for my mum though it only lasts a few days as like me, her natural nails are quite flakey and it chips quite quickly. i have gel overlay on at the mo and lacquer stays on about 3 weeks (although i get bored too quickly to leave the same colour on that long!!)

hope this helps and i haven't written too much!!x

 

[tori23]

i use opi polishes i 'sqeak' the nailplate to make sure theres nothing left on there. then apply i coat base coat, then 2 coats polish, then 1 coat top coat. how long it lasts really does depend on the cleint some of my older clients get 2 weeks out of it but some of my friends only get a week - especially when they work in offices and are hitting that keyboard all day long x x

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

i use opi polishes i 'sqeak' the nailplate to make sure theres nothing left on there. then apply i coat base coat, then 2 coats polish, then 1 coat top coat. how long it lasts really does depend on the cleint some of my older clients get 2 weeks out of it but some of my friends only get a week - especially when they work in offices and are hitting that keyboard all day long x x

The 'squeak' you refer to is the method I was taught. Buff then shine (squeak), lol.

 

[nailzoo]

mmmm, this is interesting .... as per other threads in here mentioning French Polish with no base coat for the white, i'd like to know about durabilty issues also, if the French apparently lasts so long without base coat, then why use base coat with any polish?

Food for thought huh?

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

I use base coat for french too,
I didn't realise some people didn't lol

 

[Ophala]

I use base coat for french too,
I didn't realise some people didn't lol

i do use a base coat for french but apply it after my white tip. it's how i was taught and IMO much easier to correct any mistakes !

 

[littlegrohl]

I use base first.. then if i have to clean my line i reaply the base coat to the area i swipe.. but im really getting good with my polish smiles..