YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Manicures

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Manicures https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1 Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 05 May 2026 22:07:27 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php DonnaF on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1158235 Wed, 05 Feb 2014 04:39:18 +0000 DonnaF 1158235@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ From YLF a couple of years ago, I learned to do base coat (Orly), two coats of polish, and then a top coat (Seche Vite or Sally Hansen's red bottle one).  I do this after I have brushed my teeth and am in my bed clothes at night while watching the news, Downton Abbey, or whatever.  I then go to bed while the polish cures and hardens; that fast dry top coat only protects a little.  In the morning, I scrape off the polish on my skin while I am in the shower.  My nails grow very fast, so even without chips I need to redo my nails after 6 - 9 days due to the growth.  I can hide tiny chips at the tips by filing a bit, and of course paler polish shows the chips less than the dark stuff. gryffin on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1158105 Wed, 05 Feb 2014 02:07:57 +0000 gryffin 1158105@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ See nails, see clippers, clip, clip, ............clip!!  Done.  I do try and moisturize my hands with aquaphor or eucerin hand but that's it.  I had one manicure for my wedding.  I know I'm weird but I don't like the feel of polish, I'd pick it off.  If I have a party, I moisturize, clip and buff.  I know, but it works for me!!  I think it's awesome you ladies who can keep up with that kind of maintenance!!  I leave that for hair! MRL on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1158009 Wed, 05 Feb 2014 00:43:58 +0000 MRL 1158009@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love the look of polish, but my hands are in file cabinets all day at work so polish doesn't last on me. I do get mani's for special occasions. Usually I file my nails quite short and use the Burt's Bees lemon cuticle cream. That's all. E on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157951 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 23:58:44 +0000 E 1157951@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ AG, I often bite mine to shorten instead of clipping too! I like them really short, and when I try to clip them that way, I end up hurting myself. :/ I almost never polish my nails because the polish often doesn't last more than a day or two before chipping (yes, I use a topcoat). I'm on the computer & knitting & cooking & now I've started violin lessons, and all of these things involve my finger tips. Once there's a chip, it drives me nuts, but I hate the smell of nail polish remover, so I just pick at the polish, which is not good for my nails. It's a bad cycle, and now I just avoid it entirely. ;) I do use Burt's Bees lemon cuticle cream (Louise, I'll pick at loose skin too!). And I polish my toe nails, since those never chip (lol), but now I'm looking into finding non-toxic nail polish to replace my regular stuff. I turned up Piggy Paint, which says it's non-toxic (I haven't researched the ingredients), but since it's aimed at little girls (!), I'm not sure any of the colours will appeal to me. JAileen on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157888 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 22:34:04 +0000 JAileen 1157888@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ MsMaven, please wear gloves when you garden. Twice I've gotten infections from splinters or thorns and had to see the doctor. One of those times they had to burn it out. It was really unpleasant. Please learn from my mistakes! Gigi on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157816 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 21:20:34 +0000 Gigi 1157816@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Diana, no apologies needed! I'm not an expert, but I did check out three books on how to manicure your nails, and they were geared toward nail technicians. They all said that pushing back the cuticles is OK--it's trimming them off that is the problem. But if you already have very shallow cuticles, maybe you don't even need pushing. I have thick cuticles that are hard even to push, and sometimes I have to use a cuticle knife to release them from the nail plate. (I'm probably going to get burned for saying that!) I sometimes trim off *some* of the cuticle if it is way overgrown or is ragged and just causing problems. In other words, what I'm trimming off is already mostly dead skin.  If you don't get any answers on this thread, Diana, maybe you want to start a thread on your own...it seems like the extra questions are getting lost in the shuffle. There's a lot to know about nails! retailgirl on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157814 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 21:11:19 +0000 retailgirl 1157814@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have strong nails and I file them weekly into a semi short rounded oval. Sometimes I buff them, which looks great, like clear polish. I love the look of polish but I work with my hands a lot and manicures just don't last. But I get a pedicure about every four weeks, year round. I hate the look of unpolished toes and I love the pampering you get with a pedicure. Worth every penny. Louise on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157808 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 21:05:19 +0000 Louise 1157808@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Diana I've heard/ read you're not supposed to push them back but when mine are at their worst they are an overgrown ragged mess. However regular moisturisation seems to be keeping them neat and tidy and I've not really had to do much pushing for the last couple of weeks x Nebraskim on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157803 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 21:04:01 +0000 Nebraskim 1157803@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ways to save time: break the steps down, so you don't do all of it at once. For instance, clip/file after a shower/bath or after doing dishes, which allows you to skip the soak, which is just to soften your nails. You can use a cuticle softener and then push cuticles while watching TV. Do a base coat only. Come back later and do the color coats and top coat. Use fast-drying polish (I like Essie.) I was given a gift certificate to a very nice nail salon in my town four years ago,,,and I got my first professional manicure, and now I am hooked. I get gel manicures (easier to remove than shellac) twice a month. A little bit spendy but I'm not consuming 2 hours of my own time if I did my own at home with regular polish. (Only takes about an hour at the salon.) I wear blue polish, so it takes at least 2 coats.I am RELIGIOUS about wearing gloves to do dishes and try very hard to not use my nails to do things like pull staples, etc. Occasionally I will do regular polish because the color selection is so much better. Diana on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157798 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 20:59:10 +0000 Diana 1157798@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Can I ask the nail experts another question?  (Sorry I keep hijacking your thread, Gigi!)  Is it bad to push your cuticles back? I've noticed that several of you mentioned that you do this.  I always thought that manicurists do it to make your nails look longer and prettier, but have also heard that it's bad for the health of your nails.  Any thoughts?  My cuticles are quite shallow to begin with so I don't want to damage them by pushing too much. EveningMood on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157795 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 20:58:12 +0000 EveningMood 1157795@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm surprised so many of you do your own nails. In Italy it's becoming uncommon, my mom, my sister, SIL, all my friends and friends' friends, the moms in my children's classes, everyone gets professionals manicures bi-weekly. I never have. My nails are very fragile and fussy and right now I avoid polish of any kind. I tried bases and strenghteners, nothing worked, it lasts fine minutes anyway so I just gave up. At least my nails look nice, and I just have to keep moisturized and short and file regularly because I have zero cuticles. One thing that's low maintenance! MsMaven on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157792 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 20:53:58 +0000 MsMaven 1157792@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ For two decades I got a manicure every week and a pedicure once a month.I had strong healthy nails. Then one day my manicurist and I parted ways.  I went to several different places and was unhappy with the results.  Worst manicure ever was from a Russian woman who said she'd been an architect in Russia.  Anyway, my feet were sliced and diced and abraded at several different places and then I got a fungus.  No polish for a year. For a while I've been wearing either clear or very pale polish that I do myself.My nails have gotten bad, splitting, breaking, peeling, so I try not to do too much.  Once in a while I wear color.  I do pretty well most of the time.  Can't do pedicures very well, so I get that done once in a while. Also, I didn't like colored polish because I had developed so many age spots (sun damage.)  Then I had them layered away and my hands look so much better with color now.  And yes, I always wear sunscreen, but then I go outside and start gardening and off go the gloves and soon the sunscreen is washed away in water and potting soil      Louise on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157786 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 20:42:36 +0000 Louise 1157786@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm a nail, cuticle and skin picker/ biter (urgh I know!) and any loose or rough bits of skin or nail get me nibbling, I think it's also stress related as post breakup my right thumb was in a terrible mess I'm just starting to rediscover the enthusiasm for my beauty routines. I'm applying cuticle cream nightly and slathering on hand butter then sleeping in cotton gloves. I find this has helped immensely in keeping my nails flexible and strong, cuticles soft and my hands smooth. I've got a light hand cream in my bag too and am trying to rub a little in after hand washing in the day. Weekly I neaten my nails with a glass nail file and give them a soak in a little nail bath I had many years ago from Avon with warm water and a drop of lavender oil to help heal any ragged cuticles or sore bits. Then add a drop of cuticle remover leave a couple of minutes then push back with an orange stick. Then I massage in cuticle cream and hand butter and slip on cotton gloves. Probably takes 15 minutes? I don't generally bother with polish I'm lucky if it lasts 24 hours! I keep a small glass file and cuticle nippers in my bag so I can deal with any rough or loose bits before I start picking, though thankfully the nightly moisturising seems to be preventing this x Gigi on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157773 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 20:21:28 +0000 Gigi 1157773@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've actually been experimenting with breaking the steps up but still fizzle out by the time it's nail polish night! Argh. A lot of it is what the weather has done to my hands...my nails are uneven lengths, which makes filing take longer (to try to even them out), and the cuticles are all ragged, which makes the cuticle pushing a pain. No wonder I'm burned out after that! I think it was La Belle who says she doesn't even do all the nail polish coats in one night. I might have to switch to that. Maybe I could divide that up into two nights also. I was worried that it would start chipping by the time I got around to putting more polish on, though...we'll see. I see that one thing that would help me is to file and do cuticle care every week, which some of you have mentioned you do. I've been waiting till I want to polish. That would keep things at a more manageable level. And I clearly need to use hand cream more often. I like the idea of the special polishes that don't require base coats and the like, but I'm sensitive to chemicals and have to get the ones that are free of the three chemicals whose names I can't remember... :^/ I'm not sure there's any fancy nail polishes in the less-chemical category. Anyone know? Diana is in the same boat with the dry nails and breaking. Diana, I had the same thing happen where a nail broke so low it couldn't even be trimmed! OWWW! She was asking about good nail creams. Does anyone have any recs? In the last couple of days, I've been trying castor oil, and today I tried lanolin. I'll have to see how that plays out. rachylou on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1/page/2#post-1157713 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:23:24 +0000 rachylou 1157713@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm not allowed to wear nail polish at work generally (safety and cleanliness). If I got cracking right away, maybe I could sport polish for a couple of days. In which case, I'd do two coats, maybe a top coat, and call it a day. I think it's easier if you cut and file one day, polish the next. Otherwise, yes, it's a lot to do on one's self. t on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157706 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:16:19 +0000 t 1157706@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I always have polish on my hands and toes - I love it! I do get manicures every 3 weeks or so and do them myself in between. I leave the cuticles, etc. to the pro so I only have to polish myself. I do like to keep my nails on the short side, so if they are long I will cut and file as well. One trick I learned is that after you have done all the prep for your nails, put a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a cotton round and swipe over each nail. This removes any oil or moisturizer so the basecoat will stay on better. I use Essie products - you can find them at CVS or Target. I do a basecoat, 2 coats of polish, and a topcoat. I also use a Sally Hansen spray on oil that helps dry the polish (and moisturize around the nail). I always have dark polish and I find that 2 coats are enough for me, but I know what you are saying - sometimes it streaks. I also let about 20 minutes lapse in between each coat. Not sure why, but it seems like my mani lasts longer that way. I usually do it on a night when I'm mostly watching TV and I'm done with laundry and dishes. I will echo others too - moisturize all the time! I keep lotion everywhere...car, purse, next to computer, in the kitchen, in the living room, etc. Maybe once they get in better shape you won't have to spend so much time and you will enjoy your nails even more! Good luck! Peri on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157698 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:03:18 +0000 Peri 1157698@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love nail polish...dark colors the best because lighter colors make my hands look red. I always do my own because it only lasts a few days on me. I just break up the steps. Filing and cuticle care is about once a week so I do that when I need to. When I have time to put polish on I usually work it so I'm reading or something, to let me wait 5 minutes in between coats. I go days with time, but I put it on when I can...but never as one long complete salon type manicure. Helena on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157689 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 18:47:14 +0000 Helena 1157689@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I do my own manicures but not as well as you do! I just clip, file, use some cuticle cream to push back cuticles and them a bit of oil on the cuticles and then I have a combo polish so I only need one coat. I LOVE colored nails but suck at doing them myself, so I have a drawer-full of colors that only either see my toes, or are just pretty to look at. My nails are usually a very sheer pinky-white so chips don't show. Every once in a while I do get a mani-pedi done and then I always splash out on a dramatic color. Diana on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157607 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 18:01:55 +0000 Diana 1157607@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Gigi, I use hand cream most nights so that keeps my cuticles decent in the winter.  But I think it's not enough for the nails themselves. I am thinking I need to get some nail cream too.  Right now I am sporting four broken fingernails myself.  A couple are particularly raggedy because they broke too low down so I couldn't even trim them straight without breaking skin.  Does anyone have any recs for good nail creams? Sara L. on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157591 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 17:55:30 +0000 Sara L. 1157591@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I use Sally Hansen Manicure in a Bottle so don't do any top or base coats.  I just put two coats of the polish on.  It usually lasts a week before it chips.  I do them in the evenings and I make sure I wash my face and do all my bedtime routine stuff beforehand.  I think they last longer if I don't get them wet until the next morning.  I don't usually file and shape them the same night.  I also don't stress about doing a neat job and keeping the polish off my skin.  In the shower the next morning, I neaten them up and get all the polish off my skin.   Mo on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157437 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:54:12 +0000 Mo 1157437@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've only had 2 professional manicures.  And sitting there wasn't worth it IMO lol.   As for how I keep my nails healthy, I think it's just an absentminded ongoing thing.  I push the cuticles down with my opposing thumbnail.  I regularly trim or file, especially if one breaks or chips.  I hate uneven length nails (that may be more an OCD thing than a beauty thing lol).  I have a file in my purse and one in the bathroom all the time.  I tend to them as needed.   JAileen on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157429 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:47:00 +0000 JAileen 1157429@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Nail polish feels suffocating to me. My routine is to keep my hands well moisturized (I use Aquaphor) and trim my nails regularly, and use an emery board frequently. That's it. I have to keep my nails cut short because I'm taking guitar lessons, and in summer I do gardening. Thistle on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157410 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:30:34 +0000 Thistle 1157410@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I used to get gel nails once upon a time, but then I moved to WI and they started coming off in a week or less. So, I did manicures for a while, but my natural nails are achingly thin. I tried to many things to toughen them up. Nothing worked. They looked terrible within a few days, and so I stopped getting them done. Even after 2 years of professional manicures, my hands still looked raggedy in the frozen tundra of WI. So now I keep them short and try to keep them neat. They always look better in summer as the months and months of achingly dry air is so hard on them. The cuticles most of all. I keep a cuticle cream at my desk and swipe it on at least once a day to little avail. JayS on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157398 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:22:53 +0000 JayS 1157398@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I get manicures once a month or so. I've found that using my own polish lets me touch up chips  and get more wear. Plus I think it's more hygienic. After the professional manicure, I just change polish until the next mani. I guess it boils down to letting the professionals do the hard part, trimming, shaping, cuticles, etc. Also, Sally Hanson makes a quick drying topcoat. That really helps me not wreck my hard work within a matter of minutes. viva on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157306 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:28:10 +0000 viva 1157306@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't wear polish on my nails except on rare occasions, and when I do I get it professionally applied. I am miserable at painting my fingernails. But sometimes when I get a pedicure (maybe 5 times a year) I will have a manicure done (with clear or no polish) just for the cuticle work and shaping. It's amazing what a difference it is to have that taken care of by a professional who can get the right physical angle on your hands! Again, I am miserable when I try to do it myself. Just cannot make it work. I love a professional pedicure -- I have two daughters (19 and 22) and it's something they love too, so a couple of times a year we'll go together, or I'll go with a friend for a girls day out. Great pampering. LoveSarahDub on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157217 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 07:54:36 +0000 LoveSarahDub 1157217@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Having my nails done is something that I insist upon, even having a very young son who tends to prevent me from my normal makeup routine. I feel like any outfit I wear is incomplete with bare nails, and when I'm really "bumming it", I atleast find solace in having nail polish on my fingertips. That being said, I very rarely actually go and get a manicure, I usually just do them myself at home. I've become pretty steady and have been able to polish decently enough that they look nice. But alas, the polish would usually chip within a day or two. BUT NO LONGER! For Christmas, I received an at-home gel manicure kit (Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit) and it has been a God-sent! It comes with a UV light, and the steps are as follows: Prep, Structure (cure in lamp for 45 seconds) Polish (cure in lamp for 45 seconds, I usually use two coats and cure them each seperately) Brilliance (cure in lamp for 45 seconds) and then Purify (which removes the sticky residue from nails). It definitely takes some practice, but after my first try I had an awesome manicure that lasted 2 weeks through all the hand washes, diaper changes, feeding sessions and play times I could throw at them! The kit is a little pricey, but if you're a polish addict like me, it will most definitely pay for itself! The kit came with one polish color (a perfect shade of red!) and I was gifted a shimmerery black and AMAZING gray that is soo perfect. I also just ordered the white which is perfect for my mono-chromatic palette I use pretty regularly. If anyone needs tips on doing your own gel manicure, feel free to ask me! I've become pretty proud of myself in these newfound skills in the art of gel nails at home Gigi on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157203 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 06:30:33 +0000 Gigi 1157203@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Boy, I'm sure glad to know that I'm not a freak of nature that I struggle with the DIY manicure thing! Sounds like there are lots of people in this camp--it looks great, but it's a tremendous amount of work, especially when it chips so soon. Diana, one of the reasons I am trying to get back into caring better for my nails is because of what you mentioned--the winter weather has done a number on them. I don't have very long nails--just past my fingertip--but in the last couple of months, I have broken four of them off. I notice that my nails break much less frequently when I have polish on. I think I really need to try to moisturize my hands every night. I read that castor oil is good for the nails. I don't have any fancy products around, so I will try that. I've actually never had a professional manicure done, but I checked books out of the library about how to do nails. So I know all the steps. :^) It was a lot more complicated than I thought, let me tell you! Marillen, that's exciting that you could be a hand model! A little money on the side would be nice, I'm guessing! shiny on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157180 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 05:08:52 +0000 shiny 1157180@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love manicures and having beautiful painted nails. My nails grow LONG if I go weekly. But I chip the polish way too fast so it's just not worth it. I keep them short and filed and indulge/invest in pedicures instead, since those last a long time. At the moment my toes are red and it makes me smile! I wish I could DIY but I have just never been able to master the art. My fine motor coordination is just not there, and neither is my eyesight. I don't know why I didn't get that particular gene: my mom has done her own for years, and the smell of nail polish remover brings back childhood memories. My girls can do their own too, and often do elaborate paint tricks. Must've skipped a generation, because no matter what I do, I end up with blobs and globs and smears and it just looks awful.  Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157174 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 04:51:49 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1157174@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've had a professional manicure exactly once, or maybe it was a pedicure, when I was in my sis in law's wedding and she had a bridesmaids hangout thing. I've accustomed myself to a lot of new beauty stuff in recent years but manicures are unlikely to become one of them anytime soon. I prefer to keep my fingernails unpolished and neatly trimmed, although I do paint my toenails year round. All I do is push my cuticles back when I get out of the shower, and try to remember to put lotion on my hands before I go to bed. Diana on "Manicures" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/manicures-1#post-1157166 Tue, 04 Feb 2014 04:40:08 +0000 Diana 1157166@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I get a manicure less than once a year, usually for some special occasion.  For my wedding in May I got a shellac manicure which lasted maybe 1.5 weeks or so.  Although to be fair one nail started to chip and I got obsessed with picking it off (which is BAD, as you are supposed to have it professionally removed to avoid damaging your nails). Anyway, I almost never polish my own nails at home.  I'm really, really clumsy with my left hand so the polish job on my right hand always looks like garbage.  Plus I don't know how people sit still without doing anything with their hands while the polish dries.  I always end up getting bored and doing something which smudges it.  I certainly don't have the patience to do everything they do at the salon.   I polish my toenails in the summer though.  Just polish and maybe topcoat if I remember.  I seriously don't have the patience for any more. Although I really should take care of my nails better.  Right now I keep breaking them because of the dry, cold weather making them brittle, and they are looking quite raggedy and uneven.