Manicures - YouLookFab Forum

Anonymous

I've never had a professional manicure. I like my nails best natural and buff and file a few minutes each day so it doesn't seem like I spend any time on them.

11 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

I do nothing at all. I actually chew my nails off in the shower. So bad, I know. In my defense, I rock climb and my hands get trashed so there is little point in expending the effort... I love seeing nail pins though - Aida has some amazing ones.

11 years ago

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

About once every six months or even less often I get a professional shellac. I work in healthcare. I have very short nails and if I got a regular nail polish manicure, I would be lucky to get one day of wear. Even with shellac, I only get about a week and half, not the two weeks advertised.

11 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Una, I am laughing so hard! I hope that's OK. :^) Yes, I don't think that many rock climbers probably have amazing nails!

11 years ago

Greyscale

Veteran

That's exactly why I don't wear nailpolish - I climb too much. But I've only had a manicure twice, and I don't really know what steps to do. When I paint my own nails it's just slap a coat or two of polish on then bemoan how quickly it chips... Maybe I'll ask my friends at our remedial girl-skills party this Saturday.

11 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Laugh away! I probably sound like some kind of animal in a trap, but honestly my nails are almost too short to clip most of the time, My husband was rolling his eyes yesterday when I asked him to admire my calluses, because I've finally been able to get back in the gym enough to have them. A client once told me I had "man hands" - EEK!

11 years ago

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Timely post, I just finished polishing my nails, and thinking of what a bad job I did. I do a base coat, two coats of color, then a top coat. I like Seche Vite for the top coat, it dries fast and my nails last longer.

11 years ago

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I paint my fingernails very sporadically. About 10 times a year at most. some years not at all! I bartend when I'm working and the water for washing the glasses does a number on your nails. Here when I'm off work I'm more likely to play with polish.
I do the base coat, 2 coats of polish, and a top coat. I just wait about 10 or 15 minutes between coats and I do it when I'm just bumming around in the afternoon so it doesn't interrupt anything.
I tend to keep my nails in good shape on a regular basis so I don't need any prep beforehand really. I wear them a little long compared to a lot of ladies, but not crazy.

11 years ago

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I would love to be the Girl-Who-Gets-Salon-Manicures, but the reality is, I'm the Girl-Who-Uses-Her-Fingernails-as-Tools-Because-I'm-Lazy. That laziness carries over, in general, to manicures...

Here is the secret of this Lazy Girl: I don't do everything at once. And if I keep my hands well-moisturized, my cuticles are usually fine.

Sometimes I work on my cuticles - soak + cuticle remover + pushing them back, file the nails, and then buff the surfaces one of those little four-sided thing from CVS or Target.

Usually I just paint them in a pale or clear color, so that chips don't show as much. I use Rubberized Bonder from Orly as a base coat, then I add an Orly polish on top, and it usually lasts 3-5 days, which is a definite improvement over the 1-2 days that other nail polishes last. I do one coat over the bonder, and then another coat a day or two later to keep the shine fresh. By about day five, the stuff has to come off, and I start over.

So in any given nail session, it takes maybe 30 minutes, 35 tops. About 2 minutes to file them back into their slightly oval shape, about 8 minutes for the bonder to dry, another 20 or so for the polish. I multi-task by checking email, doing stuff online, etc. Typing slowly and carefully with flat fingers.

Hope that helps!

And... CVS carries Orly Bonder, Topcoat, Basecoat, etc. but they seem to have discontinued stocking colors. If anyone spots Orly colors while you're out and about, please let me know!

11 years ago

RD

Member

Even though I love dark color, I switched to a nude shade for my fingers (still navy, black or purple on my toes though). This way I can get away with filing short, base coat, one coat of a nude pink, and a top coat . I skip all the rest and this stays pretty shiny and the low contrast with skin/nails means they look okay even when they aren't really great.

I've been known to take three days to do this...day one for base, two for color, three for top, just because I can't sit and wait for all three at once!

11 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

So Mo, how do you keep your nails in good shape generally so that you don't need prep? Do you do like Joy and file quite frequently? Do you keep your cuticles pushed back too?

11 years ago

Echo

Veteran

I rarely get manicures because they just don't last, and because long fingernails give me the heebie-jeebies (and my nail beds aren't long enough to make painted nails look good without having extra length). I work in the schools, often with preschoolers and kindergarteners, so that involves crafts and finger painting and tying shoelaces, etc. Longer nails are just impractical for me.

And not to be weird, but my DS2 was in the NICU when he was born. It wasn't until then that I realized what bacteria traps longer fingernails were. NICU nurses were not permitted to wear long fingernails for sanitary reasons, and studies show that regardless of how much scrubbing is done (even with a brush), long fingernails harbour bacteria. Ever since then, although I will very occasionally have a manicure done for a special occasion, I have never routinely worn my fingernails longer.

I get pedicures instead!

11 years ago

Catnip

Veteran

I file my nails about every 5 or 6 days and push back the cuticles. I don't usually wear polish, but for special occasions I may give them one coat of clear polish. Especially during the winter I use Aquaphor ointment on my nails, cuticles and the tips of my fingers. My dermatologist recommended it to prevent the tips of my thumbs from splitting during cold, dry weather. It works really well.

11 years ago

Marillen

Active Member

Whoops I've never had a professional manicure done! I moisturize and cut/file, and throw on polish if I'm in the mood, and that's it. I have a bad habit of biting cuticles.

Really should take better care of them and get a manicure sometime! People keep complimenting my hands and a relative is trying to nudge me into hand modeling.

11 years ago

Diana

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

shiny

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

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!

11 years ago

LoveSarahDub

(website)

Active Member

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

11 years ago

viva

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

JayS

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

Mo

(website)

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

Sara L.

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

Diana

Veteran

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?

11 years ago

Helena

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

Peri

Veteran

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.

11 years ago

t

Active Member

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!

11 years ago

Category