About a year ago I made the decision to stop going to the nail salon and instead do my nails at home with regular polish. Not only was this a choice toward incorporating more self-care routines in my life, but my last visit to the salon revealed nail damage from the gel and the drill used for removal. On top of that, every monthly trip costs me about $50, which adds up over time! Doing your nails yourself can be a daunting task before it becomes something fun and relaxing. The healthiest and most cost-effective method is going back to the basics of regular polish, which has evolved a lot from your typical drugstore brands. A large part of the fun comes with all the unique colors and special effect polishes you can use, and I will share my favorite brands and long-lasting tips!
It’s all about the prep
The key to making any manicure last has everything to do with the prep you do for your nails. There are specific steps you must always take before and during your manicure, as well as how you care for your nails on the regular. Prior to your manicure, you want to avoid water for some time to avoid moisture being trapped and early chipping or peeling. During your cuticle prep, buff away the skin from your nail plate before dipping each nail into polish remover/acetone so the nail is dehydrated and clean of all excess oils prior to painting your base coats and coats of polish. This allows for better gripping of the polish to the nail, again to prevent lifting. It is also important to invest in a good base and top coat, which I will discuss in the brand section. As far as the actual painting process, it is best to avoid getting polish on the skin or cuticle line which will cause the layer on the nail to lift. But since painting nails yourself can be difficult, I always have a clean-up brush on hand to clean up my fingers to look picture-perfect and prevent early chipping. Once your manicure is fully painted, you want to make sure you are keeping your hands and cuticles hydrated with hand cream, and cuticle oil daily.
Olive & june
This brand is my absolute favorite for nail care essentials and creme (solid color) polishes. I regularly use their nail polish remover pot and top coat for affordable care that is efficient and long-lasting. Some other underrated favorite nail care includes dry drops, which are oil drops that dry your manicure to the touch in seconds and hydrate your cuticles at the same time, and their holy grail nail strengthener. This brand is also amazing for creme nail polishes as they offer a wide shade variety in almost every color family and are consistently 7-free or 15-free and nontoxic.
Mooncat
This brand has been my latest obsession ever since I received a few of their polishes for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, from thermal to holographic to magnetic polishes. 10-free and nontoxic as well, Mooncat is perfect for specialty lacquers, and I highly recommend their hardcore base coat for adding an extra layer of longevity to your manicure. I regularly have week-long manicures with no chips from these brands and their amazing formulas. I would not pay extra for their creme polishes which are cheaper and have better color variety at Olive & June, but I love to splurge on the sparkles, shimmer undertones, and special effects that this brand offers. Pictured below is my absolute favorite Velvet Rose in the cat eye effect, and House of Hades for a deep, moody, flaky dark blue.
Holo Taco
Does anyone remember the girl who put 100 coats of polish on her nail, claiming it to be “polish mountain?” This is the brand that she created based on her Canadian pronunciation of “top coat” as “taco.” Not only is the brand 10-free and nontoxic once again, it is pretty iconic for holographic polishes in a variety of different colors and formulas from an all-over linear holographic look to crushed holographic glitter. They also have a wide variety of nail polish toppers to elevate any creme manicure with a glitter flake or holographic look, because everything is better with sparkles! Pictured below is the linear holographic polish, Dead Petals.
it’s time for self-care
Painting my nails has been one of my self-care staples consistently for the past year, where I know I can always get what I want for a cheaper cost, in less time, and whenever I want in the comfort of my own home. An important part of self-care is pampering oneself, and this is the perfect way to treat yourself to a beauty routine that will always be more cost-effective than going to the salon even when you splurge on specialty brands. These are just my favorites that I have a large amount of experience with testing the longevity, quality, and color accuracy to share on your nail journey, but there are so many others out there to experiment with. Nail polish has come a long way, so start your research into what works best for you!