well, you know how i feel about manicures (look for a post on a new, unchippable mani next week) but there are always those times in between where you're faced with a choice. do you wear a chipped mani until the next appointment? do you remove it and go bare? or do you try and reapply yourself?to me, a chipped manicure (especially when it's a dark or bright color) is a big NO. it just looks horrible, don't you think? and going bare...well that's just boring and sort of depressing feeling. but putting on my own? simply not a talent of mine. my hands end up looking like a nursery school art project.
a few years ago, a polish change at the nail place could have been a tiny treasure itself, but the days of the $5 polish change have gone the way of the $4 latte.
so i figured out the easiest, fastest solution around. i remove the chipped polish and apply a single coat of a sheer nail polish. DONE and DONE. i do it right before bed, i do it in the car (as a passenger, obvi), i've even done it in the bathroom at work. because it's so light, imperfections are invisible, and because it's only one coat, it dries in less than a minute.
so even though my in between mani might not be exciting and shiny like a fresh manicure in all its glory, at least it looks neat and finished. and to me, this makes a big difference in the way i feel. because as all manicure lovers know ... your mood can be very impacted by what your nails look like while you're doing all the things you do with your hands. isn't that why we all get manicures to begin with?
my favorite polish choice for this purpose is the revlon sheer colors. they're inexpensive, and they're available everywhere. and their smell is pretty subdued, which is important for an on-the-go situation like this. i use sheer petal, and it's perfect. just a hint of pink, but not overly so. they also make sheer nude, sheer blossom, sheer pink, barely peach and a few more.it looks so nice with so little effort that the only trick is to not think i can do a second coat. trust me, i can't.
do you have any between-mani tricks to share?
all photos from www.drugstore.com
Here's the problem ... I can't paint my own nails AT ALL. Even in a sheer color. I am nail-challenged.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, if you're very, very lucky and depending on the color a chip can be blended with a dab of remover.
ReplyDeleteUsually tho, you have to cover the blend with an additional coat of polish to make it look just right.
This technique works best with the lighter more translucent colors.
I also find that this emergency fix is best addressed by using the Essie polish line as the quality of the "paint" definitely correlates with the look of the fix.
Thanks so much for such a thorough "mani post".
It really is the little things in life that mean the most and a fresh looking mani definitely tops my list.
anon - well said. so glad you can relate.
ReplyDeletejackie - i know how you feel, truly. just try this though - i bet you'd surprise yourself with the sheerest of sheer polishes. the sheer petal is a good color to try - super sheer (read: super forgiving)
My problem is when on vacation, need a quick fix for the yellowing of the light or french mani's from the pool water, sunscreen, etc... I usually bring the Revlon or run to a local drugstore and buy a fresh bottle and do them over the old polish, gets a little thick, but it works for the remainder of the vacation. Or I do a start over and it is a fresh beginning and feels better.For dark color fixes, I usually have a color in the same family of the colors I like and I keep at home for the chips so I can blend the chip. Just a little dab on the chip 2 X should do it, just kind of dab it gently.
ReplyDeleteI also have gently brushed the edges when wearing a dark color to give the mani that fresh look again(I also shampoo w/ my knuclkes not fingertips not to wear away the polish(except manicure day, then I scrub away!!!)I could go on...But I will spare you...