Jean Godfrey-June, Lucky magazine
Q: How do I make a manicure last? I'm not a big fan of gel-I like a wider range of colors and textures. -Allison
Read more: 8 Outfits Men Love on Women
A: Dear Allison,
Read more: The Lucky Fall Shoe Guide
The key is a clean nail. Ideally, a just-swiped-with-nail-polish-remover nail. Often people conduct pedicures with all manner of oil-intensive scrubs and lotions. If even a bit of that moisture or, God forbid, oil is left on your nail, welcome to chipsville. Or peelsville, for that matter. The remover ensures there's nothing at all left on your nail. If you are impatient like me, you will skip base coat, which is idiotic: It makes a huge difference. Similarly, you might skip the top coat like I always do-and like me, you'll have a manicure that lasts three days max. Base coat, top coat and at least one but possibly several very thin layers of color in between, and you could be looking at 10 days, barring serious nail disasters. Also pale or sheer colors appear to chip less because … you can't see the chips.
More from Lucky magazine:
5 Drastic Ways to Change Up Your Look
15 Secrets from Top Dermatologists
50 Jeans Under $50
The 40 Best Drugstore Beauty Products
