How to Paint Your Nails: Chip and Smear Free

If you are a girl and addicted to nails like I am, then I am sure you will agree with me when I say painting your nails can be a pain! You spend forever painting them and getting them just right, then, bam! You accidentally bump your nails into something or barely rub against something and all your hard work is down the drain. Then you have to remove the polish and start all over again because, face it, painted nails just do not look good with chips and smears.

So I have made it my goal today to teach you the proper way to paint your nails and avoid "after paint frustration".

Step one: Get the nail polish you would like to use. Make sure this nail polish is no more than 2 months old. A lot of women have the wrong impression of nail polish livability and tend to think it can last for years and years. This may be true with some un-opened and un-used nail polishes, but not with nail polishes that have been opened or used. They will dry out, clump up, and will take forever to dry. So save yourself the aggravation and make sure you keep your polish fresh.

Step two: After you have your polish out, it is best to allow the polish to sit in a bowl of hot water for a couple minutes. This will warm it up and it will go on your nails much smoother this way. Shake well after it has sat for a couple minutes in the hot water. If you do not have a bowl of hot water handy, roll the polish between your palms for a couple minutes. This will unable the polish to heat up as well.

Step three: Make sure all your nails that you will be painting are fresh and clean. This means get all the old polish off, file the nails, buff the nails, trim the nails if needed, etc. You can do all this while your polish sits in hot water for a couple minutes. After you have completed all of this step, you may continue onto the next step.

Step four: Now you can proceed in painting your nails. As always, try to avoid skin/polish contact. After all your nails are painted, do not touch them or do anything to them for about 5 minutes.

Step five: By now your nails should be at a tacky-dry feel. Do not touch them to test this though! You should be able to tell just by the look of them. Get out a bowl and fill it with warm water (whatever temperature your hands can handle.) Place your hands in the water for about 4 minutes. Do not allow any of your nails to touch during this time. After you have placed your hands in warm water for 4 minutes, move your hands over to a bowl of cool water. Allow your hands to once again sit in the cool water for about 5 minutes.)

Congratulations! Your nails are painted, dried, and ready to take on the world. Have fun!