Painting nails - where am I going wrong?

[CarpeJugulum]

I love painted toenails and change colours fairly regularly.

I'd like to love painted fingernails... but it always seems to go wrong. I have reasonable nails filed into a square oval in line with the moon on my nail.

I use a base coat, then colour (one coat if a nice light colour, two if darker), then top coat. I ensure it's dry between coats and when finished. Top and base are the ubiquitous Sally Hansen supermarket stuff. Colour is usually a Rimmel, Boots own or Bourjois.

And then I go to get something out a bag or a pocket, and it seems to scratch off in a wrinkling fashion - like Nora Batty tights look; and I'm reaching for the remover. I'm therefore reduced to wearing pale sparkly colours like my granny

What am I doing wrong?

Not letting it dry long enough obv

Sit and watch a whole episode of Corrie (or similar) while you wait for top coat to dry. Am assuming your top coat is a clear one yes?

And apply in thin layers - I apply the main colour in two thin layers waiting for each layer to dry first.

I do my nails in the evening so that once it's touch dry I can go to bed and don't have to do anything that will smudge my nails. Varnish actually takes several hours to 100% dry properly even if it feels dry to the touch

Dipping nails in cold water for 3 mins or so helps them set

Nail oil also helps them set

Plus, a quick dry top coat

You need at least 15 mins to get them touch dry so as a PP said do st night, before bed or whilst watching telly

I don't think you need to wait between coats for it to dry, you're better off having all that waiting time added on at the end. Do one hand, then the next and straight away move onto the next coat. I find I get a much smoother finish if I do a thickish layer of top coat. Leave to dry for at least 30 mins, 45-60 is better. You can dip fingers in very cold water to hasten the process but it won't make it dry loads faster, just a bit. And if you do get a wrinkly or smudge then get a little blob of spit on your nail and use a finger to very gently massage the wrinkle out. It has to be spit or something similarly viscous, water won't work!
Or you could buy seche vite top coat which really does dry very fast but is a bit expensive and I find peels a bit after a few days.

This happens to me, especially wearing Essie of Chanel and others. Only one which doesn't chip for me is Topshop metallic, which is a bit of a downer.

I have found this to happen less if I just skip the topcoat. Nails dry to hard smoothness when I skip it, whereas with a topcoat on the slightest thing drags the lot off, like going in my bag or washing up. It literally seems to give the surface an excuse to peel back too easily.
Now I just wear a strengthener as base then add the colour. That's it.

Essie or Chanel.

Also, I did allow the topcoat a lot of time to dry. No joy there.

i find chanel nail varnish really poor

I don't bother with base coat and only top coat to freshen after a couple of days

Leighton Denny varnish is amazing, rich pigment and thin layers are amazing, never rumples

Get yourself some Nails Inc Kensington Caviar topcoat. Touch dry in less than a minute. Do it while watching TV. I was exactly the same as you until I discovered this.

Butter London polish goes on the best IMO. I use the Revlon Nail Trauma basecoat because my nails are still crap and ridgy from a botched Shellac a year ago. Gives a lovely smooth surface to work on.

I definitely need to use a base coat - my nails can stain quite badly otherwise as I like darker colours with my hands as I'm very pale skinned.

Will maybe try skipping the top coat as it does seem to be that which makes it "wrinkle". Will also try doing it at night - I was doing it in the morning as I find showering kills my nails

Think I'll just have to experiment with layers.

You need a proper topcoat not just a clear polish which doesn't dry properly. I like Sally Hanson Diamond hard, but also No& topcoat (it has a white cap) is good. You apply and they are touch dry in about a minutes and normally good for knocks and scrapes after about 40.

I really want to try the Nails Inc caviar topcoat next!

BTW, I never wait between coats and very rarely have any dents or wrinkling afterwards.

Use gel polish - no dry time.
I love that in winter I can put socks on the minute I've done a pedicure!

I have finally cracked this after a couple of years of experimenting.

Get ready for bed
Wipe nails with nail varnish remover AFTER using any creams etc
Base coat - any, wait 5 mins (MN on phone in between coats)
Colour - two coats, wait 5 mins between each
Fast drying top coat - either Sally Hansen Insta Dry or Seche Vite, I prefer the SH one.
Read a book/MN on phone for 10 mins and go to sleep with hands outside the duvet if poss.
Job done

Go to a walk-in nail bar - my local Vietnamese one charges a fiver for polish and topcoat. I stopped biting my nails a couple of months ago and have made this my reward. Chip-free for a fortnight.

I second Nails Inc Caviar top coat
But try Leighton Denny Miracle Drops to just drop on top at the end, really speeds up drying.

I swear by Jessicca pure brilliance top coat....super shiny, dries quickly......but patience is important too.

You need No 7 Stay Perfect top coat - it is FANTASTIC and dries almost straight away. Never had anything like it.

I always leave about 20 -30 mins after I have painted my nails, I don't do anything where I could damage my manicure. I usually paint them in the evenings while watching telly.

You don't need to wait between coats. Apply thinly, but even coats. Wait 15-20 mins to be touch dry. If it is taking longer, your polish is old and gloupy and will not dry.

Always use base and top coats.
Always use two coats of colour.

Top tip: if your polish hasn't chipped, but is looking dull after a few days. Re apply a coat of top coat. Will re fresh your nail colour.

Exactly what whoknows said

For reference I did my nails at 11am, had wooly gloves on by 11.30 and have perfect nails.

Base coat (OPI nail envy) - colour - colour - No7 Topcoat and then out the door.

There is no need to wait between coats IMO.

I've got in the habit of waiting 5 mins between coats now, but will try going straight through next time. I'm going to try the No 7 topcoat next time I have a £5 voucher.