So what nails do I need? Please help!

[clary]

I am hearing that I need to get my nails done (in a bid to look smarter and more groomed).

What do I need tho? Ordinary manicures usually last about 30 minutes with me. So am I best with gel? Shellac? Acrylic? The thing where they shine a special light on your nails?

Please fill me in ladies, I am such a newbie at this. TIA

How are your nails normally?
Do you bite them?
I used to have horrid cucticles until I realised the solution was plenty of hand cream.
The acrylic, gel shellac etc aren't wonderful for your nails to be honest and they require upkeep.

I don't bite them but the first two are always short at best because they seem to break - because of typing? housework? who can say!

Ring and little fingernails are OK, good at the minute as I am off school.

Cuticles are pretty awful :( but I do use handcream regularly.

If you have gels, shellac, acrylics etc you will have to go in for infills and soak offs etc.

A properly applied manicure polish should last a few days at least. I find with a good top coat (Leighton Denny's new one is excellent) or Vinylux polish mine last up to a week.

Do you need to have coloured polish manicures? Could you invest in some nail care items and start a bit of a nail routine so your hands look better? Eg take some time to push back and trim your cuticles, file and shape your nails so they're all the same length, use a strengthening clear polish which will help your nails grow but won't look awful if it chips/scuffs.

eww trim my cuticles??? What with? That sounds icky even for me!

But otherwise maybe a good idea to use a clear polish. I do file them anyway but they would all be dead short if they were the same length.

I have never known a manicure last any time at all without getting smudged/chipped. And yes I have sat there for ages (like, 40 mins) wafting my nails around - then as soon as I get in the car they look gopping. Wonder what I am doing wrong?

It just tidies up your cuticles once you've pushed them back so there are no raggy bits, you get a clipper type thing to snip them.
Having nails all the same length always looks neater to me, even if they are short. Just had to chop mine after breaking 2 right off, can't bear uneven nails.
Re polish chipping, I have this very issue, normal polish lasts about a day so I invested in a uv lamp (the blue light you mentioned) and gel polish (like shellac but a different brand) so now do my own manicure which lasts between 2/3 weeks with no chipping. Proper application and removal won't wreck your nails but it can be time consuming.

I have thin bendy nails, so normal polish never lasts...I can paint my nails, let it dry, go to bed and it'll be chipped by morning!

So, I found shellac was great for looking good and it really lasts if it is applied properly, the drawback for me is that the removal, using acetone, just ruins my nails.

I currently have acrylics, the girl sculpted them but although they're a lovely shape, she was a bit slapdash about the final filing and they are all odd lengths, I should have gone back to the place I used to go, but they had no appointments suitable so I shopped about.

So I shall have to go get them filled in week or two...but I'll be sticking with the acrylics I think. Ad trying to go back to the place I went before.

Mine are looking fairly ok with regular applications of Rimmel Nail Nurse rescue and Flexitol cuticle cream.