What do you do with your nails?

[Beachcountrysidetown]

I don’t get on with shellac / gel polish unless it’s for a special occasion as it makes my nails paper thin if I have them done too often. I want my nails to look nice every day but at the moment the easiest thing to do is leave them bare just using nail oil at bed time as polish chips so quickly! What do you all do with your nails?

i am never without french white tip acrylics

Mine are always painted. I tend to do them Sunday, Wednesday, and Fridays while watching TV or faffing online. If you use decent base and top coat they should last five days to a week, I just like switching. (My favourites are Orly Bonder as a base, then Essie Good to Go top coat.)

Judy - I can’t get it to stay on longer gab a couple of days as it chips when I’m doing cleaning etc - I’ll try those base coat and top coat though thank you!!
Dimple - I can’t have acrylics- I’ve had them in the past and I hate them! I love quite an outdoors life and they look terrible after a week then when I get them taken off my nails are ruined underneath!
Mirri - I think I’ll try that - sounds good!

Shellac and gelish won't ruin your nails if done properly. It's the prep and removal that are the issue. If they buff the nail or grind the polish off and not soak it then that'll cause the issue.

Bite them

Dior glow every 2 days. My nails are bendy and I garden. Takes 5 minutes at night watching tv. Use oil, push back cuticles - one or (2) coats if I have time.

Shiny and healthy looking nails.

I'm terrible. I do a fresh manicure on a Sunday, and then fill in and add another coat plus top coat during the week if need to. I might re-do them on a Friday if I have something on at the week end. I find Essie nail polish lasts the longest and Rimmel.

Wolf - unfortunately even when done properly with no harsh filing etc the shellac or bio sculpture polish makes my nails so thin!
Laurie - I’ll have a look at that!

Nothing. I’m beyond crap at being a girl.

Shellac, done properly and removed properly, trashes my nails too.

I keep them painted all the time - OPI nail envy as a base coat and Seche Vite as a top coat (both recommendations from other threads, thank you mumsnet).

File to shape and sometimes a buff. I've stopped using any polish because as pp said, its the application and removal with harsh chemicals that weakens them so much and I've moved away from the trap of having to pay for gel/shellac to cover up the damage. I just stick to painting my toes which are a bit more tougher and the polish lasts a month. I feel like giving up the polish is a bit like giving up the dye to let the greys through, its very freeing.

Cut them as short as possible to stop too much ink/earth getting under them and enjoy the fact that my hands look like what they are: strong useful capable tools. But like strawberrisc I’m not much cop at being a girl either.

1 coat Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base and Top Coat as base coat
then:
2 coats Maybelline Forever Strong SuperStay 7day Gel (I use Rose Poudre which is a fairly neutral pink and is quite forgiving if it does wear or chip)
then:
1 coat Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base and Top Coat (same as above) as top coat

Lovely and shiny and usually lasts and looks fresh for at least a week (although I'm an office bunny and I wear Marigolds for washing up/cleaning). I also occasionally use some foreign cuticle oil that I bought on holiday.

Pale colours are less maintenance

Better quality nail varnish does last longer

Mavala
Opi
Essie

Are the best I've found, along with? Joan Collins nail lacquer!!!!!

Essie do a top coat called gel setter and it's the best I have tried

I can't wear nail polish either, it makes my nails lift away from the nail bed painfully

I use one of those battery-powered nail buffing machine to polish them, file them quite short, and rub hand cream into them. I push my cuticles back sometimes but I'm always confused about what I should do with them after I have pushed them back - just leave them flapping around?

I do my own shellac. It can make my nails thin but it's the only thing that doesn't chip, especially where I work.
Mavala is the only "normal" nail polish I've found to be ok.

Following..

If you go for nude colours and seal it with a coat or two of topcoat it tends to last about a week as even if it chips a bit it’s really not that visible. Also avoiding using your nails as tools helps a lot, so no picking at things/ scratching / opening packs with them but that’s definitely much easier said than done.

Think I’ve cracked it. Rimmel- stronger nail, then
Dior Glow (thanks Laurie!) then top coat of Seche Vite !
My nails look natural but better. They feel strong and look healthy. I have high hopes that this is what I can use! I’ll still use oil when I’m not using the polish as it helps improve the strength of my nails. Thanks everyone!

I’ve gone off shellac and all those treatments and prefer my natural (short and uneven) nails. I use orange cuticle oil occasionally and clear polish now.

Top tip: great & cheaper alternative to Dior nail glow is Nail Aid 1 Step French Mani made in the USA. I found this in TKMaxx.

Favourite polish ever is Beverly Hills plum (lovely clear shine polish) by Orly but I can’t find a replacement anywhere.

Nothing. I work with my hands all day long. Artificial nails are a hindrance...

I keep them shortish and squarish and just put a simple matt nudish varnish on them at weekends

I've started using the gel like nail polish, so CND Vinylux and Essie Couture. Last a week with perhaps a quick midweek tips & top coat top up.

Mainly keep them natural, just buffed to a faint shine + cuticle oil rubbed in most evenings. For holidays I get Shellac usually in a dark grey or navy.