What do you do with your nails? Come tell me, even if it’s nothing.

[Goandplay]

I used to have BIAB regularly but stopped this year for a variety of reasons.

I have been painting them myself. They chip too quickly, literally two, three days. I have used top coats, I’ve given plenty of drying time between coats, a few different brands of polish and I cannot get any longer out of them.

So now I am thinking maybe it’s not realistic to think I can have painted nails continuously and I need to do something else.

What do you do with your nails?

I clip my nails short, then use Essie or manicurist, 2 coats and a seche vite top coat, which makes them bulletproof and dry super quick. I’ll get a good week out of polish

My nails used to chip easily and I tried loads of different base and top coats.
My absolute favourite is BarryM 3 in 1, as a base coat and top coat, using two coats for the top coat.
I do get chips but after 4 or 5 days.

The prep is also so important.
I remove all oils with by washing my hands and nails with fairy washing up liquid and then dehydrate the nails with acetone or rubbing alcohol.

Another Glaize fan here. I used to have gel nails for many years children came and I just didn’t have time for either the appointments or to do it myself. I’ve started to look at little things to improve my appearance/ feel better in myself. Came across Glaize it’s fab really quick and easy to apply mine last 2/3 weeks my real nails are fine but I like having a bit of colour/change.

ine been to salons that take that long, but a na il bar is under an hour

Cut them with nail scissors, AKA nothing.

Japanese manicure, it looks amazing yet natural, and my nails have gotten much stronger. I get it done once a month.

I follow a 3 weekly BIAB infill normally in a pale pink or muted French.

BIAB doesn’t need fully removed every 3 weeks, just infilled. If you’re getting a full soak off every 3 weeks then you may be causing more harm to your nails as BIAB is supposed to be infilled regularly rather than fully soaked off.

2 hours actually isn’t that long. If you went to a manicurist such as Harriet Westmoreland then it would be 2 hours start to finish as they spend a lot of time on prep and nail health compared to nail techs who have you in and out in 45/60 minutes.

OP nothing looks as good or as chic as a manicured nail by a professional.

I keep mine clean, short but well-shaped and buffed.

Hi, if they don't file them down how do they remove the old colour when you change colours please? I'm starting to do my own at home and when I've been to have a mani they always either used a file or a drill.

I use the brand Bulk and get Collagen Powder with Peptides and Vitamin C, Hydrolysed Bovine Collagen. I was sceptical at first, but thought I would give it a go to help with nails and hair and it’s a marked difference. https://amzn.eu/d/0f08g68e

Thank you 🙂

Clean, short and shaped with a glass file. Never been to a nail salon. I have small hands so if I had those great talons that seem to be the fashion I’d look like a creature from the deep

I use holy gels nail strips. You stick them on yourself and cure. Then a couple of weeks later you use their nail oil to remove and replace with a new set.

it took me a while to get the hang of it but my nails have never been so long and healthy. If you take advantage of their offers it costs about. £12-15 a set. It takes me about an hour to apply properly.

Gel every two weeks.

I got a cheap UV light for about £12, a set of base coat and top coat £6 and a few colours (everything off Amazon) and now do my own gel nails. They last around two weeks as long as you wipe your bare nails with acetone before starting the application. It saves so much money but they actually last.

I use manicurist active smooth as a base coat, then 2 coats of collection gel and a top coat of sally hansen. This seems to be the best way to keep varnish on my nails for up to a week without chipping.
All these are pretty cheap - the varnishes are around £5 on amazon and are longer lasting than any other 'normal' polishes I've tried. Obviously you'd get longer results with a gel lamp but I'm not keen on those.

It’s really not. 2 hours is an insane amount of time. I’ve been getting my nails done for about 30 years and have never been in a nail salon for that long unless having both mani and pedi.

I usually go very 3 weeks, but sometime 2 if I’m going to something where I want my nails looking perfect. My nails grow quite fast and I hate seeing the growth next to my cuticles.

My nail salon will do a really top draw mani and pedi in 2 hours, maybe less.

2 hours to get your nails done is preposterous!

I give myself a quick tidy up and use Manicurist Active Blur on a weekly basis. It's a sheer pinky colour that has a matte finish when you first apply it that smooths the nail surface and makes them look bare but more polished. It goes a bit shiny after a couple of days and sometimes I leave it and sometimes I pop on another coat to get the matte effect back. It's a breathable nail polish and seems to keep my nails in good condition after using it weekly since January. There's other finishes in the Manicurist Active range and I've been thinking about getting Shine or Glow to add to my options.

Not quite nothing, more old school, I rely on healthy neglect

regularly rub oil or whatever I have handy to keep the cuticles smooth, never clip cuticles. This pretty much rules out any manicurist I’ve ever tried.

no polish , occasionally run a white pencil under the tip for a nice finish.

mu nails grow fast, I clip snd then smooth with an emery board maybe every three to six months.

I do my own nails with Nailtiques every day. They never split or break and are stronger than they've ever been.
I've tried doing my own colour but it chips after one day . I've spent loads on different products but nothing works.
For holidays I get gel nails done at a salon.

Keep them short, occasionally paint with clear base and/or one of those sheer/natural Glowing Out Nails Inc varnishes. If I’ve been gardening and my nails are disgusting, I’ll do a more dramatic home mani in black or red or deep navy blue. And just accept that it’s a cover up job that isn’t going to last long. According to the FT, the very natural Japanese manicure with lots of buffing to perfection of your own nails is the current stylish choice.

I do my own gel/BIAB with a system designed for home use (Mylee) every 2-3 weeks.

After the 2-3 weeks, I might infill, or I might fully remove it, depending on how well it's held up and whether I am bored with the colour. I generally stick to light/neutral colours, but will use bright colours when the fancy takes me.

https://mylee.co.uk/products/mylee-deep-dive-gel-polish

I have this on atm.

I don't think the removal process causes much damage but I don't use an e-file, and although I am not a fully qualified nail tech, I have taken a certificate course in gel/BIAB at a local college that covered the removal process. It's pretty much common sense, though, just make sure not to file down to the natural nail and not to over-buff before application and use a good quality glass file.

It took a couple of tries to end up with a finish I was happy with, and if anyone fancies trying, I would suggest getting a magnifying lamp, especially if, like me, you're half blind or work in a space with poor lighting.

Just clip and file into a nice shape, with about 2 milimeters over the purple part.

Luckily healthy enough so no need for polishing. I don't see visibly acrylic/gel/whatever nails as aesthetic.

I do BIAB myself at home. Pricey paying out for the UV lamp and products but I was spending £40 a month on nails, ludicrous! Like you I also dreaded going to the nail shop.
The products I use (all mylee) - dehydrator, primer, clear BIAB as a base coat, super pigment BIAB and a top coat then nail oil. Current set has lasted 3 weeks so far with no chips, and I’ve had to cut them as they were getting too long.