Nail Polish...That Works!

For every woman, there is nothing like a manicure and a fresh coat of nail polish to make your hands feel nice a pretty. Women have been painting their nails for years, and only recently have polishes been straying defiantly from that red hue. Whether you like the classic pinks or reds, or you're a wild child with the blacks and blues - no nail polish looks good chipped or cracked. Buying the right kind of nail polish can save your hours of frustration - no cracking, chipping or constant reapplying. The selection, style and brands of nail polish can be quite overwhelming, but with these few tips in mind, you are well on your way to happy handed bliss.



1. Color - Just like regular paint for your walls, nail polish wont dry exactly the same color as what it looks like in the bottle. If you are looking for a very specific shade or tint, make sure you test out a sample and let it dry completely. You don't want to spend the money on a whole bottle of nail polish only to find out that it isn't the color you wanted. Keep in mind your skin tone also - pinks and reds flatter paler complexions, gold and orange based tones suit olive skin, and darker skin tones look great with any color. Keep in mind, these are only suggestions, you need to find a color that you are happy with and you know you will wear.

2. Chemicals - To keep that polish on, nail polishes are often packed full of chemicals. Three major controversial ingredients - Phthalates, Formaldehyde and Toluene - are still used in nail polishes today, and their health effects are still in question and haven't been proven. Nail polish labels are often concealed well, so make sure you peel off ever label and corner to make sure you know all the chemicals in your polish. To avoid excessive inhalation when applying the nail polish, make sure you are in a well ventilated area. Better yet, apply outside.

3. Cost - The chemical make up of all nail polishes has little, little variation, so no matter how much you are going to pay for your bottle of polish, you are getting just that, nail polish. What the difference may be is in color. Generally, the more expensive a polish, the better, richer color they produce, and the more variety of color they sell. If you are looking for a very specific tone, you might have to shell out the dollars to find it sold by an expensive brand. If you are looking for a basic red or pink, save your money and go with the drug store brand.

4. Application - The way nail polish lasts and performs depends mainly on the way it is applied. For the least amount of chipping and cracking, apply a solid base coat, 2-3 thin coats of color, and finish with a top coat. Rushing through application with one super thick coat of polish will invariably be too thick to adhere to the nail properly, and crack or chip off. Patience is key also, make sure that each coat is dry (does not stick to the finger when touched) before you apply the next one.

A great package of nail polish colors is:

Nail Dazzle 10-piece Set - Create Beautiful Looking Nails At Home!

The lesson here - don't spend extra money, just spend extra time. With a basic set, and colors you like, you'll have happy hands in no time!