Nail Mystery's Revealed

I have taken great comfort that I am not alone with the mystery of how to make the polish last - you know, longer than a day.

Many suggestions about the fake nails - not so many positive comments about them or the process or the cost - except that they look really nice.

I have had some revelations that I can share.

First, one trick seems to be to choose a questionable color. I painted my fingers iced blue - no base, one coat. It lasted for about 3 days with no chips. This did make me wonder if we have a tendency to paint in thick layers and that makes it more likely to chip - since one coat lasted so long? I mean 3 days is like a world record for me.

Do they reinforce ugly colors more? Not sure - but you have to wonder.

Next, in my preparation for St. Patty's day and with my new hope of ugly color longevity...I choose a glittery lime green. I did a base coat and two coats and a top coat. It lasted for most of the work week. I did have some chips and needed to reapply.

What I did realize about polish in a glittery color - the chips are not nearly as noticeable. They may be there, but the sparkle distracts your eye. After looking at my polish collection - I quickly realized this was not such wonderful news for me - as I tend not to be a glittery polish kind of gal. Maybe I will have to start...

With all this success - I thought I would try again with a dark, mildly sparkly color. Base, 2 coats, and a top coat. This weekend, I was on a baking mission for a fundraiser. This meant some hand washing of dishes. Which, of course, equals disaster. The paint lasted 2 days and was damaged so bad it could not be repair.

For now, I'm back to naked nails. Hope these tips help some...

And almost like magic (or like a cruel joke of temptation) I got a magazine today with an ad for a new polish from Sally Hansen (complete Salon Manicure). It is an all-in-one product that contains base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, color, and top coat. I plan to give it a try should I find a shad that steals my heart. Maybe if I'm only doing one step - reapplication won't be such a hassle? Because I notice that it doesn't make any claim to be long lasting.

I'm beginning to wonder about the idea of merging polish with sharpie markers? In more normal "nail" colors. And of course, this would require the invention of a pretty amazing base coat. Since we want semi-permanence. But if it can be accomplished with hair color...can nail polish really be that difficult?

Holding onto the dream...