How do you make fingernail polish last more than a couple of days?

These are suggestions to try: you know how you have to scrub your dead skin off before you use a self-tanner? Well, you need to do the same thing to your nails before you paint them. Of course, you don't want to scrub them so hard you damage your cuticles so just do a good cleaning with soap and water and then file and buff them. Then, apply your clear base coat (which also keeps your nails from staining-yech!) then your polish coat(s), then your topcoat. There are some sealant products out now but, for me, the best way to avoid chipping is to protect them with light rubber gloves when you do dishes (what a hassle, huh?) and to be very careful when you're doing anything else that might cause chips. Have you ever had a manicure? OPI is a GREAT polish that lasts a really long time (wore it the entire week of my honeymoon with NO chipping!!) and it's sold in salons. Ask the manicurist if there's any tricks she uses. Usually, in a salon, they dry each coat under a little dryer before applying the next coat so that might work at home too!

Ok, I think the main thing is to take your time when painting your nails. The reason a professional manicure lasts longer is they use thinner coats and lots of them. It's boring waiting for it to try but it definitely keeps it going longer.

Preparation helps - make sure you wipe your nails with remover before applying polish. Sometimes the natural oils on your nails means that the polish doesn't adhere as well.

Always use a base coat and top coat. Rescue Beauty Lounge is one of my favourites to use - they do a base coat, top coat and a base prep coat! You can get their stuff from HQ Hair. My other fave is Nails Inc - it's where I get my manicures done all the time and their products rock - especially the Downing Street Diamonds base coat.

Finally, try and wear gloves when gardening or washing up and your manicure should last longer!

Never push back dry cuticles - cracks polish at base

Don't soak fingertips - the absorb water which temporarily puffs them up but when the go back to normal size will crack polish.

Clean surface - get rid of any trace of dust, old enamel, and moisture which can make adhesion hard for the new nail polish.

Shape your nails - your nails should be rounded with somewhat square corners.

Apply a Base coat - makes adhesion better

Use top coat

Apply oil to your nails and cuticles few times a week so your nails wont dry out which usually leads to chipped polish

Polish should be applied in three even strokes

I have found that you should not use a base coat, instead apply 2 coats of polish(making sure they are completely dry before next coat) then your top coat. When painting your nails paint underneath as well. Also in my opinion OPI has the best Base and Top Coats.

I find that most nail polishes you can get at grocery or drugstores chip really quickly, after only 2-5 days. My mom's a manicurist. She uses OPI, which she gets at a beauty supply store. She used it for my last pedicure. It lasted 4 weeks without chipping, even though I swim daily and don't wear shoes unless required by law. It actually took a good 10 minutes trying to get it off my toes in order to put a new color on.

When she does my nails, there is no base coat. She does two coats of color, then one of clear. That's it.

To make your nail polish last longer you should always put on a quality top coat and also paint the tips and underneath your tips as this is where the polish starts to chip first -

:)

Lightly sand ( ever so lightly) your fingernails before putting on polish. Even with remover, there is still oils in your nails. By sanding a bit and ruffing the surface, the polish has something to adhere to by embedding into the nail bed. Just ruff up the nail a little though with a bufffer. Wipe nail clean, then polish. see if that helps...

Put on a base coat first, then do two coats with the actual color and then follow with a top coat. Make sure each layer dries first

Clean your nails first with alcohol or nail polish remover, buff them with a buffer, paint one coat, let dry. Paint second coat, let dry, finish with overcoat of clear polish. The ones that last longest on me and seem to help my nails grow is OPI.

I put a thin topcoat on every day until my next manicure. It works well, but the polish is a little more difficult to get off when removing. Also, wearing gloves while doing dishes, etc. works, too (I don't do it very often, though, it's just a pain).