On Nail Polishes and Nail Related Banter

I'm not as obsessed with nail lacquers as I am with makeup, but it's slowly getting there. I regularly buy my nail polishes (mostly O.P.I., China Glaze and Essie) on nail product sites such as 8ty8beauty and Head2Toe, because they sell these high end polishes for less-than-retail prices and they have such a massive selection of nail polishes and nail care products and inclements to choose from. I have been buying polishes, nail care products and even inclements from these online stores since late 2006, and they ship pretty fast and package the goods real well. I used to have off-and-on acrylic nails because I hated the maintenance of polishes on natural nails. I gave up acrylics eventually because we all know that they are bad on the nails and can damage the nail bed. Early last year, though, I was able to find products that not only made my nail polish last as long as a week without a single chip, but these products make manicures pleasurable and not a chore. I still go to salons for my pedicures, though - it's my chosen method of pampering myself, and my nail technician always gives me long, heavenly foot massages because she knows how much I love those.

So here are my great nail care product discoveries that truly made a difference in the life of my manicures:

1. If I really want to prolong the life of my manicure, I use OPI nail polish. Period. I've tried drugstore brands, OPI, China Glaze, Orly, Essie, MAC, Elizabeth Arden, department store brands, but the most chip-resistant of them all is OPI, at least on me.

2. Before applying nail polish, I always make sure I (or my technician) wipe down my nails with nail polish remover immediately before applying. That's because we have natural oils on our nails and these will exacerbate chipping.

3. I use Orly Bonder rubberized base coat. I swear, this truly improved the life span of my manicure to make it last at least seven days (without any chipping, promise!), as it kinda acts like a glue to bind the nail bed and the polish together. I apply 2 coats of OPI nailpolish, then add Orly Won't Chip topcoat. Then I apply Orly In A Snap topcoat. These make my manicure truly last for at least a week. If I get smudges due to accidents, I use Orly Smudge Fixer. Amazing product, I swear. A word of advice, though: Orly Bonder has a tendency to stain the nails yellow, so it's wise to apply something on the nails, like a clear base (I use Nail Lite nail revitalizer I bought at Sally Beauty Supply) between my nail and the Bonder, to avoid the yellow stain.

4. For cuticle care, I always stand by Solar Oil. However, around six months ago, I discovered a cheaper alternative to Solar Oil while browsing the aisles of Sally Beauty Supply. It's called Haken essential fragrance cuticle oil, and they have many scents available (not just almond essence which is Solar Oil's signature scent).

So there you have it, my nail care rituals. I just put in my fall nail polish order at 8ty8beauty and I can't wait to get them. Will post the pics of the polishes when I receive my package (hopefully by this week).