Nail Polish Buying Guide

Give your nails  some much needed pampering with nail polish ! The beauty of nail polish is that you can really express who you are-- or who you want to be. Soft pink nails  are ultra feminine, blood red nails  scream femme fatale, white  is professional and neat, and yellow  demands public attention. Want to change your look? No problem. Just grab some nail polish remover  and paint your lovely nails a different shade-- and a different attitude.

Nail Polish Tips

• Moisturize your cuticles  first. Use a cuticle oil  to penetrate the skin and give you beautiful, fancy fingers.
• File  and trim your nails before using nail polish. File nails into a soft oval shape, not a blunt square shape. Square nails can make fingers look chubby, while an oval curve with appear to lengthen your fingers. Check that your nails all have the same length and shape by lining up each finger with its opposite (cuticle to cuticle) and comparing the curves.
• Always use a base coat and a top coat. If you want the best nails possible, don't buy one of those three-in-one nail polishes . Instead, buy the base coat  and top coat  polishes separately.
• Maintain your fresh polish by adding another top coat every day.
• Don't be fooled by quick-drying polishes . All polishes take an hour to completely set in and dry. It's best to stay put with a magazine  or watch a movie  while your nails dry.
• Use a makeup sponge  (not a cotton ball  because it leaves behind fuzzy debris) to wipe your nails with nail polish remover before applying any polish (even if you weren't wearing polish before) to remove unwanted oils that prevent polish from sticking.
• Chipped nail polish is hard to repair. If your nail polish chips, it's best to remove the polish and start over. It's hard to fill in the chip and have it still look good.
• Manicures last about two weeks, so set aside time to pamper your fingers twice a month.
• Don't apply the nail polish in thick coats. Two thin coats of polish looks better than one thick coat, plus it dries faster.
• When you apply nail polish, bring it over the top tip and under the nail a bit. This will help prevent chipping.
• Got stained nails? Nails get stained from berries, nicotine, and dark nail polish. Remove the stain by brushing your nails with a whitening toothpaste .
• Never use crazy glue  to stick decorations  to nails, even if you have layers of polish on. It'll ruin your nails. Many people even have problems using nail glue . If you want to decorate your nails, use clear polish as a glue and then, after it dries, apply a few layers of top coat to lock in the decorations.
• Fake tattoos  are perfect nail decorations. Apply just as you would to your skin, then apply a few coats of top coat to protect your masterpiece.
• Get creative. Try applying opaque nail polish  over black nail polish , or use a one-inch stripling brush  to paint stripes and other designs on your nails.
• Try not to change your nail polish more than once a week, as nail polish remover can be drying to your nails. If you find yourself with dry nails, invest in a nail moisturizing cream  pronto.

Top Nail Polishes for Your Style

Which Polish is Your New Signature Look?
The Flirt Try a fun pink polish  like Coral Reef by Essie .	The Sophisticated Trendsetter O.P.I. Nail Lacquer in Moon Over Mumbai  is the perfect shade for those who prefer to be subtly trendy.	The Professional Get a classy look with YSL French Manicure/2 Pens Kit .	The Feminine Romantic Try a soft pink shade  like Hi Lily, Hi Lo by MAC Cosmetics .	The Wild One Try an orange hue  like Kosmic by MAC Cosmetics  to show your wild side.

International Resources

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NL: Nagellak Shopgids