Nail Prep....will lead you down the path of success.

I've decided to share some of my favorite tips for applying polish (btw, you paint a house and you polish your nails :).  First and foremost...clean and dry nails and hands.  Don't polish your nails right after a shower or bath.  Your nails are absorbent and hold water.  Once they start to dehydrate, they will shrink slightly allowing your nail polish to lift right off!  I'm sure it has happened to you...it has to me!!  Your polish comes off in one piece.  So start with a clean and dry nail.  Take something lint free, ie; surgical gauze squares and rubbing alcohol or my personal favorite CND Scrub Fresh.  Rub each nail thoroughly.   Then apply your 1st coat of polish making sure to keep it thin.  Put your brush just below the cuticle then use your brush to push the color up towards the cuticle, but make sure you leave a small gap.  Keeping the polish off of any skin, including cuticle will keep your polish on for many days.  Then apply your 2nd coat.  Resist the urge to put it on thick.  Then finish with a good quality, fast drying top coat.  I like CND Super Shiney.  Then finish with one drop of OPI's Drip Dry.  The same evening I like to apply a 2nd coat of CND Super Shiney.  With these tips you should be able to enjoy your manicure for days longer than you did previous.