I’ve always been a HUGE fan of no-chip manicures, and more recently, dip manicures. I haven’t actually bitten my nails since high school, but they never really looked good on their own, per-say. They looked the opposite of good, really. Some women are natural goddesses and never have to wear a drop of polish –but I was never one of those women. My nails weren’t “naturally goddess-like” at all. “Naturally rachet” would be a more fitting term.
I got into the habit of getting a no-chip (or dip!) every few weeks and it was getting to be A. Absurd for my wallet and B. Really hard on my nails. If we’re being honest, I really just cared mostly about A, but I wasn’t thrilled about B when it I would compulsively peel of my no-chip while laying in bed on a Saturday afternoon either.
If you’ve ever gotten a no-chip mani, you know what I’m talking about. Your nails are just…how do I put this? Straight up garbage after the fact. They’re thin, brittle, rough, and just all around beat-up.
This doesn’t exactly work well for me, being someone who willingly photographs herself and posts said photos on the internet for a living. I can’t exactly go around having ratty nails all the time.
The tips I’m going to share with you today really stemmed from trying to get me through that awful “in-between manicure” period, but have now truthfully morphed into the “most of the time manicure” period. I now occasionally get salon manicures (instead of regularly) and from day-to-day, these are the products I use to get pretty natural nails (seriously, even without polish!)
I’ve never been happier with my natural NAKED nails before, so I hope this helps you too! (And also helps you save you some cash in the process because those salon manis are not cheap! ?)
Going au-natural:
Condition: I’m a big fan of Jojoba oil (I buy it at TJ’s!) and I apply it to my whole body post-shower in lieu of lotion. I always make sure to slather some on my nails and cuticles as well, and this really helps to condition them and make them not so dry and brittle!
Remove cuticles: I feel like the biggest perk of getting a salon manicure is that they make your cuticles non-existent and they look so nice. I’m not going to lie, the effects at-home aren’t AS good, but you can get them pretty darn close with a good cuticle remover. I use this one, but there are so many others you can find online as well! Just apply and let it sit for a few minutes, rub it in, and gently push your cuticles back.
Buff, file, trim: I don’t use anything fancy here–but I do trim them to the desired length and follow using a four-sided nail buffer/filer. Each side does a different job and this is the secret to really getting your nails uniform, smooth, shiny, and getting the grooves out of them.
Magic Pink Gel Coat: This stuff is AMAZING, especially if you want to go with the no-polish look. It’s basically like a gel coating that makes your nails stronger, super shiny, and adds a tiny bit of healthy pink tint. This paired with a hair, skin and nails supplement (more on that below) is probably the most effective combination in getting healthy naked nails.
An at-home polish that lasts:
A great, gentle polish remover: I just recently discovered this polish remover and I love it. It’s not as high in acetone so it’s easier on your nails and it’s great to wipe your nails with as a base before you add polish! It kind-of dehydrates them and removes any natural oils that would cause the polish to loosen.
I also don’t think the smell is AS offensive, if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing. The dispenser is also great and so much easier–it’s like the ones at the nail salons!
Essie gel polish + topcoat: I’ve been using this polish for years now and it truly is the ONLY polish that lasts longer than a day on my nails. God only knows what I do to make the polish chip so fast, but unless it’s this stuff, it doesn’t stand a chance. It doesn’t last two weeks like the salon version, but it will last me about five days, which is perfect–and the polish is thick, too, so you can touch it up in certain spots if needed and it won’t look like gobs of layers of polish on your nails–which happens with most other polishes.
My go-to color is “Rock the Runway” which is a classic bright red, but I also recently bought “All Dressed Up” (Also pictured!) and it’s a great pinky-nude.
Strong nail supplements:
I love these Hair, Skin, and Nails gummy supplements from Nature Made and take them daily to support nail health (they’re great for hair and skin, too!**) They contain Biotin (a supplement that can benefit hair, skin and nails) as well as Vitamin C, which provides antioxidant support and helps neutralize free radicals.*
Speaking of collagen, that dose of Vitamin C also helps support collagen synthesis–i.e. the production of collagen**. Which, as you now know–is really important when it comes to maintaining your beauty as you age!
In short, in my experience, I think these gummies have especially helped to make my nails stronger and promote faster growth. Results obviously vary from person to person, but if you’re having a hard time with your nails, give it a try!
On a more *adulting*-like note: They’re the only supplements I actually look forward to taking because they’re delicious and taste like candy ? Another perk: they contain natural flavors and the colors are derived from natural sources–no synthetic dyes!
