Redbook magazine shares seven tips for making a manicure last for 10 days.

  1. Bring your own polish to the salon. Nail salons often add thinners to extend the life of old polish which can change the color and cause bubbling and peeling, says Jane Park, creator of Julep Nail Parlors. Try OPI’s Ski Teal We Drop for a deep, marine blue manicure.
  2. Dehydrate the nail. Wipe nails with an acetone-based cleanser like CND’s ScrubFresh to remove residue like moisture, oil, and water. The residue will prevent polish from adhering, says Essie Weingarten, founder of Essie Cosmetics.
  3. Apply a sticky base coat. Instead of filing nail beds before polishing, avoid damage by using a tacky base coat to help polish adhere better.
  4. Seal the “free edge.” A quick way to extend the life of your manicure is to apply the base coat, polish, and top coat to the part of the nail that has been clipped or filed, Park says. Doing so helps protect the nail from water damage which will lead to chipping.
  5. Fix nicks right away. If polish isn’t dry yet and a nail gets nicked, it could lead to chipping if it isn’t fixed immediately. “Rub a little cuticle oil over a dent to smooth it out,” Park says.
  6. Avoid heat for 12 hours after. “Polish can take up to 12 hours to fully harden and ‘cure,’ Park says. Heat can get in the way of the curing process so avoid saunas, hot tubs, blowing on nails with warm breath, and washing hands with hot water.
  7. Oil nails daily. Nail oils are moisturizing and can penetrate through polish and deep into the nail to prevent peeling and splitting. Redbook recommends applying oil twice a day.

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