Sliding Off Polish

[rayilo]

 First I put on my colored polish then let it dry and then put a clear top coat. It looks really good but it lasts 2 seconds!! It slides off in my bed if I put it on at night and it the morning doing my daily chores washing the dishes, goes down the drain. What can I use or do to stop it!?

-Rayilo

[nicky00]

I use OPI nail brightener as a base coat, the two coats of an OPI color and a the top coat.  I use the OPI nail color drying drops and sit tight for about 5 minutes. This usually last me a full week. No chips and it remains shiny.

[betterstopnow]

I used to have issues with this, too. I'd paint my nails, go to bed, go to school the next day and knock my nail on something and my polish would slide off like it was still wet. My boyfriend's mother is a manicurist and told me that some people just have a harder time getting polish to dry/stay on their nails. There are a few things that I do to prevent this from happening, and since I've started employing these techniques I haven't had nearly as many problems!

I always have polish on my nails, so I start my manicure by removing my polish. I use a mild-acetone formula nail polish remover (I love Zoya Remove, but Cutex makes some nice removers too). Then I wash my hands to remove all other oils and residues from my nails.

Next, I use a good base coat - at the moment I'm using Orly Bonder and I like it a lot, but there are tons of others out there. Check makeupalley and see if you can find one you like. 

When it comes to applying my polish, I paint it on in pretty thin coats. It always takes me 2-3 coats to get a polish totally opaque, and I like to let the coats dry for 5-10 minutes (depending on the polish consistency) in between applications. 

I follow up with a quick-dry top coat. At the moment I'm using Poshe and love it, but I also use Seche Vite and Out the Door. I like Poshe's consistency the most, but everybody is different and there are tons of people out there that swear by Seche Vite! 

Last, I use some quick drying drops. Right now I'm using the quick drying drops from Sephora by OPI ($14), but as with all the other products I mentioned, there are other drying drops out there that you can use instead. I've read that Zoya's rapid dry drops work really well, as well as the regular OPI drops. 

I hope that helps!

[mermadelove]

All of the other suggestions are excellent. I would add that I never do a mani/pedi before bed because even if the nail polish is dry to the touch, it often isn't totally set and will end up looking sull or pickin gup the texture of your sheets when you sleep. Do them in the AM where they have all day to really dry and set before you sleep on them .

[jadorezrg]

Nail polish shouldn't be sliding off so easily. Here's my mani/pedi routine. First I trim my nails and then I use a glass file (its gentler on the nails and it stays sharp forever!). Then I wash my hands with soap and water and then dry them. In order for polish to adhere to your nails, they have to be clean and free of oils. You want your nails to be as dry as possible, so as mentioned, no lotions prior to your polish. After you do all that, then you must use a basecoat. A base coat fills in imperfections in your nail and it protects the surface of your nail from nail polish stains (especially if you plan on using dark colors) It also helps bind polish to the nail. Then let dry and apply your first coat of colored nailpolish (thin coat) and let dry then brush on a 2nd coat (thin). If necessary, apply a third coat (thin) and let dry. Then finally, apply your topcoat and let dry. Usually for the first hour that I've done my nails, I avoid all household chores (cleaning, washing). You can never be too careful, especially if you want a manicure to last.

fyi, I change my polish color up weekly or every 2 weeks. They never chip or smudges, or peeling and I frequently wash my hands and do household chores. The longest a manicure (that I've done myself) has lasted on me was for 2 1/2 weeks.

As far as brands, I personally use (and highly recommend) are:

Basecoat: I like Orly and Essie (can purchase at beauty supply or Target)

Salon Quality: OPI, Sephora by OPI, China Glaze, Essie

Drugstore Brands: Sally Hansen (Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear is GREAT quality and only costs around $2-$3 and is often on sale for BOGO free), Revlon, Rimmel, NYC (Super cheap but good quality for a drugstore brand)

Topcoat: Seche Vite (You can buy this at any beauty supply, Ulta, Target) This is the BEST topcoat! It not only dries quickly but its super hard so it really helps to prolong your mani/pedi!

[makeupmichelle]

If you are giving yourself a mani or pedi. Remove handcream and lotions from the nail bed by applying nail polish remover or acetone, before applying a polish.

Nail poilish doesnt adhere to the nails if it is oily. It will cause it to bubble up, not dry, and look awful.

: )

[tenngal]

You need to use a good base coat before applying your nail polish.  A very good base coat is OPI "Nail Treatment - Base Coat" which will help your polish to last longer and it will also help prevent your nail polish from staining your nails yellow.  You can find it at:  http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P219341&categoryId=B70

I hope this helps you.

[katie1724]

What kind of nail polish are you using? A good polish will never slide off at night or doing the dishes, so I'm thinking that perhaps you are not allowing it to dry, OR it may be the quality of the polish you are using.

That said, I would 1. Use a basecoat, 2. Use a nail polish by OPI, Essie, etc. -- a salon-quality polish, and 3. Use a topcoat made by one of these brands.

Be sure to allow the polish to dry between each stage, too -- otherwise it can smear.

Good luck! : )