Tips for the Perfect Polish Application
There are reasons why estheticians take the steps that they do when applying polish to the toenails. So all the doubters out there who say that base/top coat isn’t necessary, remember that most spa pedicures last for at least a month and usually need to be removed only because the toe nail has grown out, not because of chipping.
That being said there are always exceptions. Such as lots of sand. will rub polish right off.
I’m going to explain step by step what you need to do to get a long lasting polish application at home. This is how I’ve seen it done at every spa I’ve worked at by estheticians trained around the world. There is a process.
Here’s what you need:
- Polish remover
- Cotton balls
- Kleenex
- Orangewood stick
- Base coat
- Polish
- Top Coat
- Drip Dry (optional but super useful)
1) First off, remove polish and do any foot maintenance you feel you need. Steps to a full pedicure can be found here.
2)Once all that business is done, use one kleenex for each foot, weave it between the toes. Keep the ends poking down towards the bottom of the foot so it won’t get in your way. We use kleenex because you can be sure it’s sanitary every time. No guarantee with reusable toe separators. Also the kleenex comes in handy later. Double up if you need to separate the toes even more.
5) Use a cotton ball soaked with polish remover. Neutralize each nail by wiping it with the cotton ball. This will remove any and all traces or oils and lotions, giving you the best possible base for your polish to adhere too. If you skip this step, the polish will flake off where ever there was any oil product. It can’t stick properly.
4) Starting from the outside edge of either foot you will work across. Keep this same pattern through the whole process to give the layers time to dry.
5)Apply the base coat. You just need a very thin layer. Apply it in one or two strokes to each nail, avoiding the skin as much as possible. Polish peels off of skin within a day. So if it dries leading onto the nail, you will get flaking.
6) Choose your polish color. Wipe the brush back and forth one or two times to get all the color on one side of the brush. You want very little, because toes are very little. Thin coats will give you better coverage and take way less time to dry. Usually you can get the three smallest toes done with one brush load. This of course depends on nail size.
7) The most strokes you want is three per nail. Any more and you’ll start to drag the polish as it dries. Most polish is self leveling. By the time you get back to it for the second coat, it’s usually spread out and settled properly. You want an even coat with no pooling. Use one hand to grip the toe on either side and pull the edges slightly from the nail. It gives you a bit more space to work with. Again, don’t touch the skin. You want to get close, but not touch the cuticle or sides. If you do, immediately use the orangewood stick to collect and clean the edges. You can use the kleenex between the toes to wipe the excess off off the end of the stick.
8)Take your time and be as tidy as possible. This takes practice. In school polishing is one of the first things we learn and takes almost the full year to perfect. 3 strokes, never touching the skin. It’s tough. Go back and do the second coat. Let it dry and settle for a bit.
9) With the top coat, you want enough product on the brush to keep the bristles from dragging in the freshly applied polish. The brush should glide. Same rule as before, wipe up any excess that gets on the skin. When it peels off the skin it will pull off any color that’s attached to it.
10) Wrap a little cotton around the end of the orangewood stick, dip it in polish remover and do any tidying that needs to be done. Give it a few minutes to set and then spray/drip on the drip dry product. This will set the top layer or so and moisturize the cuticle.
11) This is the important step: It will still take AT LEAST AN HOUR TO DRY. You cannot get around this. The four coats required to get a long lasting application take a long time to dry. No shoes or socks for as long as possible. Two hours is best. Yes the top coat will stop feeling tacky before that, it does not mean the layers underneath are dry. Nothing is more frustrating to estheticians than watching someone decide 20 minutes after the service that it is in fact dry and put on boots. They forget that this is what we do for a living. We gain nothing by asking you to wear flip flops.
So be patient.
Even going to bed will give you sheet marks on the toes.
There you go! Almost a thousand words on the proper way to polish nails. Who knew it was so complicated?
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us. Visit www.spaboutique.ca to see great polishes by both OPI and SpaRitual.
Tags: beauty tips, nail polish, opi, pedicure, perfect pedicure, polish application, polish tips, SpaRitual
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