24 Ways to Make Your Manicure Last Forever (or at Least a Few Days Longer)

There’s nothing that ruins your mani mojo more than to have it chip or nick an hour after you put on the last coat. From tested blogger tips to creative ideas straight from the pros, here’s our ultimate guide on genius ways to extend the life of your nail polish.

Prep your nails the right way.

Shape and file the nails first. If you soak them and then file, the nails will split and tear, which can also lead to chipping and peeling because the nail does not provide a perfectly smooth base. —Carla Kay, celebrity manicuristFile your nails in the same direction—not back and forth—in order to prevent breakage. —Christa Lee, Lipstick.com

Clean your nails with astringent before starting, or at least do a good lathering with soap and water. Clearing away any surface oils, grime, and polish remover will ensure that your new color can fully adhere. —Petra Guglielmetti, Lipstick.com

Consider cutting them short. If your nails aren’t physically touching as many surfaces, it reduces the risk of them snagging on things and chipping. —Christa Lee, Lipstick.com

Make sure that your nails are well moisturized before getting your mani. Try a nail oil between manicures to ensure that the nail bed is hydrated, so that your nails don’t split and cause chips. —Kim D’Amato, founder of PRITI NYC

Soaking your fingers in a bowl of water like they do in the salons isn’t necessary—and some nail pros actually discourage it. Water makes the nail bed expand, so painting them in their wet state can cause chipping. —Kim D’Amato, founder of PRITI NYC

Apply your polish properly.

Never shake the bottle. It creates air bubbles. Try rolling it between your palms to get the formula to mix instead. —Beth Shapouri, Lipstick.com

Make sure to work over a stable surface like a table, and try resting the non-dominate elbow or arm on the table to help keep you from shaking, so you can apply an even, smooth layer. —Greg Salo, founder of Caption nail polish

Always apply a base coat before the polish color. This will not only protect your nails from staining, but it also acts as a primer for the polish, which gives it the ultimate smooth application. —Kim D’Amato, founder of PRITI NYC

The newest base coats do more than fill in ridges and bumps; they make nail polish adhere better. —Jin Soon Choi, founder of Jin Soon Hand & Foot Spa

By wiping the brush on the lip of the bottle and then using the non-wiped side, you’ll allow the excess product to be pulled off the brush, so you won’t have any dripping. —Greg Salo, founder of Caption nail polish

Keep your coats of polish really, really thin so they dry more quickly and won’t bubble or peel as easily. —Petra Guglielmetti, Lipstick.com

Use two coats of your color polish. The first coat should be thin and semisheer. It lays the foundation for your color; perfect application and smooth, even coverage is the key to a long-lasting manicure. The second coat delivers the true color and coverage.—*Roxanne Valinoti, CND education manager *

Wait two full minutes between each coat, starting with your base coat. Tedious, yes, but giving coats time to air out helps prevent polish from mushing and chipping later. —Essie Weingarten, founder of Essie

Choose your formula wisely. Glittery polishes have more grip, but they take longer to remove when you’re ready to take them off. Matte formulas have ingredients in them that aren’t as long-lasting. —Christa Lee, Lipstick.com

Finish each finger with a horizontal swipe of color, along the top edge of the nail, to seal and protect against nicks. —Petra Guglielmetti, Lipstick.com

Horizontally run an extra layer of top coat on your thumbs and index fingernails, which tend to chip first. —Jin Soon Choi, founder of Jin Soon Hand & Foot Spa

To lock in color and shine, paint your nails as you normally would, then finish with a gel topcoat. You’ll get long-lasting gloss minus the time-consuming removal process of a salon gel manicure. —Jin Soon Choi, founder of Jin Soon Hand & Foot Spa

Maintain the polish.

If you’re short on time, run your hands under ice-cold water. This does not dry nails faster, but it helps to harden the polish, which in turn helps to prevent nicks during the drying process. —Carla Kay, celebrity manicurist

Apply another thin coat of topcoat every other day to re-gloss your mani and guard against chips. —Petra Guglielmetti, Lipstick.com

If you do get chips in a solid-color manicure, try painting the tips in glitter—a festive twist that’ll cover the imperfections quickly and easily. Or do a full glitter topcoat to distract from any flaws. Check out Lindsey’s glitter polish adventures on this subject.—Petra Guglielmetti, Lipstick.com

Wear gloves while washing dishes because water expands the nail bed and can cause your nail polish paint to peel off. —Kim D’Amato, founder of PRITI NYC

Keep a bottle of cuticle oil drops in your purse and apply it frequently to freshen up your mani. When your cuticles are moisturized, your nails look better. —Jin Soon Choi, founder of Jin Soon Hand & Foot Spa

Be careful of directly applying certain skin care products to your nails, especially sunscreen which can discolor and break down a manicure. —Deborah Lippmann, celebrity manicurist

While we’re on the topic of nail polish, watch this cute video of Lauren Conrad who chats about all things beauty: