NAIL POLISH THAT LASTS A WEEK WITH NO CHIPPING

The holidays are always a hedonistic time. From shopping with year end bonuses, to dressing up for all the many social outings, to beach days, to pyjama days, to days of doing nothing other than ravishing food. Plain old me got caught up and did something I don't usually do during the year - I painted my usually neat, bare nails a cherry pink colour. Honestly, a set of daringly coloured nails made me feel menacing in the most sensual way. I'll do it again.

The reason I don't usually bother with a nail paint - unless it's gel, and even that comes with headaches of its own - is because the constant chipping looks untidier than a clean, bare nail (called princess nails in the latest trend, because the real princesses of the world have bare filed nails. Princesses do not have chipped colour polish nails.) The constant chipping meant I would need to remove and reapply the nail polish every single day.

Over the holidays, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find a polish that lasted a week without chipping, even among all the dishes to be done after the feasting, the frequent hair washing for occasions, the hours spent in the pool.

The Product

I decided to splurge on a good quality polish for the holidays, since I don't do my nails often and it should feel like an occasion when I do. Upon a recommendation from ChatGPT for excellent quality, easily available polish, this is the combination I went with:

- Base: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in colour Pink Tank

- Top: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri clear top coat

Despite the name, this is regular polish with a gel-like finish, it's not actual gel nail polish and doesn't require any UV equipment for drying. The top coat, however, is essential in helping the polish dry quickly and last almost as long as gel.

Here's where it's available:

- Clicks: Miracle Gel at R135 and Insta-Dri top coat at R110 

- Dischem: Miracle Gel at R129 and Insta-Dri top coat at R115

Tips for a Longer Lasting Polish 

- Even though this manicure dries in minutes, possibly seconds, because of the excellent quality of the top coat, avoid doing anything water-heavy for about 4-6 hours afterwards, such as washing your hair or doing dishes. 

- Cap your nail with both the colour polish and top coat when painting. This means to run your nail polish brush along the edge of your nail so that there is a layer on the very tip of your nail that prevents chipping from the top. 

- Every 3-4 days, even if the colour hasn't yet chipped, pro-actively add another layer of the top coat to keep the colour lasting longer. 

- When the bottle of nail polish starts to become thick and gooey, purchase a product called nail polish thinner from Essence (different from the more premium brand Essie) which can be found in Clicks, Dischem, Edgars, Woolworths, and even some Checkers stores. It restores the texture immediately. 

You'll know from a previous blog article that I don't do sponsored posts anymore. I've shared details about this product because I've spent on it and can vouch for it. Now let's see those colorful nails!

Written by Keli H, author and literary artist. Quintessentially Keli is her personal editorial archive on style, authorship, art, and inspired living. More articles at keli-h.com