Giving yourself a manicure/pedicure saves money—at least $20 (plus tip) per pop in my neck of the woods. But there's more to filing, buffing, and polishing than you may think. Annoying problems like prematurely chipped polish can happen even in the hands of a pro. Here are a few fixes for common polish snafus.
PROBLEM Chipped nails
Why it happens Too long a soak in water during the process swells the nail plate; when it dries the polish can crack
The fix Try a dry mani/pedi instead, or just do a quick dip—no more than 2 minutes. And protect your fingernails by wearing gloves while washing the dishes or washing your hair.
PROBLEM Polish goes on unevenly
Why it happens Your polish may be too old. As it ages, it can become thick and gloppy because it's drying in the bottle. The emptier the bottle, the more polish-drying air it contains.
The fix If your nail polish is extremely gloppy, toss it. If it's just a bit gloppy, you can thin it out so that it goes on smoother by adding two or three drops of nail polish thinner or remover.
PROBLEM The top to the nail polish bottle is stuck and won't open.
Why it happens Air has probably snuck in and dried the polish on the neck of the bottle.
The fix To prevent this from happening in the first place, regularly clean the neck of the bottle with a paper towel saturated in acetone remover. If the bottle is already stuck, wrap a rubber band around the top to give yourself extra leverage when twisting it open.
