I am the queen of chipped nails. I don’t understand how people keep their freshly painted nails immaculate for more than fifteen minutes. And it’s not like I’m doing hard labour everyday (or any day), I am either very reckless with my nails or I don’t know how to look after them properly. It’s probably both of those things, so I decided to try and find some tips on how to make either your professional manicure or your ‘done in front of the TV on a Wednesday night manicure’ last as long as possible:

1. Always start off with clean nails. The polish won’t bond properly if you have oil or cream on your nails

2. Groom your cuticles because if you apply polish onto overgrown cuticles, it peels off easily. But don’t cut your cuticles because that will make them grow back thicker than they were before

3. When you file your nails, do it gently and in one direction. It also might help to know that long nails are more likely to chip than short ones

4. Make sure that you use a base coat because if the polish has something to stick to on your nail, it’ll stay on for longer

5. When you polish your nails, cover the entire nail in polish, including under, over, all sides and edges. (Under? I didn’t know that either)

6. Apply the polish in thin coats and let it dry between these coats. Thick coats bubble and peel off

7. Remember to apply a top coat because it’ll make sure that it lasts longer. You should really apply a new top coat every day, it is the best way to make your manicure last

8. Don’t use really old nail polish that has gone all thick and won’t actually spread on your nail. It might be your favourite colour but it’s time to either buy a new one or accept that it was a limited edition colour that you got at Duty Free two years ago that has been discontinued and you need to move on. It’s ok, it’s happened to me too

9. If you can, although I think that it is an impossible feat to manage, try and keep your hands away from water as much as you can. If you leave your hands in water for too long, the water can actually lift the polish off the nail. Or just repaint your nails later and stay hygienic

.. And that’s all! (sigh). Who knew there were so many things that you need to do to keep a manicure pristine?!