So you just got a shiny new expensive manicure on your lunch break, but by the time you’re headed out later that night, you look down and notice there’s a blasted chip! While it’s not the end of the world, luckily there are a few quick tricks for fixing it right up.
PATCH IT UP
If you happen to have the same colour or something very similar at home, patch it up! This is the most obvious but least exciting approach, but it always does the job. Carefully apply a thin coat of polish to the chipped area (not the whole nail). Wait a minute for it to dry and then apply a clear high-gloss topcoat to smooth out the edges of the wet blob.
POLKA DOTS
Using a new colour, paint dots randomly all over the nail to make the chips look intentional. Use the nail polish brush for a cooler look or use a pointed cotton swab to create more uniform looking polka dots.
REVERSE FRENCH
Another chip-fix involves a simple twist on the classic French manicure, otherwise known as the “Reverse French.” To do it, take a contrasting colour and apply a thin coat on the edge of your nail. Make sure to follow it up with another light layer of clear topcoat. This look will certainly get you compliments from your nail-obsessed friends.
GLITTER NAILPOLISH
Applying glitter is the perfect way to conceal the natural nail coming through. Go all out, and apply the glitter on your entire nail, doing a slightly heavier application on the chipped area. For something less aggressive, dot the glitter only on the tips of the nails, where chips tend to commonly occur. Glittery tips draw the eyes to the sparkle, not to the flaws.
RESURFACING
Where polish is chipped, it’s raised off of the nail, and painting straight over that creates a mess. Smooth the chip by gently filing it or by tapping a little nail-polish remover over just the crack in your polish. It flattens the surface enough that you can paint over it without making the polish look lumpy.
CLIP IT
Chips commonly happen on the top edge of the nail, where the most contact from day-to-day activities occurs. With a nail clipper, snip off the chip without shaving too much length off of the nail, and adjust your other nails to match. Once you’ve eliminated the chip, paint on clear topcoat and wrap the polish along the tip of the nail, moving the brush left to right to left to “cap” it for sealing.
DRESS UP YOUR TIPS
Whether too much typing has caused your free edge to chip or you’re bored with one colour after four days of wear, adding flair to your tips will create a whole new look and cover up any nail blemishes. Add a colourful French tip, go ombre, try animal print, or exercise your most daring nail art skills for a foolproof way to dress up your existing manicure.
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR MANICURE LAST LONGER:
- File your nails into a shape that mirrors your cuticle’s, which makes them less likely to break.
- Avoid getting any polish on your cuticles, which lifts the paint from the nail and leads to chipping.
- Nail tips are more prone to chipping. Apply another layer of basecoat to the top half of your nails for extra polish resilience.
- Dry nails with cool air. Hot air keep the polish from drying so use your blow dryer on its cool setting or a fan. Dipping fingertips in ice water for a minute or two also aids drying.
- Wash your hands with mild soap instead of using hand sanitizer, which dries out your nails and ruins topcoat.
- Apply nail oil daily to prevent your nails from drying out and splitting. The less moisture your nails and cuticles have, the more likely they are to break and tear.