Long fingernails - How do people do it?

Winchester · Sep 20, 2015

Here are mine as of tonight. Like I said, they're pretty short right now, shorter than what I'm used to having. They're in the growing out process as a while back, I was breaking them every time I turned around. Takes them a while to grow back. I'm using a matte final coat, so they're not shiny.

NailsOne.jpg

Winchester
Sep 20, 2015

natalie_ca · Sep 21, 2015

Winchester · Sep 21, 2015

You know, as much as I like China Glaze, those polishes are known for peeling. I did my nails one Sunday night. Woke up the next morning, hit the treadmill, and got my shower. As I was toweling off, I saw that two fingers were completely bare. No polish at all. And it was a China Glaze polish. I was also using a Seche Vite base coat and top coat....those polishes are also known for peeling. I stay away from Seche Vite (using OPI base and top coats now) and the problem *seems* to have gone away, even with China Glaze polishes. So I don't know which brand is the culprit.

I like the Love's a Beach color. Perfect for summer.

stewball · Sep 21, 2015

Winchester said:
Here are mine as of tonight. Like I said, they're pretty short right now, shorter than what I'm used to having. They're in the growing out process as a while back, I was breaking them every time I turned around. Takes them a while to grow back. I'm using a matte final coat, so they're not shiny.

NailsOne.jpg

Winchester

Sep 20, 2015

Short, I shout at.my phone. Those aren't what I'd call 'short'. I'd love nails like your beautiful ones Pan. When I was in my 20 ' I had lovely long nails. I did them every Friday as we didn't go out Friday nights. I also had a bit of trouble typing. Somewhere in my apartment is a picture of me at work still in England and you can see my nails. I must look for it. Now they grow, break, get cut down and start all over again.

stewball · Sep 21, 2015

Natalie_ca said:
Thanks I think it's called Extravagent. But I'll have to check for sure.

The salon I go to sometimes use China Glaze and OPI polish. I find that it chips very quickly. The last 2 times I went for a manicure, the polish chipped within a day of my manicure. The last time I had a manicure in the early afternoon. Did dishes before I went to bed and the polish had badly chipped off of 3 nails. I never have problems with Revlon doing that when I wash dishes.

I did buy some China Glaze from Nail Polish Canada. I gave myself a manicure on a Monday. Did some dishes on Tuesday and saw a piece of peachy something floating in the suds. I picked it up and discovered it was the entire layer of nail polish off of my left pointer finger. The nail was completely bare. I checked the other nails and I was able to peel the polish completely off of 3 more nails, and portions off of 2 others. The rest were chipped at the tips. I was really disappointed because it was a really cute colour

http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/products/loves-a-beach-by-china-glaze.html

loves-a-beach.jpg

natalie_ca

Sep 21, 2015

I bought those two makes thinking they were very good but very expensive here. I was so disappointed. I used them once.

Winchester · Sep 22, 2015

Stewball said:
Short, I shout at.my phone. Those aren't what I'd call 'short'. I'd love nails like your beautiful ones Pan. When I was in my 20 ' I had lovely long nails. I did them every Friday as we didn't go out Friday nights. I also had a bit of trouble typing. Somewhere in my apartment is a picture of me at work still in England and you can see my nails. I must look for it. Now they grow, break, get cut down and start all over again.

Thank you, Judy. They get to where I have trouble typing, too, sometimes. And they grow, then I break one....and that starts the whole breaking cycle. First one, then another, then another, then I cut them all down. It takes about six weeks for them to grow back; that's why I'm in a growing period right now.

I think you and I had talked about China Glaze a while back, if I'm not mistaken. They have lovely colors, but they do chip easily.

From what I've been reading, I think shorter nails are in style right now. But I love having longer nails, probably because I spent so much time gnawing on my fingers when I was younger.

parsleysage · Sep 22, 2015

Growing up I played violin so long nails were not an option. I like the look of my nails longer - I like to see a good 1/8-1/4 inch of white - but don't like the upkeep. So essentially what I do is grow them out until they start to break, then cut back, and the cycle continues. I'd like to play violin more often, and if I do, I'll need to keep them short again.

My main issue with shorter nails is that my nail beds are close to the ends of my fingers... so if my nails meet flush with the ends of my fingers they look quite short and squat. I've seen lovely nails that are "short" as in they don't extend past the finger, but look much longer than mine due to the length of the nail bed from the end of the finger. Ah well. I don't have a complex about it or anything, just something I've noticed.

I tend to be able to grow my thumb nails and my pinky nails the longest.

pinkdagger · Sep 22, 2015

I love long nails. I played piano as a kid, and my teacher actually suggested that I trim them so when I play in recitals, the mic doesn't pick up on the tap-tap-tap on the keys. She gave that up when I cried at her suggestion, haha. I've lived with long nails for so long that I can't even function with short nails. My fingering (typing, piano) feel way off with short nails, and my fingertips are so sensitive without that protection that it hurts. I worked in food service a lot of my life and kept clean, long nails throughout that time too. I only cut them when they break, or if one breaks really low, I'll try to even them out a bit.

Willowy · Sep 22, 2015

When my nails do get long, they don't curve in (like above pictures). They kind of flare out like. . .one of those straw/spoons you get with slushies :tongue2:. Is that a matter of trimming/shaping? Or is it just the way the nail grows?

MoochNNoodles · Sep 22, 2015

DD would be all about that color! I use the more chip-prone polishes on my toes. They take less abuse than my hands and I wear sandals from May to October. I do a base coat and a quick drying top coat. I usually buy the cheaper polish for DD and I both. It's easier to experiment with fun colors when you aren't spending as much.

DD has a few bottles of Piggy Paint since she is still young. I would like to try their line for adults (SOPHi). They claim its durable! I also have their Piggy Paint Remover for DD. DH can't stand the smell of nail polish or remover. I just wish it was a little cheaper. The ones we have are tiny bottles but I've looked on their site and they have so many fun colors in bigger bottles!! (I shouldn't have looked at their site...they have SUPER cute nail stickers for kids!!)

pinkdagger said:
My fingering (typing, piano) feel way off with short nails, and my fingertips are so sensitive without that protection that it hurts.

I know what you mean! It's such a strange feeling to have a short nail after it's been long for a while. It usually takes me a day or so to adjust!

AbbysMom · Sep 30, 2015

Late getting back to this! These were my "wedding nails" . It's my left hand, so the nails are a bit longer than my right hand. They are all chipped now and I need to redo them before two events this weekend.

image.jpeg

AbbysMom
Sep 30, 2015

image.jpeg

AbbysMom
Sep 30, 2015

dejolane · Sep 30, 2015

I love to have my nails a bit long, but seem to bite them all the time.

Winchester · Oct 3, 2015

Karen, your nails look very nice.

And they're not overly short. Nice nails!

blueyedgirl5946 · Oct 4, 2015

I would love to let my grow longer. I have to keep them trimmed to be able to play my guitar. If long, they get in the way of making the chords on the fret board.

stewball · Oct 4, 2015

Last week I cut all my nails down and put on a pale pink nail hardener that makes the nails look like I've buffed them. I'm now growin

. them and before I go to the UK on the 23rd I plan on having a manicure. That's my 'plan'. Whether it'll happen or not we'll see.
I might also wear my green nail polish which actually looks good. It'd L'Oréal and touches up very well.
We'll that's my plan. In the meantime I take off the polish, go one day without and then put the hardener on again for another week.

Winchester · Oct 5, 2015

Right now I'm wearing Up All Night by China Glaze. It's a really deep purple (almost black) and I put a matte finish on top. I'm starting to like a matte finish over the really shiny finishes.

stewball · Oct 5, 2015

Isn't it chipping

Winchester

I don't really understand the question. How do they do what?

Columbine · Oct 5, 2015

Slightly different question - how do you all keep the polish from chipping?

Last summer I 'grew' my nails (at most they were the same length as Karen's at the top of the page. Couldn't go any longer because of viol playing). They chipped constantly, no matter what I did. I could never get touch ups to look 'right' (ie seamless) either. After a while, one nail started to damage too - I'm not sure if you'd call it peeling or splitting....kind of went into 2 layers from the top down to my finger. No matter what I did, it got worse (including trying OPI's nail strenghtener).

The polishes I used were mostly Nails Inc - including base and top coats.

I guess I should add that I was down the stables most days - grooming, mucking out, riding etc. Maybe nails and polishes just aren't meant to withstand that kind of punishment :lol3: Jewellery making was a surefire way to chip the polish too

Winchester · Oct 5, 2015

No, so far it's not chipping.

I may have mentioned this before, but I always put the finishing top coat underneath my nails as well as on the top. And give the nail tip edges a quick brush, too. I don't know if that helps or not.

If I was mucking out stalls, I'd be wearing gloves. I don't garden without gloves either. They're a little cumbersome, but I got used to them.

Columbine · Oct 6, 2015

Thanks for the tips

It was too hot for gloves last summer, and certain yard tasks are made far more difficult when gloved.

I guess I'll go back to keeping my polish for when I'm not doing heavy work....and for giving a slightly more groomed/professional look at craft fairs :lol3:

Long fingernails - How do people do it?

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