Applying Nail Colour 

To make your manicure or pedicure last it is essential to protect and seal in the colour. The secret is to apply a good basecoat and two thin coats of polish making sure you allow enough time between each coat to dry. This will avoid dragging and streaking. Undercover basecoat has a special finish that creates the best platform for colour. 

Polish applied too thick simply won’t dry so don't pile it on, then add a topcoat such as Crystal Finish, that dries in seconds and gives your varnish a long lasting, super shiny finish. For the ‘little Miss Messy’ use the Precision Corrector Set to erase any stray polish from around the cuticle.  

7 Steps To Polish Perfection 

Be organized. If you are going out shortly after, make sure your shoes are on and that you have all you need from your handbag, car key or bus fair, mobile phone etc. There is no point painting nails perfectly if they get damaged in the rush to go out. 

1. Make sure your nails are clean before applying a base coat. This helps minimize streaks and peeling polish. 

2. Roll the nail polish bottle between your hands to mix it up. Shaking can create those annoying air bubbles and ruin a perfectly good paint job. 

3. Wipe off any excess polish from the brush on the insides of the bottleneck, the brush should have just enough on it to cover one nail. 

4. Start from the base of the nail for a smoother finish. To avoid getting polish on the cuticle, place the brush on the nail about 1/8th of an inch away from the cuticle and push backwards towards it, stopping just before the skin. Then make the usual stroke up towards the tip. Always swipe the very ends of nails to stop chipping. 

5. It is better to apply two thin coats of polish than thick coats. The thicker the coat, the longer it takes to dry. Many quick drying polishes dry from the outside in, so if you apply a coat over a thick coat that is not dry underneath, you may get indentations or smudges. Also, thick coats are more likely to chip at the tips. 

6. After applying two thin, even layers of colour, wait a few minutes before applying your topcoat. 

7. Once the topcoat is tacky apply Miracle Drops or spray Miracle Mist over the polish to help speed up the drying time and protect the polish from getting smudged. This technique also stops your nails from sticking to clothing, bed sheets and even partners! 

The French Manicure - made easy! 

1. Apply basecoat to the tips of your nails 

2. Apply two coats of the Natural White to the tip of the nails or one coat of Pure White. 

Use the Precision Brush dipped in Corrector Liquid to clean the smile line to perfection. An expert technique that’s easy for anyone to do at home. 

3. Once you’re happy with the tips then apply Undercover basecoat over the entire nails. 

4. Now apply a coat of your favourite French colour over the nails, you can go for a cream, shimmer or glitter shades to create your desired French effect. All Nail Colours 

5. Then apply one coat of Crystal Finish Top Coat, for clean, clear wet look! 

6. Always finish with miracle drops to speed up polish drying and protect your French from smudges and dust while it’s drying. Remember practice makes perfect!  

Bubble Trouble 

Bubbles in polish is a hugely annoying problem, particularly if you have spent a while on a home manicure, only to see them appear a while later. Mostly this bubbling occurs when nail varnish is applied too thickly, and then not given enough time to dry before the topcoat is applied. Solvents need to escape from the polish as it dries so if you apply the top coat too soon these solvents will attempt to escape through that instead – causing you bubble trouble. Simply applying polish too thickly can result in bubbling too. 

Be sure to stick to the basecoat, two colour coats & topcoat formula for a great finish. 

As Good As New is a great way to revive old, thickening nail polishes, so it’s ideal for helping with this problem, just add a few drops to the nail colour and roll the bottle between your palms before applying. I would always recommend taking time to do a DIY manicure to ensure there is time for each layer to dry before the next application; once finished use my Miracle Drops. A drop of this solution on each nail will help polish to dry quicker, helping to reduce the risk of bubbles. 

Removing Nail Colour

Its all fun and games until it comes to the time for removing your nail colour.  It can be a messy job and it's really easy to leave behind evidence of the manicure you're trying to remove. At least this is the case if you're not using these methods... 

Change your mind, change your polish, and start over effortlessly with my effective acetone-free Essential Remover (for all nail types). From light to dark shades, colour to glitter formulas, it  removes any type of nail polish. Formulated with essential oils, and biotin, this is a no-fuss upgrade from your traditional polish remover.  I also have nail treatment polish removers that actually treat your nail issue at the same time! These are also now available in the handy Remove & Go Pots and they don't even need cotton wool pads but it's good to have one for dark shades and another for nude nail colours.  

The secret to removing nail colour effectively without staining the nails is 'NOT' to rub the nail with the cotton wool pad and remover. If you rub, this causes the remover to dilute the pigment in the nail colour and then you're basically massaging this into your nails and cuticles. It's best to hold the cotton pad with the remover on the nail for a minute or two while it dissolves the nail colour and then swipe it off towards the tip, 9 times out of 10 all the nail colour will come off in one go, leaving the nail completely clean.  When removing  heavy glitter colours use the tinfoil technique.  Check out this 'how to' video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DReJFTodtCw

Need For Speed 

Fast tip! 

If your polish is chipped and you've only got a couple of minutes, remove polish with Essential Nail Polish Remover and buff your nails to a glass like finish with the clever Quatro Buffer. A shape and shine block that’s numbered for fool-proof manicuring, apply Slick Tips Oil for a fabulous and fast finish. 

Colour fast! 

Apply just one coat of any Leighton Denny nail polish over your base-coat. Its fast drying formula is great! It dries super fast and leaves your nails with a superb finish. Perfect for when you’re in a rush. Obviously, it won’t last as long as a proper polish job! 

Moisture now! 

If your hands are looking dry, they are not going make your polish look as good as it should so if you haven't got the time for a full manicure treatment, rub some Skin Like Silk into your hands. The 2 in 1 formula Moisturizes and exfoliates in one go. All you do is dry wash your hands, to activate the restorative peeling action, rinse in warm water and pat dry, then rub in a blob of my Best Defence Hand Cream and your hands will feel silky soft all day!  

So tell me… 

1) After reading this will you change your nail polish routine? 

2) Do you already have a 'fail safe' routine? I’d love to hear your tips.  

Thanks for reading my blog and please leave your comments below!