Lauren C. knows what she likes and she sticks with it.

I really love the look of dark nail polish on a short, nicely manicured nail, a la Lauren Conrad. But manicures are rarely in my budget and dark polish is hard to do yourself. It can easily get look messy and worse when it chips it. A recent issue of Allure had some really great tips on how to apply dark nail polish. Here are a few that I liked …

1. Dark polish can stain nails. Swab nail with hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball to remove discoloration no more than once a month.
2. To steady your hand, anchor your pinkie on your work surface and grasp the brush with your thumb and three fingers.
3. After applying the second coat of color, skim the brush in one horizontal stroke across the tip of each nail to prevent chipping.
4. A quick fix for chips: Dot the tiniest drop of polish remover on your fingertip, and rub it over the chip to smooth its edges. Then apply two thin layers of color and a topcoat.
5. The first and second coat should be thin and cover the same surface (otherwise you have streaks)
6. “The deeper the shade the more flattering it is on pale skin because of the contrast it creates”.
7. Black can often look too harsh so try deep violets and blues. (One of my favorite polish colors is O.P.I’s “Lincoln Park after Dark”)

   

They suggest when painting nails with dark polish use these steps:

1. Saturate a cotton ball with remover and wipe away polish. Gently file nails with a fine-grain emery board until they’re short and oval. (Good Tip: The bolder the color the shorter the nail shape).
2. Place hands in warm, soapy water for several minutes. Then massage on cuticle remover and push cuticles back with a wooden manicure stick or stone cuticle pusher.
3. Gently rub a soft buffing pad from side to side over each nail bed until ridges are completely smoothed away.
4. Swipe nails with a cotton-wrapped manicure stick saturated in remover. Apply a thin layer of base-coat; dry for two minutes. (My mistake is that I rarely use a base coat because I am in a hurry and I never let the first coat dry long enough).
5. Wipe one side of the brush against the lip of the bottle, then use the other side to paint one stripe of color up the center and one on either side. Dry for two minutes and then apply second coat.
6. After second coat dries for two minutes apply a topcoat to add shine and prevent chips. Erase any mistakes with a wood manicure stick dipped directly in polish remover. (Good tip: Using a wood manicure stick. The cotton on a Q-Tip just grabs hold to your nail and smudges your brand new nails)

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