Just google it. It made me giggle.
Anyways. I started a new job over the summer and one thing immediately caught my attention.
The women I work with have fantastic manicures ALL THE TIME. Their nails look shiny and perfect every day.
I am no stranger to manicures. While my unmarried domestic partner thinks I got them on a weekly basis, I would often get a manicure every couple of weeks. Despite having hands that resemble catchers mitts, I do have nice nails. Manicures lift my spirit and make my hands presentable, so I allowed myself the bimonthly indulgence.
The problem I had is that my nails would chip within the first couple of days, if not sooner. Even if I was super careful walking the 2 blocks from the nail salon to my house, I would usually end up chipping a nail while opening my front door. I drink about 75 cups of coffee a day, so I couldn't exactly fix the polish myself without painting my arm. I would scold myself silently for ruining my manicure and hope that nobody else would notice my flawed nails.
So how in the world did these women have such amazing looking nails, when I could barely make a manicure last 48 hours?
No-chip manicures.
I'd heard of the no-chip manicure - I'm a Groupon user and they seem to have a no-chip deal every week. But I thought it was similar to putting on acrylic nails, which I did when I was a teenager. Tanning, bleaching my hair and wearing acrylic nails are mistakes I wish I'd avoided in my teens. Thinking that the no-chip would destroy my nails like acrylics, I said no to no-chip.*
But after talking to a few co-workers, I decided to give it a shot. I went to my normal nail salon shortly before Christmas to try it out. My biggest fear was outgrowth, as my nails grow quite fast. My technician assured me that wouldn't be an issue. I chose a purple polish (this was one of the few "fun" colors, as the no-chip polish selection selection is limited) and got started on my life changing manicure.
The no-chip application is simple. The technician will apply a base coat, two polish coats and a top coat. After each coat application, you put your hands under a UV light, allowing the polish to set and dry. The application takes longer than your typical manicure, but when your manicure is finished, your nails are totally dry. Totally. Dry. They are also super shiny, which lasts forever...or until you remove the manicure.
But.
I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to certain things - including my nails. I immediately noticed some flaws upon coming home. On some nails, the polish didn't come all the way down to the base of the nail, so it already looked like there was some outgrowth. The polish application on some nails was quite thick, which looked odd to me. Lastly, some polish was on my skin. That does NOT come off with soap and water. My unmarried domestic partner poked fun at my observations, but no-chips are not cheap. For $45, I expect a really fantastic manicure - especially if it's supposed to last 2+ weeks.
I planned to leave it on for a couple of weeks, but ended up having to leave it on for 3. You see, I got 6 stitches on New Year's Day after I jammed my thumb into the blade of a mandolin. To remove a no-chip, you have to go to a salon. They use an acetone remover to take the no-chip off of your nails, and I did not want any chemicals getting on my cut!
My polish did not chip, so it did live up to its promise. But I did research in those 3 weeks and found a salon that was a little more affordable and had fantastic ratings for its no-chip manicure.
I went to Nas Salon (3757 N. Racine) on Wednesday and I am in LOVE. I cannot stop looking at my hands and have been waving them in Tom's face every day. I think he's hoping I'll stop but I NEVER WILL.**
Nas offers 40-50 polish colors for no-chip, and I chose a sparkly red for my nails. It. Is. Fabulous. My technician used new tools to do my manicure and was quick and thorough. She checked my nails after applying each coat to make sure that everything looked even and to ensure that no polish ended up on my skin. The best part? There was no extra charge to remove my old manicure. Some salons will charge you $10 for this, which I think is insane if you're getting another manicure done.
I am officially a no-chip addict. I love that I can beat up on my nails (I apparently type like I'm punching the keyboard) and they still look good. It's a total splurge, but it makes me feel extra fabulous knowing that my nails are shiny and flawless.
If you want to try it, do your research. Some salons do try and cut corners, particularly in the removal process, and that is how you can damage your nails. Hit up Yelp and find your nail salon match - and show me your pretty manicure! I need polish ideas!
*Just like Johnny Dakota said nope to dope on Saved by the Bell (and then smoked pot) and Brandon Tartikoff made an appearance on the show and claimed to be best friends with Mr. Belding. Tartikoff was way too cool for Mr. B.
**I am lucky that Tom is such a saint and supports my love of manicures and Rob Lowe.
Photo: My no-chip manicure 5 days in. The color reminds me of Dorothy's slippers in The Wizard of Oz. I was clearly going for something understated.
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