Butter London Manicures: My Continued Quest To Find Long-Lasting Polish

Thanks to the fabulous ROCKSTARS at Seattle-based Butter London, I recently learned why polish always chips on my natural nails....

Nooooooooo!!!

WATER! 

Water is the culprit. Apparently nails saturated in water don't hold polish as well as dry nails, so guess what happens? That's right---chip, chip, chip!

So WHY do many salons still soak nails? (Butter London nail salons across the country do not soak, they do dry manicures.). The simple answer is that soaking softens cuticles....but at the time this method started, over 50 years ago, there weren't any cuticle softeners or products in existence like there are now. Water was all they had, so that's what they used.

The Black Knight

I guess old habits are just sometimes hard to break.

According to the staff at Butter London, if you do a manicure without soaking and use their NON-toxic products together (or at least the basecoat, lacquer & topcoat which are MADE TO WORK TOGETHER), the average regular manicure which should last 3 days without chipping, will be extended to 6-8 days without chips! 


REALLY?! Well, why not give it a try?!

I'm going to!

BUTTER LONDON STEPS FOR A LONG-LASTING MANICURE:

     3-Free: No Formaldehyde. No Toluene. No DBP.
   NON-Toxic. Safe for pregnant women and children.

 1)   Don’t soak nails in water during a manicure. Nails not saturated with water hold polish better so it lasts longer.

2)   Remove any old polish with Powder Room Acetone-Free Polish Remover ($5).

This remover hydrates nails and has a soft baby powder scent.

3)   Use Butter London Melt Away Cuticle Eliminator ($20). Leave on a few minutes as directed, then wipe off with a cloth or soft brush.

4)   Follow with Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat ($18). This basecoat/ridge filler dries to a matte finish so color will bond to it. When applying, wrap basecoat over the end of the nail tip to seal. (For problem nails that peel or break, use Horse Power Nail Fertilizer/strengthener ($20) as a base instead.)

5)   Use 2 coats of Butter London Nail Lacquer in cream, metallic, or glitter finish ($14). Start at the base of the nail near the cuticle and pull forward over the end of the tip to wrap the nail. Consider layering multiple colors to create a custom look, or use different colors on each nail! Experiment and have fun!

6)   Top with Hardwear P.D. Quick Topcoat ($18) for an ultra-shiny finish. Wrap product over the end of the nail tip to seal lacquer. This product is quick drying and long-lasting! (For a matte finish, use Matte Finish Topcoat ($18).

7)   Complete your manicure with Holiday Handbag Cuticle Oil ($18). Allow this pineapple-coconut scented oil to soak in for 10 minutes to re-hydrate cuticles.

THEN........ GO SHOW OFF YOUR PRETTY MANI! :)

Butter London Products are available at Nordstrom and Ulta stores, and online!