Polish Up: The Answers to Your Nail Polish Mishaps

Hi Everyone,

Just like putting your best face forward can heighten your mood, having a stunning manicure works the same way. When you accomplish the perfect polish it can brighten your day and exude poise no matter what you’re wearing. When something jeopardizes your manicure, or worse, nail polish ends up where it shouldn’t be, it can put a damper on any situation. Make sure that doesn’t happen with these quick remedies to fix your nail polish mishaps.

Polish on Fabric

Nothing is more traumatizing than spilling nail polish on carpet, grazing your favorite dress with a not yet set nail, or having a bottle explode in your purse. You might feel instant defeat, but if you act quick you can salvage your fabrics and leave no trace of lacquer. If lacquer is on your fabric, start the removal process by dabbing the spot with a cotton pad soaked in acetone-heavy nail polish remover. Dab, don’t rub, as this will press the polish deeper into the threads. If the stain persists, bring out the big guns and soak the spot with hairspray, Windex, Carbona Stain Devils or Grease Lightening (it works like a charm!). Then scrub the spot and rinse. Always try on a small area of fabric first to find the right combatant for your polish spill. It may take a combination of products, but it will come out.

Smudge or Gash on Nail

Sitting long enough to let your polish dry is a skill in itself. If your patience wears thin or you take a gash out of set polish, you can make your nails look as good as new without having to polish the entire nail again. Add a nail art design over the nicked part of the nail to mask the flaw until your next manicure. Or, dip the end of one finger into nail polish remover and then gently rub the chipped nail until you smooth the line between lacquer and nail. Then polish over this section with the matching shade of polish. Apply top coat and violà!

Stuck Lid

No matter how strong you may be, there will always be a time when a stubborn bottle lid halts you from polishing your nails. Luckily, there is a solution. Use the hot water trick and your nail polish bottle will open without exerting much muscle power at all.

Thick Polish

Applying too many coats of polish or too thick of polish can lead to many problems – chipping, smudging, sheet marks set in your nail. If your polish has been improperly stored or is reaching its expiration date, then add a few drops of nail polish thinner to the bottle. Roll the bottle between your hands to mix the products together before using. Some people suggest using nail polish remover to thin their polish, but avoid this method. While adding remover to the bottle is a short term solution for thick polish, the ingredients in the remover will actually break down the polish formula and eventually dull color and shorten polish shelf life.

What nail issues would you like an answer for? Let me know and I’ll add for a future post!

<3 Mish