If you know me, you’ll know how much I’m against chipped nail lacquer; the whole point in painting your nails is to add polish – literally and metaphorically speaking. Nail lacquer instantly adds glamour, regularly increases style kudos, and often taps into major trends; all three of these require a certain level of high maintenance, whether that means removing and re-applying nail polish as soon as it chips, or making regular appointments to have a hard-wearing gel polish applied. I really do believe that the only excuse for a chipped nail is laziness – either fix the nail, or take the whole lot off! I know I sound like a total DRAGON, but I feel so strongly about it (yes, I’m a freakazoid). A well manicured bare nail looks a gazillion times better than a chipped nail of any kind (and, actually, the same can be said of nails that vary in length). Don’t you agree? #sorrynotsorry
Personally, I love gel polish but usually avoid it for a couple of reasons. One, I get bored quickly – yes, sometimes I do select my polish to match my outfit (so far, I’ve only come across one other person who does this). Second, I don’t like the effect gel has on the condition of my nails. With this in mind I generally stick to regular polish – clear when I can’t be bothered and colour when I can. That said, once in a while it’s fun to enjoy the benefits of a gel, particularly for mini breaks or holidays, because it really does make life easier (and prettier). So, having avoided gel polish for most of 2015, I decided to accept when Hepburns Nails invited me to try their very own No Chip Mani.
Mummy Daydreamer and I went to Hepburns in Dundee (there’s another salon in St Andrews) a few weeks ago. The No Chip Mani claims to last 2-3 weeks, and I can confirm that both of our manicures lasted for two full weeks before any significant chips were visible. It was only on day 12 that we each discovered a tiny, minuscule chip – trivial, but within two days I had to remove the polish because I couldn’t cope! Hepburns will remove the polish for you, but I’d only recommend this if you plan to have it reapplied; the No Chip Mani costs £20, and the removal plus reapplication is the same – £20 – whereas just the removal is £15. This seems a bit of a rip-off – why would you pay £15 to have only the removal if it’s only another fiver to have the entire treatment again? I suppose it’s to encourage you to come again for the full treatment – and again, and again, and again.
Anyway, I can’t comment on their removal because I took mine off at home with acetone nail polish remover. As with any gel polish, I had to soak the nail for a good 20 minutes before the polish was soft enough to push away with an orange/cuticle stick. Once it was off, my nails didn’t appear to be as damaged as they have been with other gel polishes in the past – in fact, they weren’t damaged at all. The nail bed was a bit rough but this seemed to be remains of the base coat and although my nail seemed a tiny bit weaker, I filed them down and within a week my nails were back to their normal condition – quite strong and fairly ridgeless.
If you like having your nails done regularly, or if you’re planning a vacay, then I would certainly recommend Hepburns No Chip Mani because the file, cuticle tidy, application and longevity were excellent. I wouldn’t suggest this as a relaxing, friendly, we’re-here-to-spoil-you salon; you go, get your nails done, and get on with your day. With the vast choice of colours and reasonable price point (why do salons in the UK still insist on charging so highly for manis/pedis?) it’s difficult to find any reason not to go to Hepburns.
What are your thoughts on chipped nail polish? Do you prefer gel or regular lacquer? What’s your go-to colour – natural hues or bright tones? And does anyone else match their polish to their outfit?
