Reddit mentions of China Glaze China Glaze Fast Freeze Quick Dry 2oz

I'm not the original person you were talking to but I wanted to share my base and top coat because I love their longevity.

These are my nails after 4 days wear.
I have done dishes and laundry every day, and my job is practically typing for 8 hours.

The picture is of my dominant hand, and I have not reapplied my top coat at all.

I swear by Orly's Bonder as a base coat and Poshe for my top coat. They're amazing and last so long I feel bad removing my manicures because they're still decent.

Poshe dries suuuuper fast too.

Just start painting your nails and you will figure out what works best for you eventually. I've compiled a list of helpful links/videos that I've found helpful for me.

Dotting Tools:

• Cutepolish's video on how to make your own dotting tool.
  
• <$2 on amazon. It might take a while to get to you if it's being shipped from China though.
  
  Stripping tape:
  
  
• $1.08 on amazon.
  The trick when you use stripping tape is to make sure your polish isn't old and too goopy, otherwise it will not be so crisp.
  
• And use tweezers like this or this.
  
  Cleaning
  
  
• You will get the hang of cleaning once you start practicing. If you get better at application you will have to do less cleaning. This will come with practice. I suck at doing nails with little mess. So I use acetone and a slanted brush. This might be a good set to get.
  
• /u/ReneeJade 's post about cleaning up with toothpicks is very helpful too.
  
  Nail Polish Brands
  
  
• This depends on how much money you want to spend. I started with Sinful Colors because no mula. But the formula is kinda bad and takes forever to dry. And Sinful Colors stain your nails really bad in my experience. Sally Hansen is pretty good for the price. I only just acquired a couple of China Glazes and Essie's. They are pretty good but I only buy it when it's less than $3. I don't have experiences with Orly, O.P.I.
  
• Julep is okay in my opinion. Personally, I feel like they're not worth the price. One of my bottles just broke when I was turning the cap. And the other one (Julep Sasha) stained my nails really bad :/
  
• There are nail polish programs like Julep Maven (who do a free first box with code FREEBOX) and other ones that I don't know about but head onto /r/BeautyBoxes to find out more.
  
  Top Coat and Base Coat
  
  
• Orly bonder is a good base coat that I use. I don't have experiences with other ones, so I can't compare.
  
• Getting a fast drying top coat is probably a good idea. I use Seche Vite but it has a really strong smell and it shrinks your polish. I'm trying to find a new one but Sally Hansen Insta Dry didn't work for me. It smudged my nail art even though it dries pretty fast. Poshe is supposed to be good but I don't have experience with it.
  
  Nail Strengthening
  
  
• O.P.I. Nail envy is a lot of people's favorites but it didn't work for me personally. Just search this subreddit with "nail envy".
  
• Quimica Alemana. This stuff has good reviews and I want to try it.
  
  Nail file
  
  
• Use a crystal one. This one has good reviews or use an O.P.I. one. I use an O.P.I, pretty happy with it.
  
  Have fun painting!

Sparkles Orly bonder is my last hope for making my nail polish last more than a day.

I could definitely use this base coat, I'm totally out and my manis are chipping so quickly! I haven't used this one yet but Orly has great products so I figure it's gotta be at least ok :-D I'd prefer Orly Bonder but it's a bit over budget so it'll have to wait.

(On this wishlist <3)

My polish used to chip like crazy until I tried Orly Bonder as my base coat. CND Stickey would work too, but it's more expensive and harder to find outside of Amazon. I can go a week without chips. Also, when you do the actual nail polish color, do really thin layers. Like your first layer should still be see through. I usually do 3 of these layers, but since they're so thin, by the time I finish my hand, the first nail is already dry. Make sure that each layer is completely dry before doing another layer. It dries much faster this way.

Other people have covered top & base coat, and using thinner and not remover to fix old polish. (I use Orly's Bonder as a base coat, and Seche Vite for a top coat.)

Do your wrap your tips? That's supposed to help minimize chipping.

• http://www.alllacqueredup.com/2010/06/manicure-trick-wrap-tips.html
  
  
• http://the-polished-perfectionist.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-wrap-your-tips.html
  
  
• http://resplendentrainbows.blogspot.com/2011/04/nail-tutorial-wrapping-your-tips.html

I actually love giving manicures to friends and family. My mom once brought me to her patient's house to paint the nails of 3 little girls. Cutest thing ever!

As for tips, some of it is really product quality/chemistry. I recommend two specific products: Orly Bonder as a base coat and Seche Vite as a topcoat.

The base coat prevents your nails from staining, and this one is rubberized (it feels sticky if you touch it), so polish adheres really well. This top coat dries your nails in about 60 seconds. I am an idiot and always have to pee right after I finish my nails. I can actually do that with SV. This combo has been able to make almost every nail polish I use last as long as I want it to last (for me, up to 7 days, but usually closer to 4).

To prevent chipping, it's important to use as few thin layers as possible. Thicker polish chips easier. The best polishes are ones that are heavily pigmented, but thin. I could probably suggest several based on your favorite colors. But my favorite brand is probably China Glaze. Oh! Also to prevent chipping and peeling, don't flood the cuticles. I leave a small amount of space as a border on my nail. You can see it pretty well here, especially on the thumb. I do this either by being sparing with my application or taking a paintbrush dipped in acetone and cleaning up the edges when I'm finished. It thins out the sides, making the polish less able to peel up from the edges.

I'm grateful for kind strangers. Whether they flash a smile, hold a door open, or gift people on the internet, the world needs more of them.

stitchinbitchinlovesme!

I've been using Orly Bonder base coat for months. MONTHS now. It's pretty fantastic and my manis last a while. Plus I've had no issues with staining.

For top coat I use Seche Vite. It honestly seems like most people like it but there's also a majority out there who prefer other coats. I tried going the cheap route for quick drying top coats and they all disappointed me. (Never have tried Out The Door though.)

I'm in school to be a vet tech and am also a shelter volunteer, so I know this problem too. My best advice is to keep everything moisturized, including the nails. Use a good cuticle cream (I like LUSH's lemony flutter or Burts Bees lemon cuticle balm). I've noticed that my nail polish lasts longer when I take care of that. I've also had good luck with a sticky base coat like ORLY Bonder. It's hard to find a combination that will stand up to this kind of wear, though. I usually have to redo my nails if I've been doing a lot of cleaning/sanitizing or wearing gloves for long periods, like in lab.

Welcome! And yes, you belong here <3

I love the two manis you did, they are really pretty.

As for good times to have... Bonder is a great base coat. Seche Vite is a great fast drying top coat. Looks like you have brushes, dotting tools and tape already on your list. Other than that just add a few polishes from every color of the rainbow to get an idea of what you like and go from there!