How to Make Your Gel Manicure Last Longer

I love me some gel manicures – and who doesn’t?! It’ll last so much longer than regular nail polish.

The problem? Your nails will grow out and still look decent, so you want to keep the manicure around for as long as you can. I don’t blame you…you paid a lot to get your nails did!

Here are a few ways to go from 2 weeks to 3 weeks(+!) with your gel manicure.

Cut or file your nails

I especially love getting a light or nude colored manicure for this purpose. Once your nails start to grow out, a darker shade unfortunately shows up more near your cuticle line.

Either way, gel still has the ability to chip, so this is a great way to keep your mani looking fresh and clean.

Paint the chipped nail

Another fix I’ve tried is when one nail chips – and chips past being able to fix it by filing or cutting your nails – try painting that nail with a contrast color. I love using sparkly nail polish over a gel manicure because sparkles tend to hang around longer than regular nail polish. Simply paint, cover in a top coat, and you’re good to go!

Paint the nail where it’s growing out

Currently, I have a darker manicure. Most unusual for me, but what can I say? I was feeling frisky.

Anywho, I saw this little gem on Pinterest ages ago and decided to try it. It’s perfect for covering up the cuticle line where your nail has started to grow out.

Simply cover half your nail with scotch tape and paint in your choice of color. (Again, sparkly nail polish is awesome for this.)

Once that’s dry, take off the tape and apply your top coat. Easy peasy!