Question for the ladies.... nail polish + salt water = :-(

[lpowmacback]

I admit, I'm not a manicure type of girl- but I do like to paint them once in a while- especially while on a vacation... but whenever I go snorkeling, swimming, etc., the salt water just ruins the polish... any helpful hints- or should I just buff them nice & shiny and call it a day?

Oh... by the way - do you see THAT TICKER DOWN THERE????!!!! 3 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PA Girl]

I use a good top coat (OPI) and my toes hold up beautifully on vacay.

[mbw1024]

my nail polish always peels off, I think I need to give it up next time.

[Gromit]

buff them nice and shiny IMHO.
I also noticed that the sun will turn those pale pinks sort orange/beige. Not pretty.

For that same reason i go to a fun color for the toes....

[bnsilly]

Yes, I noticed..3 days! Congrats!!!!!!

[Pianogrl]

I'm not a frequent polish user either...but on vacation I do paint my toenails. I have found using a clear top coat over the color helps them to last longer even through all that swimming & snorkeling.

[theshopper3]

I am a big nail person, I always have my nails painted.

I agree that a good top coat does the trick. I had a French manicure done a week before we can in Nov & a month later they were still as white as the day they were done & I love to sit & dig my toes in the sand.

[piscesgirl0314]

I always bring the polish I'm wearing on my toes with me. That way I can touch them up if I need to...

[tipsy]

no nails but wanted to wish you a great trip !! colored nails or not..

[Greenskeeper]

A single coat of a pale pink (the color they use for a french manicure) lasts a long time without chipping and peeling and makes nails look neat and clean. If you do it yourself, a quick swipe over the nails with rubbing alcohol will get rid of any oils or residue to help the polish adhere better. A base coat and top coat will also help immensely.

[INfamily]

After many ruined manicures while on vacation, we have found that the polish on our toes stays put, but on our hands, it doesn't. Our non-scientific opinion is that sunscreen is the problem, not salt water. Sometimes topcoat gets sticky after applying sunscreen. Hope this helps!

[jayseadee]

The polish on my fingers usually stays OK, but I've noticed on the last 2 trips that my Keens ate the polish off the toes. Had to touch them up a few times.

3 days - woohoo for you!!

[chicagoans]

My nails (which are rarely polished) get trashed from being in the water all day. They just seem really weak and susceptible to splitting, so I cut them short and forget about them. I like your idea of just buffing them.

And I'm VERY jealous of your ticker! We've been shoveling out for 2 days with more to come. My STJ tan is now mostly from Jergens Natural Glow.

[LandLockedBeachLover]

Lady from IN is right. It's the sunscreen that will kill the deal; not the salt water. The sunscreen will really wreak havoc on a french manicure on the nails. Regular polish will fare allright with a good top coat. Remember the red polish on the toe nails will also attract the iguanas though !

[Ms.Montana]

If you put a top coat on every 3 days or so it helps as well - both toes and hands.