6 Ways to Make Your Beach Manicure Last

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Beach vacations offer the perfect respite for routine—including your manicure routine. Kiss your office-friendly beige polish goodbye, and get ready to get playful. Bright colors, nail art, glitter—the days are long, the sun is hot, and the possibilities are endless.

The only thing in your way is the sun, sand, and surf. Combined, these factors will have your manicure fading at turbo speed. Here’s how to beat the wear-and-tear and make the most of summertime nails.

Have Fun
Sure, pale pink is practical and won’t show chips as much as a bright color will—but you’re on vacation! This is no time to be sensible. Go bright or go home, and be willing to try out trends you might not normally play with. Remember, nail polish is temporary.

One hot trend: go teal. It’s bright, it’s fun, it pops with a tan—it’s the perfect ocean-inspired shade. Try Venique’s Best Behave-ior, Deborah Lippmann’s She Drives Me Crazy, or Essie’s Turquoise and Caicos.

Go the Extra Step
If you want your nails to survive the beach, you’ll need to protect them, so don’t skip on the base coat and top coat. Understandably, you might not want to splurge on a super bright polish color that you’ll only wear a few times, but you shouldn’t skimp on quality top and base coats.

Layer, Layer, Layer
Eye popping opaques might go on sheerer than you want, but resist the temptation to pour it on in a super thick coat. Instead, apply multiple thin layers and let them dry in between. Bonus: this will also let you control exactly how the final product looks.

Touch Up
Keep your manicure fresh by touching it up regularly. The sand might make your shiny polish appear dull, but a daily top up of top coat will restore the glossy look you crave. Venique’s Gel-Like Top Coat lives up to its name: this stuff is durable and will brighten up sand-blasted shades.

Alternatively, you can choose to embrace the matte look—but that doesn’t mean you should skip the top coat. Check out Illamasqua’s Matte Nail Top Coat to get the look.

Keep It Short
Make your beach manicure last by keep your nails short and sweet. A low-maintenance nail length and shape will let you play in and out of the water while minimizing the damage inflicted on your nails.

Be Innovative
Good news: nail polish companies want your beach manicure to last, too.

Orly’s Bonder Rubberized Base Coat gives your nails a grippy texture that will hold on tight to subsequent coats of polish. Long lasting color—yes, please!

Julep’s Freedom Polymer Top Coat is all about protecting your nails, despite the harsh beach conditions. This breathable polish doesn’t choke your nails and filters UV rays to prevent staining.

Venique’s polishes contain Sik-Tek, a silicone blend that actually moves with your nails. That means that you can dig through sand, play in the water, and toss a Frisbee, and the flexible polish will ensure that your manicure remains durable and water-resistant while minimizing damage. It’s the triple threat of nail polish.