Those of you who know me or have been reading the blog for a while may know that I am absolutely terrible when it comes to manicures. Not only am I terrible at applying polish myself, my nails just seem to repel the stuff. (Seriously, I've had manicures done that chip within the day!)

After chatting with Gummy on multiple occasions, she pushed me to add a few more steps to my manicure routine - a primer that tempted us both and her favorite topcoat.

nail tek foundation 2 review, deborah lippmann 2 second primer review, sally hansen instadri topcoat review

So, I grabbed the Deborah Lippmann 2 Second Primer, newly available through Sephora and dabbed each nail with a drop of the stuff. Meant to really clean the nail to prep it for your manicure, this stuff really seems to work. I followed it with a coat of my trusty Nail Tek Foundation II base, and my glossy nails were ready for color. The Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat is brilliant too - a shiny, hard coat to protect, and boy does it keep that manicure on. When I talked about Essie Full Steam Ahead in this post a few weeks ago, I was wearing this bulletproof combo, and my photo is from TWO DAYS after I did my nails. EPIC I tell you.

Have you tried any of these for your manicure? What manicure secrets really work for you? I'd love to know!

All products in this post were purchased by me. This post contains affiliate links.

FYI: I have posted a blog sale which can be accessed here or by clicking the "Blog Sale" link in the header. I hope you guys will take a look at it! :)

I've had this little mini sized polish since the Barney's beauty event in February, and I've FINALLY gotten around to using it. (Yes, I know, that was 6 months ago and I am horrible for leaving my pretties alone for so long!)

deborah lippmann sweet dreams review, deborah lippmann nail polish review

I can't tell you why it has taken me so long to use it, and I sure regret not trying it sooner! This hot pink shade with glitter flakies is right up my alley, and I have always meant to try Deborah Lippmann too!

Opaque in two coats, even with my poor nail polishing skills, I am quite a fan of this formula so far. Generally, my nails chip really fast, not to mention that so many nail polish formulas just go on streaky to start with. This one looks good, and is holding up well. Wohoo!

I definitely want to try more Deborah Lippmann polishes, and I'm totally kicking myself for not trying this sooner. For those of you who are Sephora shoppers, there is a Deborah Lippmann 100 point perk at my local stores. I imagine it is one of the new perks for August, and I bet it will go fast!

EDIT: I spotted a WWD headline today that says Sephora will be carrying an exclusive collection of Deborah Lippmann polishes starting in September!! Some of the brand is already available on Sephora.com, which notes that the full collection will be available online August 12th and in stores September 5th.

What do you think of Deborah Lippmann Sweet Dreams? Do you have a favorite shade from the brand that I must try? I'd love to know! :)

Deborah Lippmann Sweet Dreams appears to be a LE shade, however it is still available for purchase on HSN and Zappos. (Affiliate Link)