Getting a lasting manicure involves more than just polish. Experts highlight important preparation steps like cuticle care and nail cleaning. Application techniques including thin layers and proper curing are important. Aftercare, such as wearing gloves and using cuticle oil, prevents daily wear. Nail health and manageable length also contribute to this. Understanding these elements ensures that your manicure stays fresh for weeks.

A fresh manicure should feel like it’s been on your back for at least a week or two. Regular polish usually lasts 7 to 14 days, while gel can stay strong for up to three weeks. So if your nails are breaking within a few days, something is wrong. The good news is that once you find out where things are going wrong it’s usually easy to fix.Let’s start with the biggest offender. Preparation. If this step is not taken correctly, nothing really matters. Clean, dry nails are required for the polish to stick. If your cuticles have not been pushed back properly or there is even a little oil or dust left on the nail plate, lifting begins almost immediately. Buffing can also make or break it. By over-buffing you weaken the nail. There’s nothing to catch in under-buff and polish. The solution is simple. Clean your cuticles properly, use a nail cleanser or dehydrator, and keep buffing light and controlled.Next is the application. Thick coats may seem like a shortcut but they’re one of the quickest ways to ruin a manicure. They do not dry evenly and crack quickly. Another common mistake is skipping the base coat or top coat. And if you’re taking a gel, not applying it properly can seriously affect how long it lasts. One small thing that people often overlook is sealing the edges of the nail. This step helps lock everything in place and prevents quick breakage. Stick to thin layers, let the gel cure the entire time, and always finish with a top coat. This makes a noticeable difference.

The shape and length of your nails also play a role. Very long nails look great but they are more prone to breaking as they undergo more stress during the day. If your nails are weak or peeling, no matter what you do, the polish won’t hold on well. Keeping the length manageable helps. Filing in one direction instead of back and forth also reduces damage. If your nails need extra support, a stronger base coat can really help.Now let’s talk about aftercare, because this is where most people go wrong. Everyday habits can silently ruin your manicure. Washing dishes without gloves, using your nails to open things, or exposing them to harsh chemicals all have adverse effects. Even leaving out cuticle oil matters more than you think. Hydrated nails are less likely to lift or break. Try applying cuticle oil daily and pay a little more attention to how you use your hands. Small changes here go a long way.Ultimately, your lifestyle also plays a role. Constant exposure to water can weaken the polish as nails expand and contract. The heat and humidity don’t help either. If you work out often or use your hands a lot, your manicure will naturally suffer more wear and tear. You don’t have to change your routine, just be a little more protective. Wearing gloves while working and a little extra care can keep your nails looking fresh longer.At the end of the day, a long-lasting manicure isn’t just about the polish. It’s all about preparation, technique, nail health and what you do after you leave the salon. Get these right and your manicure will truly last as it should.Input by Neelam Jaiswal, Nail Technician and Trainer, Looks Salon

Author JK Rowling has put its seal of approval on the new ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ teaser trailer. A day after the trailer of the upcoming web series made waves online, Rowling took to her handle to answer a fan’s question about the series and extend her support to the new batch of actors. Rowling, who created the magical world that inspired the film franchise and spanned the Broadway productions, shared her excitement, saying, “It’s going to be incredible. I’m so excited about it.”

JK Rowling praised ‘Harry Potter’ series

Fans trolled ‘Harry Potter’ series

His support for the series comes amid considerable backlash on social media over the casting of actor Papa Essiedu as Professor Snape. Following the trailer launch fans trolled HBO and the actor, not only for appearing to wear a zipper as part of his wizard wardrobe, but also for deviating from the book’s description of a ‘pale’ man of African heritage.

Cast and release date of ‘Harry Potter’

The eight-episode first season is set to debut on Christmas 2026 and will feature an all-new cast of Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. John Lithgow plays Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer plays Minerva McGonagall, Papa Essiedu plays Severus Snape, and Nick Frost plays Rubeus Hagrid.The young cast includes Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Leo Early as Seamus Finnigan, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Rory Spooner as Percy Weasley, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil.Among the additional cast, Daniel Rigby plays Vernon Dursley, Bel Powley plays Petunia Dursley, Paul Whitehouse plays Argus Filch, Johnny Flynn plays Lucius Malfoy, Bertie Carvel plays Cornelius Fudge, Luke Thelon plays Quirinus Quirrell, and Katherine Parkinson plays Molly Weasley.The role of the main villain, Lord Voldemort, has not been decided yet.

About the ‘Harry Potter’ film series

The original film series consisted of eight films released between 2001 and 2011, beginning with ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ starring Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley.

Top Stocks to Buy Today (AI Image)

stock market recommendations: : Granules IndiaAnd RBL Bank Here are the top two stocks that Bajaj Broking Research has recommended for March 27, 2026. think over niftyAnd bank nifty Also shared:Index View: NiftyIndian benchmark indices gained strongly in the last two trading sessions on improving global sentiment amid signs of possible easing of Middle East tensions. Investor confidence was boosted by reports that US President Donald Trump is actively pursuing a diplomatic solution to the nearly month-long conflict between joint US-Israeli forces and Iran.According to media sources, Washington has presented Tehran with a comprehensive 15-point peace proposal aimed at reducing hostilities and restoring stability in the region. While these developments have sparked optimism in global markets, there has been no official confirmation or reaction from the Iranian side so far, leaving some uncertainty over the outcome of the initiative.The prospect of brokered talks between the US and Iran was enough to send oil prices plunging, rising above pre-war levels for several days.Volatility is expected to remain in the near term due to uncertain global cues, strengthening crude oil prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions. The index is likely to consolidate in the range of 22,400-23,850 in the coming sessions.Nifty bounced back from the highly oversold zone on both daily and weekly oscillators in the last two sessions. Going forward, a move above Wednesday’s high of 23,465 could extend the pullback to 23,800 levels.However, for a meaningful break in the ongoing downtrend, the index needs to form a sustained higher high-higher low structure on the daily chart and close above last week’s high of 23,862.On the downside, a breach below the current week’s low of 22,471 could lead to further decline towards 22,100 and 21,800 levels.bank niftyBank Nifty also witnessed a strong rally in the last two sessions due to improvement in global sentiment amid signs of possible easing of Middle East tensions.Volatility is expected to persist in the near term due to rising geopolitical tensions and rising crude oil prices, which is weighing on the overall market sentiment.The index is likely to consolidate in the range of 51,400-54,800 in the coming sessions.A strong move above Wednesday’s high (54150) will lead to further decline towards 54,800 levels in the coming sessions. The index needs to make higher higher lows and higher lows on a sustained basis and close above the 54,700 level to signal a pause in the downtrend.On the downside, a breach below 51,400 will open further upside towards 50,700 and 50,000.

Stock Recommendations:

Granules IndiaBuy in the range of ₹ 620.00-632.00

Granules India share price has generated a breakout above the last three months’ consolidation range at 625-560 signaling strength and provides fresh entry opportunities.The breakout is supported by strong volume indicating large participation in the breakout zone. We expect the stock to move higher and move towards the 685 level, which is the measuring implication of the recent range breakout. The daily 14 periods RSI is in an uptrend rebounding, taking support at its nine periods moving average thus validating the positive bias.RBL BankBuy in the range of 298-305

The stock has formed a potential double bottom around 290 levels and has risen above 50 days EMA, providing fresh entry opportunities.The stock has also given a breakout above the range for the last 9 days indicating a positive bias. We expect it to reach 330 levels in the coming month, which will be 80% retracement of the entire decline (340-288).The daily 14-period RSI has generated a buy signal by rising above its nine-period moving average which validates the positive bias.(Disclaimer: The recommendations and views given by experts on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

It feels like there’s no stopping Ranveer Singh‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ is making waves at the box office. The film, directed by Adia Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, Sanjay DuttThe film, starring R Madhavan and Arjun Rampal in the lead roles, ended its first week at the box office in India with a collection of Rs 800 crore.Dhurandhar 2 Movie Review

Bharat Net Collection of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’

According to early estimates, the film earned an estimated Rs 49.70 crore at the box office on its second Thursday, reports Sacknilk. Figures show that after seeing a drop in its collections in the middle of the week, the film saw minimal growth at the theatres. The film, which had a strong opening with an estimated Rs 43 crore from preview shows alone, earned an estimated Rs 102.55 crore on Thursday, March 19, which was its official release. On Friday, the film earned an estimated Rs 80.72 crore, but picked up momentum over the weekend, earning an estimated Rs 113 crore and followed it up with an impressive Rs 114.85 crore on Sunday. With this the film ended its first weekend with a total net collection of Rs 454.12 crore. While the numbers declined on Monday, the film still managed to earn an estimated Rs 65 crore. During the working week, its numbers saw a gradual further decline, earning Rs 56.60 crore and Rs 48.75 crore on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ Day 8 collection

With the eighth day collection of Rs 49.70 crore, the total net collection of the film is estimated at Rs 674.17 crore. Meanwhile, the gross total collection has crossed the Rs 800 crore mark. According to the report, the film has earned Rs 805.32 crore in India.

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ vs ‘Dhurandhar’

With just a few weeks left for the film to be out of theatres, ‘Dhurandhar 2’ is now chasing the total earnings of ‘Dhurandhar’ which had earned an estimated Rs 1,007.85 crore. Meanwhile, the total Indian net collection of the film in 2025 stood at Rs 840.20 crore.

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ international box office

The film has continued to do well in overseas markets. The latest collection is estimated to be around Rs 261.92 crore, the report said. In this way, the film has almost succeeded in matching the Lifetime International collection of its first part, which had earned Rs 299.50 crore in overseas countries. The film managed to perform well despite facing stiff competition in the international market, with the release of Ryan Gosling’s sci-fi space film ‘Project Hail Mary’.‘Dhurandhar 2’ has a long weekend ahead of it. With no major competition at the box office, it remains to be seen if it can achieve another great weekend and become the highest-grossing new Hindi film of all time.

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ beats ‘Pathan’ and ‘Kalki 2898 AD’

As it reaches the top of the box office, ‘Dhurandhar 2’ has already cemented its place among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time by surpassing the lifetime collections of both Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathan’ and Prabhas and Deepika Padukone’s ‘Kalki 2898 AD’. In just 8 days, the film has overtaken ‘Pathan”s total earnings of Rs 1,055 crore and ‘Kalki 2898 AD”s total earnings of Rs 1,042.25 crore. Disclaimer: The box office numbers and data in this article are compiled from a variety of public and industry sources. Unless explicitly noted, all figures are approximate, representing a fair representation of the film’s box office performance. These totals may change as official studio data is updated or additional international market reports are finalized. This data is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.