meanwhile it always helps to shine your nails to perfection using one of those 3-step buffer board things. the surface of your nail is super smooth after, which makes nailpolish application so much easier.

1. Begin by softening cuticles by soaking fingertips in a bowl of warm water with some oil in it. I use Sally Hanson Vitamin E oil.

2. Massage cuticles and push them back to your nail bed with a cuticle pusher or special wooden stick, or if you’re me, just use your fingernails! Getting cuticles out of the way makes polish application much neater.

3. Trim nails and file edges. Do any other clean-ups to cuticles, hangnails, ends.

4. Wipe off any excess oil.

5. Buff nails with a buffing block until smooth.

– at this point you can stop and have nice shiny natural nails, or … –

6. Apply base coat

7. Apply polish layer 1. Try to use three strokes. Don’t make the polish layer too thick or it will take forever to dry, get bubbles in it, and otherwise just be goopy and messy.

8. When dry, apply polish layer 2. repeat if necessary. Remember not to go to thick on the coats.

9. Apply top coat. I love Seche Vite.

10. Clean up any messy spots — I use Sally hansen’s cleanup pen to erase mistakes.

Voila! This usually lasts about 4-5 days for me before it starts chipping.