Lifestyle Choices

You really should indulge yourself and have a professional manicure at least once; save your baby-sitting cash or weekly allowance and go ahead and splurge! Think of it as more than an indulgence, however; learning tips from a pro will enable you to give yourself perfect manicures at home. If you have any problem tendencies, a good manicurist will point them out and offer helpful advice for combatting them.

Until you make your first appointment, study the list below, in which a New York City nail-care expert reveals her method for flawless fingers:

Remove old polish with a cotton ball saturated in nail polish remover. Twist a little of the cotton around the tip of an orange stick to clean under nails too.

1. Use an emery board to shape, file, and smooth nails. Never file sides too low, for they support nails. For failproof filing, tilt emery board under tip of nail and file at a forty-five-degree angle from each side toward center, gently rounding off tip.Nails should extend about one third the length of their base beyond tips of fingers. Avoid squaring off nails, a practice that will cause them to split. Also avoid dragon lady nails, grown so long that they begin to curl under.
2. Massage a nourishing vitamin E-based oil into nails and cuticles. Push cuticles back with an orange stick. Never cut!
3. Remove excess oil with a cotton ball saturated with witch hazel.
4. Stroke on a protective base coat—this is not simply clear polish, but a specially formulated product—to protect nails from yellowing. Let dry thoroughly.
5. Apply two or three coats of your favorite nail color, allowing at least five minutes between coats. Use short, careful strokes and distribute polish evenly over nail surface. If polish is too thick, use polish thinner, not remover, which will dull the shine.

Last, seal polish with a specially formulated top coat. Every other day, add a fresh layer of top coat to keep nails looking their best. Quick tip: In a hurry and can’t wait for nails to dry? Run fingers under ice-cold water very briefly.

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