1.  Begin with clean, dry nails.  Wipe with polish remover to remove any oils from your nails.  Paint nails with a clear base coat to prevent stains and prepare the nail surface.  There are base coats to treat any nail issue from dryness to peeling to promoting growth.  I use Sally Hanson’s Miracle Cure because my nails tend to get brittle & split.  Essie’s Grow Stronger is another great option to help strengthen nails.  Allow at least 2 minutes for the base coat to dry.

2.  Begin adding color by painting only the tips to give an extra layer of protection to the area most likely to chip.  Be sure to paint over the tip, you want to wrapping around the underside of the nail tip in color.  Allow 2-5 minutes to dry.  Then paint nails, from the cuticle to the tip, with the first coat of color.  Add a second coat of color if necessary.  Some polishes will cover nicely with one coat, while some make take up to three.  I’ve found that most of Essie’s color go on smoothly with just one coat.  Allow 2-5 minutes between each coat.

3.  Finally, apply a layer of top coat to protect from chipping and add shine.  I got Teeez’s Head Over Heels top coat in a GlossyBox & love the shine it gives!  Essie’s Good To Go and Sally Hansen’s Complete Salon Manicure Ultra Wear Top Coat are also good choices that can be found at most drug stores.  Be sure to paint over the tip, like you did in step 2.  Use an orange stick dipped in polish remover to clean up any mistakes and allow around 15 minutes for nails to dry fully.