Seven Steps to a Perfect At-Home Manicure

Paying someone else to do my nails just isn't in my budget. I've never had the luxury of being able to afford to spend $25 - $50 each week simply to have someone make my nails look pretty. But you know what? Even if I had that extra cash, I wouldn't spend it at the nail salon...sometimes women come out of those places with scary-looking talons instead of beautiful fingernails! Besides, I can do my own manicure at home, and it will look great-and now, so can you, if you follow the steps listed below.

Step 1: Cuticles

The first thing to remember is to never cut your cuticles-this can lead to infections and to hangnails, neither of which will make your manicure look pretty. Instead, apply a little bit of cuticle cream, oil, or just plain-old hand lotion over your cuticles and push them back gently. You can push them back with an orange stick wrapped in a bit of cotton (one of those little wooden sticks with the slanted end) or with the cuticle pusher from a manicure kit.

Step 2: Trim and file

Trim your nails first (if necessary) with a pair of nail clippers or nail scissors. Then gently file the edges until they are smooth, taking care to file only in one direction-filing like a saw, back and forth, may cause them to split and crack. File your nails into a shape that mirrors the shape of your cuticles-slightly rounded is usually best.

Step 3: Buff

Some women skip this step, but I find that buffing the nails smooth makes polish adhere better. You can find buffers at any drugstore near the other nail implements. Simply buff the tops of the nails until they are smooth and shiny.

Step 4: Wash and dry

Use a mild soap to wash your hands, paying special attention to your nails. Be sure to clean the undersides of the nails--you can use a nail brush if you want. Dry your hands and nails completely before proceeding to the next step.

Step 5: Base coat