Maybe you want to save money by skipping a trip to the salon this month.  Or you have the perfect outfit, and the perfect polish, but you can’t get an appointment for a manicure. Painting your own nails isn’t difficult, but for glossy nails that don’t chip or crack, there are a few extra guidelines you should follow–doing so will turn do-it-yourself ingenuity into salon-styled perfection.

If your cuticles aren’t well maintained, trim them. Polish peels back quickly from the soft skin that makes up your cuticles, and will give your nails a ragged appearance. Wash your hands thoroughly. Then prepare your nails for polish by swabbing them with nail polish remover. This strips any excess oil away–oil prevents a good bond from forming between the polish and your nail. It’s one reason why nail polish chips away.

Even if you have to hurry, a base coat is worth the time. Keep one on hand that is transparent or matches your skin tone so you don’t have to worry about mistakes. It will also help the polish bond to your nails. When that’s dry, apply nail polish in thin coats. No more than three, and let the polish dry completely between each coat.