DIY MANICURE

Give "polish" to your summertime look by scoring the perfect DIY manicure. Myjellybean.com presents tips for doing it salon-style at home.

What You'll Need:

• Cotton balls
• Nail polish remover
• Q-tips
• Nail file
• Nail buffer (available at drugstores)
• Cuticle stick with square end (available at drugstores)
• A gentle liquid soap
• A small bowl
• Hand lotion
• Clear nail polish
• Your fav colored nail polish
• A clean towel

And Now for the Manicure...

Step 1: Prep nails.

Dab a cotton ball in nail polish remover and swipe nails from bottom to top. Make sure you get rid of all traces of old color. To get rid of a dark color like red, let the cotton ball sit on the nail a little longer so it can "grab" the old polish. To get old polish out of the crevices at the sides of nails, use a Q-Tip dipped in polish remover. Once you're done, rinse nails under cool running water to clean off any traces of polish remover. Dry hands with a towel.

Step 2: Shape up.

It's time to file your nails into shape. For the healthiest nails, cut longish ones straight across and then file the sides until they are nice and rounded. Don't file your nails into points, or saw back in forth with the nail file - this can weaken nails. Instead, move the file in one direction only over your nail (choose one direction and stick with it).

Step 3: Buff, baby!

Buffing your nails creates a smooth, even surface for painting. Pick up a nail buffer at your local drugstore - square or round, the shape doesn't matter. Gently move the buffer back and forth a few times over each nail. Don't overdo it.

Step 4: Soak story.

Fill a small bowl with warm (not hot) water and a gentle liquid soap. Soak your hands in it for about five minutes. This fully cleans nails and softens cuticles so they are easier to remove.

Step 5: Get soft.

Apply hand lotion all around the edges of each nail. Let the moisturizer soak in for about two minutes. Add some extra lotion and give yourself a hand massage while you're waiting.

Step 6: Cuticle care.

Gently push back cuticles. Cuticles are the white skin-like debris around the edges and at bottom of nails. Use a blunt cuticle stick (available at drugstores - get a square one instead of the pointy kind), moving it in small circular movements to gently push back cuticles and brush them away. Tip: Never, ever use scissors to remove cuticles! If it's too hard to remove them with the cuticle stick, just push them to the side as much as possible and leave them alone. DON'T get overzealous during this step. Your cuticles should never hurt or bleed during a manicure or you run the risk of a nail infection.

Step 7: Making a base.

Rinse your nails under cool water again to clean them off. Dry hands with a towel. Now apply a base coat of clear nail polish. This protects your nail and helps polish go on smoothly. Make sure to let your base coat dry completely before applying polish.

Step 8: Color on.

Apply nail polish. Dip your nail polish brush into the bottle. When drawing out the brush, wipe one side against the bottle to get rid of extra liquid (use the other side for applying). Don't go right to the very bottom of your nail - go almost to the bottom. Try to apply polish in three strokes. Start with a stroke down the middle of your nail, working from bottom top top. Next do one side of that stripe, then the other. It may be hard to do each nail in only three brush strokes at first, but with practice you'll learn to do it and your nail polish will look amazing and smooth. After all your nails are done, wait two or three minutes, then add a second coat of polish.

Step 9: Top coat.

Wait at least five to ten minutes for second coat to dry, then apply a top coat of clear nail polish to seal in color and add extra shine. (Skip the top coat if you don't wait nails to have a shiny look).

Step 10: Strut your stuff.

You're done! Go out and show off your gorgeous nails!