1- Soak your hands in warm water with lemon juice or olive oil and apply our Natural Cuticle Softener (below) to loosen dirt and soften your cuticles. Massage your fingertips. Dry your hands, and then clean with a brush. 2- Apply a base coat to your nails holding the brush parallel to the tip of your nail and sweep topcoat under nail to prevent polish chipping. 3- Apply nail polish. If you're in a hurry, use a light or sheer shade that is less likely to reveal mistakes. Use thin layers of color; lots of thin layers are less likely to chip or flake than thick layers. Apply a top coat. 4- If you're struggling to achieve the perfect French Manicure, color in the nail tip with white nail pencil. This is much easier than polish and lasts just as long! Remember to apply a top coat. 5- Finish by fixing runny spots or smudges on your cuticles by dipping a cotton swab in polish remover and dabbing on problem area. 6- Moisturize your hands with lotion when nail polish is completely dry and To extend the life of your manicure, apply a coat of clear polish every other day.