Six Step French Manicures for Hands

Doing your nails doesn't have to turn into an epic. Even if you don't regularly wear polish, a once weekly session keeps them well-groomed.

1. Clean off any old polish with a gentle, acetone-free solvent that helps prevent nail brittleness and dry-out.

2. Soak nails in a glass of warm, soapy water for two minutes. Blot dry and gently ease back the cuticles with a hoof stick wrapped in cotton wool. Don't jab the nail base.

3. Clean under the nail tips with an orange stick. Rinse and file with a fine-textured emery board. Make long, sweeping strokes to shape, and then lightly flick along the nail.

4. Rinse again and pat dry. Dot a drop of oil on to each cuticle and use the pad of the thumb of your other hand to massage it well into the nail bed.

5. Buff the nails with a smooth buffer. This boosts the circulation, helps even out ridges, seals nail tips to prevent flaking, and leaves a natural, healthy-looking sheen.

6. Apply a protein-enriched base coat to strengthen weak nails and help prevent splitting, flaking and nail polish staining. Finally, choose a polish that flatters your skin tone.