Self care and a manicure go hand in hand, but sometimes what started out as a relaxing beauty ritual can end as a sticky mess. Skip the headache and go straight to a polished nail look that is professional grade with these tips and tricks that are practiced by manicure pros:

1. Never Skip the Prep

Adeeba’s Tip: “Nail prep! If your nail prep game is strong, your manicure will last longer. Cuticle removal, filing, buffing and a base coat are essential in having the nail polish adhere to your nails.”

Adeeba’s Nail Care Must Have: Horsepower Nail Rescue Basecoat. Packed with Horsetail Extract, Biotin, Vitamin B and Calcium, this award-winning basecoat helps restore the look of damaged nails and helps prevent future nail damage or breakage.

2. Pamper Those Cuticles

Samantha’s Tip: “To keep my cuticles looking right, I use the Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator BEFORE EVERY new mani! This helps keep my detail-obsessed mind at bay knowing that there won’t be any small pieces of dead or broken skin in the way while I’m painting. It’s also a great prep for the photos you’ll take when you’re done!”

Samantha’s Nail Care Must Have: Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator. This gentle exfoliator helps magically melt away dead, dry and overgrown cuticles in minutes—no cutting needed. Using this fast-acting exfoliator consistently will help make it easier to push back cuticles overtime.

3. Repeat After Me… Thin Nail Lacquer Coats

butter LONDON Tip: Always, always apply your nail lacquer in thin coats to avoid a clumpy manicure. Bubbly, bumpy, sticky nails are a sign that you were too heavy handed with your nail lacquer application. It is also important to allow 2-3 minutes of dry time in between nail polish coats.

butter LONDON Must Have: Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer. This trend-setting, 10-Free butter LONDON nail lacquer comes In a kaleidoscope of colours and is formulated with nail-loving ingredients that help strengthen, protect and smooth nails.

4. Always Apply a Top Coat

Mel’s Tip: “I always try to seal the tip of my manicure with a topcoat to prevent chipping. I like to reapply the topcoat after a few days to give it an extra shine and prolong my manicure even more!”

Mel’s Nail Care Must Have: “One of my go-to products is the Hardwear Shine UV Topcoat. It dries really fast and gives my manicure a super glossy shine.”

5. Finish with a Clean Up

Adeeba’s Tip: “The secret to making an at-home manicure look salon professional is removing any nail polish around your cuticles. I do this by using thin angled brush, honestly and old eyebrow brush will do, and dipping it into acetone to clean around edges. Making sure just to use the tip for the most precision! I do this step right after applying as it’s easier to clean when nail polish is wet rather than dry.”

Adeeba’s (Other) Nail Care Must Have: “Nail Scrubbers Prep and Remove Nail Lacquer Wipes. Not only are these wipes ideal for a good nail prep-and-clean, but they also help remove any excess nail polish on hands and cuticles. The dual-sided Nail Scrubbers are infused with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E to help nourish nails and cuticles and remove stubborn nail lacquer left over.”

Follow these advanced nail artists on Instagram!

@Sammismanis aka Samantha

@Yodeebs aka Adeeba

@caramellogram aka Mel