Give Yourself a Manicure and Pedicure

• Step 1 Remove polish

  Saturate a cotton ball or pad with nail polish remover and remove all traces of polish already on your nails from your last manicure or pedicure. If necessary, use a cotton swab to get into corners and around edges.

• Step 2 Soak your nails

  Soak your fingernails only if they are particularly dirty or stained, or if your cuticles are particularly long. But always soak your feet to soften cuticles and help exfoliate tough skin. Fill a basin or large bowl with very warm water. Add a little body wash or liquid hand soap. Soak 10 to 15 minutes. Pat dry.

• Step 3 Remove dead skin

  Use a pumice stone or emery board on your hands to gently remove calluses and rough skin around the edge of your nails.

  On your feet, use a pumice stone or, for really tough skin, a metal file made specifically for feet. Gently rub calluses and thick skin in small circles.

• Step 4 Groom your nails

  Cut your fingernails, if desired. Use an emery board (never a metal file, which is too rough) to smooth and shape each fingernail. Always file in one direction, working toward the center of the nail — no sawing back and forth. Shape fingernails into slightly squared ovals; the more squared the edges, the stronger the nail.

  Trim toenails straight across to prevent ingrown toenails. Then run an emery board lightly over the cut edges to smooth them.

• Step 5 Groom your cuticles

  Sometimes you can simply push cuticles back with a soft towel. Otherwise, push them with an orange wood stick or rubber-tipped cuticle tool. Never cut cuticles.

• Step 6 Rehydrate skin

  Massage hand lotion or cream gently into skin.

  For more pampering, treat your hands to a hydrating mask for skin. Rub the mask onto your hands, leave for the time specified on the package and then remove as directed. After hydrating, remove residue from nail bed with a cotton ball, pad or swab dipped in polish remover.

• Step 7 Apply a base coat

  A clear base coat prevents colored polish from staining your nails. You can get a base coat that also strengthens nails or fills ridges in nails.

  Apply a thin layer of base coat with three strokes: one down the middle of the nail and then one on either side. Correct mistakes with an orange wood stick dipped in nail polish remover.

  Let dry at least a couple of minutes after doing the last nail.

• Step 8 Apply color

  Apply a thin layer of polish with three strokes: one down the middle of the nail and then one on either side. Correct small mistakes with an orange wood stick dipped in polish remover. For large mistakes, use a cotton swab, but work carefully so the lint doesn’t stick to the wet polish.

  Allow to dry at least a couple of minutes after doing the last nail. Then apply a second coat to get even color without streaking.

• Step 9 Apply a top coat

  Apply a clear topcoat, using the same method you used for the base coat and color coat. The topcoat protects the polish, preventing it from chipping as well as preserving a nice shine.

• Step 10 Let dry thoroughly

  Avoid anything that could damage or smudge the polish on your fingernails for an hour or two.

  Avoid shoes except for flip flops for at least a couple of hours and even then, wear only open-toed shoes for a few more hours. That's why it's a good idea to give yourself a pedicure before bed. Even then, allow at least a couple of hours to dry before you hit the sheets.

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