Ever wonder why a manicure done at a professional salon always lasts longer and looks better than those we do ourselves at home? The main reason is that polishes are not just slapped onto nails when getting a professional manicure. Care and time is taken to properly prep, clean and polish which yields the best results.

Polish Remover – Priming the nails is critical. It removes all of the oil from the nail bed, creating a perfect canvas. Without those oils, your polish will adhere better to your nail giving you a longer lasting result. My all time favourite polish remover is a 3-in-1 product from Zoya that preps and cleans the nail while removing old polish.

Base Coat – Most good quality base coats contain protein, aloe, vitamin e or calcium, which help  replenish dry, brittle nails with moisture, preventing breakage, peeling and staining. I never realized the importance of using a base coat until recently, and now I don’t apply polish without one. Creative Nail Design (CND) makes a really good one that I use, but Sally Hansen also has some good options.

Top Coat – Top coats act as protective barriers and prevent nail polish from fading and chipping. Some even provide a nice “glossy finish” to a manicure. Despite all of the controversy surrounding it, I still repurchase and use the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat because I love the glossy shine and quick drying results.

Good quality polish – You don’t have to spend a fortune on polish, but it is important to find good quality products that give you more bang for your buck. Drugstore companies like Revlon, Maybelline and Sally Hansen make wonderful polish options and always come out with trendy collections every season. My favourite polish brand for color originality and opacity is ESSIE. Other favourites are China Glaze, OPI, Zoya and American Apparel.

Something to keep nails looking healthy –  You can’t do all of the above and use all of the right things without first ensuring that your nails are in good shape to begin with. I prefer filing nails rather than trimming or cutting them, but that’s my preference. It is also important to make sure that any dead skin is removed and cuticles are groomed. For this I especially like the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. It helps melt away and break down excess cuticles without the need for any additional tools.

Well there you have it. Even though my collection of polishes far exceeds that of the average woman, I never particularly enjoyed doing my nails myself. I preferred to get a professional manicure until I realized that with the right products, a salon manicure was easily achievable at home.