First and foremost, if you're a nail nibbler, stop it already. Not only are the results unsightly, but your figertips are home to a host of nasty germs and bacteria that you simply don't need in your mouth. Tie your hands together or undergo hypnosis if you have to, but lose the chewing.

Learn how to weild a nail file. The rule: file gently, only in one direction. Back and forth sawing weakens nails and causes splits.

Ace your base coat. It may seem unnecessary --what with primers being invisible and all-- but base coats are specially formulated to cling to nails better (making polish last longer), plus they'll prevent your tips from turning an unnatural shade of yellow.

Take it slow. Several thin coats of polish --allowed to dry for five to ten minutes between applications-- last longer and chip less than a single mud-thick coat or two. Patience, my dears, will pay off.

Quit playing chemist. Food colouring stains your nails something fierce, and polish remover isn't meant to double as a polish thinner. It may seem to work, but it'll screw with the color's consistency, and you're likely to wind up with a lumpy, clumpy mess. Suck it up and drop the $3 on a new bottle. Hey, it's a perfect excuse to test-drive a racy new shade.

Leave your poor cuticles alone. Why the urge to banish these poor boys from the nail kingdom? They're meant to be there. They serve a purpose --to protect the nail bed (also known as Growth Central). Push back gently, if you must. The best time to do it is post-shower or bath, when cuticles are soft and pliable. Cutting your cuticles is cruel and unusual. Besides, what did they ever do to you?

86 the acrylics. Can you say '80s? Besides that, these rock-hard overlays smother your natural nail, leaving you with tissue-thin tips when you eventually do smarten up and pitch the plastic talons. Bite the bullet and do it now. Another good reason: It'll save you about 400 bucks a year.

<<