Summer or winter, a beautiful manicure is an everyday affair. For those of you who like to keep your hands soft and your nails shiny and manicured for as long as possible, here are a few tips that should do the trick.

A good base ensures long-lasting hold

As with make-up, a manicure requires a clean, healthy and well-prepared base. As we all know, brittle, weakened and diseased nails are unlikely to keep our manicure in place for more than a few days, so it's important to take good care of them before applying a manicure.

Hand washing and care

It may sound simple, but we rarely think of washing our hands before applying our nail polish. Why is it so important? Washing your hands removes any greasy residue, dust or micro-elements (such as a hair, for example), which could compromise the correct application of the nail polish. Then it's on to the care! Cuticle removal, skin-softening cream, a little massage for pleasure and, if necessary, nail trimming, depending on whether you prefer short or long nails! 

Lightly sand the nail surface.

It's a step that's often skipped for lack of time, or simply because we don't think it's necessary. And yet, just as the skin needs to be moisturized to best support make-up, the nail also needs to be polished (very, very lightly) to ensure maximum polish adhesion and long-lasting hold. Using a nail file or pumice block, lightly sand the nail surface until it looks smooth. Be careful not to go too hard, as extreme sanding of the nail is very bad and can lead to breakage or cracking (and that hurts!). Don't forget to file your nails to give them the desired shape before applying polish. Almond-shaped, square or rounded nails? The choice is yours. Finally, use a nail brush to remove sanding residues and smooth the nail surface. 

Étape 3 : on protège ! Tout comme on protège sa peau des UV, de la pollution et des cosmétiques dont on l'affuble, l'ongle aussi mérite d'être protégé avant toute pose de vernis. Pourquoi ? Sur le long terme, on le remarque très vite, l'ongle jauni au contact permanent des pigments du vernis (qui rappelons-le, reste une substance chimique!). Il peut aussi se dédoubler et se casser. Pour éviter le maximum de désagréments on veille à poser une couche de base transparente avant chaque manucure maison. Notons que la base permet aussi une application plus uniforme du vernis à ongles, elle aide aussi à durcir l'ongle pour éviter la casse, et permet une meilleure tenue dans le temps. En bref, elle a tout bon. 

You can also add a layer of nail serum for double protection!

Applying varnish the right way

It's not just a matter of applying a quick brushstroke and calling it a day. Varnish application is an art to be respected and learned! Of course, with a little practice, patience and desire, it's easy to master the perfect application, step by step.

Step 1: Varnish is applied in successive coats, not in a single brushstroke packed to the brim with texture... Avoid pâté! Do it right. It's best to let each coat dry before applying the next one.

Étape 2 : on prend son temps. On ne veut pas de couches mal étalées qui pourraient laisser de vilaines stries une fois séchées. Il est important d'appliquer minutieusement chaque couche de vernis afin de veiller à remplir absolument toutes les zones de l'ongle.

Step 3: Don't forget to tuck in. What's this? This technique allows you to fill the entire nail optimally and, above all, make the nail polish last a little longer. Excess can be removed with the head of a cotton bud soaked in nail polish remover, or with a nail polish remover pen. For the final step, make sure to varnish the tip of the nail (horizontally) to thicken the nail and "close" the varnish application. 

Leave to set, but don't rush

Varnish application for a perfect manicure takes time. It's best to avoid having an errand to run afterwards! Set aside a whole afternoon if you have to, to make sure you don't ruin the application at the slightest snag... As we pointed out above, it's essential to let each coat dry before reapplying it. This pause will allow the varnish to spread and set better.

• A little trick to speed up drying time? Run your nails under ice-cold water and let your hands air-dry.

A must: finish with a touch of top coat

The top coat is the base... of the end! To round off a little homemade manicure session, we make sure to top off colored nails with a final coat of top-coat. This special varnish is available in several formulas, including one that speeds up drying! Others revive color and shine, ensure hold and even strengthen the nail. Like the varnish base, the top coat is a must-have if you want a manicure that lasts and a nail that shines, just like a professional manicure. 

What about retouching?

In general, there's no escaping it. The manicure is touched up (if the first steps above have been followed) after a week (for a standard manicure, obviously for semi-permanent, it takes three weeks longer!) There's nothing really nasty or complicated about it. It usually folds in a few minutes, but again, it has to be well done.

• You don't need to remove all the nail polish (the nail polish remover stays in the cupboard) to reapply a little nail polish to a chipped nail. Simply apply a light dose of nail polish to the affected area and spread it out so that the previous coats blend in with the new application. Finish with a thin coat of top-coat and you're done.

When we go on vacation, we make sure to pack our vanity with a nail file, nail clippers, nail polish, nail serum and top coat! This way, we can't be caught out by chipped nail polish, a scratched nail or any other problem that could damage our carefully prepared manicure!