Nailed it: 20 essential tips for DIY manicures

Depending on your lifestyle and the shape of your fingers, it's likely that there's a nail shape that works best for you. Spend some time digging into the different shapes — oval, squoval, coffin, and almond-shaped are great options — and find which one works best for your nails. 

If your nails are thin and prone to bending or peeling, consider investing in a strengthening polish like OPI Nail Envy. The polish will help strengthen nails and add a boost of nutrients that will make your nails healthier in the long term. 

Used to improve the appearance of hair, skin, and nails, taking biotin supplements is an easy way to make your nails look a little healthier. Score biotin gummies, or purchase a multivitamin that boasts a high dose. 

Thanks to all the things we put our hands through, it's easy for cuticles to become dry and ragged. Using a good-quality cuticle oil infused with jojoba oil will keep cuticles moisturized and healthy, and you'll start noticing a difference within just a few days. 

It can be tempting to trim away excess cuticle at the bottom of your nail, but try to resist the impulse. Most nail experts now agree that there's no reason to cut away healthy skin from the nail plate, and getting a nick can create an open wound that's prone to infection. Use an orange stick to gently push cuticles back when they grow over the nail plate. 

Keeping a nail file around is essential for taking care of random jagged edges and nail mishaps, but you'll want to make sure you've got the right one. Toss out the basic emery board in favor of a glass file — it will last forever, and is more gentle on nails. 

If your DIY manicure includes polish, a base coat is a must. Not only will it help your polish stick around longer, but it will also help prevent boldly colored polishes from staining or yellowing the nail plate. 

Most traditional polishes chip easily, but gel manicures can last more than two weeks. This polish cures under a UV lamp instead of simply drying, giving it a harder, more long-lasting finish. They're pricey in the salon, but with a small up-front investment in a UV lamp and gel polishes, gel manicures are easy to do at home. 

Once you've polished your nails, it seems like smudges are inevitable. Quick-drying topcoats, like the cult favorite Seche Vite, will dry nails in a matter of minutes meaning that you won't be sidelined for long trying to keep your manicure perfect. 

Whether you use gel polish or traditional, it's a good idea to give nails a few days to breathe occasionally in between manicures. After removing your polish, moisturize nail beds with oil to keep them healthy and encourage nail growth. 

Ridged nails make it difficult to get a smooth, perfect finish when you're polishing your nails. Instead of a traditional base coat, consider a ridge filler to help create a more even surface. 

Whether you're looking for more length or simply in search of a cute look for a night out, press-ons have come a long way since the '80s. There are tons of cute patterns available from brands like Kiss and can be secured with sticky tabs to make removal easy once your event is over. 

There are no two ways about it: breaking a nail is the absolute worst. If you've broken a nail that's still hanging on by a thread, though, it's possible to save it! Cut strips from an empty tea bag or coffee filter and apply to the nail with nail glue, allowing it to dry completely. Use a file to buff away any remaining texture and polish like normal. 

Nail polish is one of those things that's just worth spending the extra cash on. Cheap polishes chip easily, and some are made with ingredients that can be harmful to nails. You don't have to go super luxurious, though — drugstore brands like OPI, Essie, and Sally Hansen are all great. 

Before applying your polish, use a buffing block to gently rough up the nail surface. This process will make polish adhere better, which in turn will ensure that your manicure lasts as long as possible. 

Polishing nails properly takes patience, and thick gloppy coats of polish won't dry evenly or last long at all. Most polishes require more than one coat for full coverage, which means that you'll need to keep them thin and even so that nails dry properly and there are no issues with smudges. 

It's basically impossible to moisturize your hands and nails too much. Keep a bottle of nourishing lotion or hand cream in your bag, and use it regularly. You'll quickly see a difference in how hydrated and healthy your hands look. 

If you don't have the artistic ability to do fun nail art, consider stamping! Stamping kits are inexpensive and make it easy to add adorable designs to nails without breaking the budget. 

Nail polish remover is tough on nails, and it's best to minimize the contact that anything with acetone has with your skin and nails. But if you're doing gel manicures, you'll need pure acetone to remove the polish. For traditional polishes, an acetone-free remover can get rid of color without drying out nail beds. 

If you're doing a DIY gel manicure or just using a lamp to help your polish dry, use sunscreen. Keep a tube of SPF 30 in your manicure kit, and apply before using UV lamps to minimize damage to the skin.