1. Never push back dry cuticles

Doing so can crack polish at the base, which leads to chipping. But if you're about to change your polish, you don't want any cuticle skin on the nail's surface (it can interfere with your base coat) - so loosen ragged edges by rubbing in a softening cream. (Eg. a Multi-Vitamin Creme.) Then gently nudge cuticles back with an orangewood stick.

2. Don't soak fingertips

There's no real reason to do so (at salons, it's just part of the pampering), and it can actually have a negative effect. When you soak your nails, they absorb water, which temporarily puffs them up - but they revert to their normal shape when the water evaporates. This expansion and contraction is the top cause of chipping, peeling, and cracking of polish.

3. Get the surface clean

Any traces of moisture, dust, or leftover enamel will get in the way of new-polish adhesion. To pave the way for true staying power, drizzle an old toothbrush with hand soap; then use it to get into the corners and under nail tips, where oil - the great enemy - may be hiding. Then swipe on an acetone polish remover to temporarily dehydrate the nail plate. (Try advanced nail polish remover.)

4. Shape up

To maximize nail strength, tips should be rounded and corners left somewhat square. Filing is healthier than clipping, which can crack the nail plate. Use a fine-grit nail file and work in one direction. Filing back and forth with an abrasive board will cause the nail's delicate keratin layers to peel away from each other.

5. Apply a base coat

Not only does a bottom layer give lacquer something to latch on to, but studies show that a base coat sticks to nails better than polish does. For uneven nail surfaces, choose a base that also smooths out roughness.

6. Once lacquer is on, seal it with a slow-setting topcoat

Quick-dry kinds are certainly appealing, but they evaporate so fast, they leave polish soft, mushy, and are prone to denting. A slower-acting topcoat leaves a harder, more protective finish. To speed things up without sacrificing protection, use a drying oil or spray over your topcoat.

7. Make the most of metallics

Sure, light shades make chips less noticeable, but you can get an extra couple of days' wear out a metallic polish.

One theory on why this works: Small iridescent flecks thicken enamel, so it forms a stronger film as it dries - allowing it to outlast creamy opaques (whose high pigment content can block adhesion).

8. Polish

Polish should be applied in three narrow, even strokes - one down the centre and one down each side - and then be allowed to dry for two minutes before a second coat is applied. The thicker the layer is, the more difficult it is for the solvent - the liquid agent in enamel - to evaporate, boosting the chances that polish will peel.

9. Practise good maintenance.

Everything you touch wears away your polish. Every other day, apply a layer of quick-dry topcoat (it's OK to use on already-dry polish) to form a protective shield and increase shine.

10. Give your polish a drink

The more your enamel dries out, the greater the likelihood that it will separate from your nail. Since topcoats don't seal in hydration, apply oil to nails and cuticles before bedtime, and slather on a thick hand cream twice a day.

Simple tricks to sexier hands

Did your genes stick you with what one Seinfeld episode called "man hands"? Here, three ways to fake long and slender.

1. Colour.

Pastel polish shades (think lavender) slim down chubby fingers.

2. Shape.

Overly blunt or square edges make nails look shorter. Round or oval shapes create the illusion of length.

3. Style.

Because it accentuates nail tips, a French manicure visually extends your fingers. But the "backward" French - in which the coordinating colour is painted on your moon - can make short fingers look stubbier.