POLISH PERFECT

NAIL THE BEST LOOK FOR SUMMER, HANDS DOWN

The sun is out, and summer has arrived! It’s time to get your nails in shape before slipping into
your bikinis and sandals. From flirty fuchsias to bold blues, a summer shade is out there for all
of us. This year, skip the salon and get fabulous nails on your own. Rachael Warner, manicurist
at Beauty Bar (www.beautybar.com) in New York (where $10 gets you a cocktail
and a manicure), shares her tips for polish-perfect summer nails.

1. ALWAYS USE A BASE COAT
You’ve wondered for ages whether this clear coat was necessary—now you know. “This is key to keeping a good manicure,” Warner says. “Not only does a good base coat protect the nail bed, it will keep the polish on longer and more secure. It adds a barrier between the pigment and the nail bed, where natural body oils may aid in the chipping of the polish.”

2. FILE AWAY
What about the myth that you should only file in one direction? Not so, says Warner. “I’ve never found this to be the case. I file in both directions, and my customers keep coming back.”

3. KEEP IT FRESH
It’s important to make sure you are working with the freshest bottle of polish possible. Keeping the polish at the right consistency really helps when painting the nail. “It’s actually harder to ‘keep inside the lines’ with nail polish that has become thick,” Warner says. All polishes will eventually thicken up after they’ve been opened and get a bit older, and she recommends buying a professional nail polish thinner for older bottles. “Never put remover in the polish bottle to thin it out,” Warner says. “It wrecks the polish.”

4. POLISH SLOWLY AND CARRY A LITTLE STICK
Warner keeps a small cup of nail polish remover on the table when she works and uses orangewood sticks dipped in the remover to wipe away the excess polish that may have gotten on the skin. “It’s really the key to having a professional-looking coat of polish, although tons of gals use the paint-it-and-pick-off-the-excess-in-the-shower technique,” she says.

5. TOP IT OFF
Let your hard work pay off (and keep paying off) by using a top coat to seal in your polish. “It is a protective coating that aids in stopping the chipping that can happen,” Warner explains. “It will help the manicure last longer.”

6. INDULGE AT HOME
Why can’t a do-it-yourself mani and pedi be just as luxurious as the costly ones offered by salons? Warner suggests buying spa gloves and nice hand cream, and sleeping in them every night for soft skin in the morning. Her favorite is Burt’s Bees Cuticle Cream. “It’s really wonderful, smells nice and is natural!”

SWEET AND SEXY SUMMER POLISHES

OPI South Beach Collection, “Miami Beet”
($7, www.opi.com)

Zoya, Ooh-La-La Sampler
($36, www.zoya.com)

ELF, “Moonlight”
($1, www.eyeslipsface.com)

Chanel Robertson Exclusive, “L.A. Sunrise”
($25, www.chanel.com)

Rescue Beauty Lounge, “Bikini Bottom”
($18, www.rescuebeauty.com)

Feifei Sun is a writer living in New York City.