Why do the senshi get a manicure before they get gloves? In the anime series Sailor Moon (or, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon) the senshi have a unique henshin, or transformation sequence. Especially later on, these are animated with the senshi receiving a manicure before the transformation sequence begins. 

Here's Sailor Mercury (Mizuno Ami) starting her henshin sequence by raising her hand:



Then she gets her manicure and her star wand transformation pen activates:



As you can see, her nails are clearly blue in the second screencapture. Yet, at the end of her henshin sequence, she's clearly sporting gloves:



So: Why do the Senshi receive a manicure before putting on gloves?
There is an official answer to this. Takeuchi Naoko, the mangaka seems to have made this decision, not the animation staff. She points out the characters' nail polish in the Settei Shiryoushuu (Materials Collection) art book, and on the Sailor Mercury page she shows her own 8-frame frame-by-frame sketch1 of Sailor Mercury's transformation sequence, including the frame which includes her comment (fan translation from the original Japanese): "6. 'Make Up!' Next, she covers her face with her hands, and her nails become instantly manicured, shining bright blue."

In Takeuchi's early concept art for the characters (also shown in the same artbook), neither Sailor Mercury nor Sailor Mars wore gloves2 as part of their sailor soldier uniforms so, in their cases, their manicures would have always been showing (whereas Moon, Jupiter, and Venus were originally gloved).

The fact that Takeuchi wanted to highlight make-up in the series is the reason that the characters use the phrase "Make Up!" - which was apparently important enough to be specifically mentioned in the Sailor Moon Crystal opening theme song "MOON PRIDE" by Momoiro Clover Z.

1 Source: http://gallery.missdream.org/albums/scanlation_smoon/smoon_materialscollection/materials007.png
2 Source: http://gallery.missdream.org/albums/scanlation_smoon/smoon_materialscollection/materials002.png