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"Step 1: Prep the Surface Swipe clean nails with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. &amp;quot;Greasiness from lotion prevents polish from adhering,&amp;quot; says Jin Soon Choi, owner of Jin Soon Natural spas in New York City. Pure acetone removes the most residue, but if it&amp;#039;s too drying, try a nonacetone remover without hydrators like lanolin.  Step 2: Choose the Right Base  Not all clear polishes are alike: A base coat is soft and sticky, so it can expand and contract with your nails and grab color, says Jan Arnold, cofounder of CND. Try Orly Bonder Rubberized Basecoat ($10, Ulta). A top coat is formulated to be hard and shiny; if you put one under your color, you&amp;#039;ll shortchange your manicure.  Step 3: Pick a Pearly Polish Shimmery polishes like Essie Pink Diamond ($8, Walmart), shown, have the longest staying power. Pearlescent formulas, with their fine mica particles, are likelier to withstand wear than matte ones. For beautiful, even color, apply two thin layers: One heavy coat keeps a polish&amp;#039;s solvents from evaporating, which leads to chips and dings. Step 4: Top it Off Steer clear of quick-dry top coats: What you gain in speed, you lose in protection, says Arnold. A regular top coat is thick and slow to dry, but lasts longer and is more lustrous than thinner fast actors. Save the quick-dry product for a touch-up three days after you&amp;#039;ve painted your nails.  Step 5: Oil Daily  A dry nail and hardened polish are both like glass rods, says Arnold; they fracture and break easily. Oil helps keep polish from chipping and nails from peeling. Rub a few drops of CND SolarOil ($11.50, Ulta) onto your nails before bed. Your polish may look solid, but as it dries, its evaporating solvents leave micro-channels that let nails absorb the oil.  Watch our step-by-step video on how to give yourself a lasting manicure:      "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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