Use ice water to dry your nails

It sounds counterintuitive, we know. But dip your painted nails in ice water after a brief air dry – it really will set the color! If the air is humid, you’ll want to wait extra long to let them dry. And don’t sit by a fan – that draft will just delay the drying process!

Line your nails with Vaseline pre-painting

This will make for way easier cleanup when done. The Vaseline creates a barrier between your nail and your skin, so you can wipe off the Vaseline and take any mistakes with it!

Create your own nail art decals

Paint a thin coat of nail polish on plastic wrap. When completely dried, use a hole punch or decorative punch (such as those designed for scrapbooking) to punch out dots/other designs. Lay on painted nail and seal with top coat – custom nail art decal!

Use plastic wrap as a sponge to create a cool marbled look.

Scrunch a small piece into a ball, dip into polish and dab on nails. You can do one color or multiple with different pieces of plastic wrap, says Karam.

Use an angled eyebrow brush for easy clean up.

The bristles are tight and compact so they won’t flare out as you clean around the cuticles, giving you a nice, clean edge.

Want a dotted mani?

Stick a pin in a pencil eraser and dot away!

Prevent chipping

Paint two base coats – one on the top half portion of the nail only, and the second coat over the whole nail. This helps protect the polish on the tip of your nail to last longer. While you are base coating, consider using a white polish as your base – it’ll help that color pop!