Your Best Manicure Tips

Weekly salon manicures get expensive fast, so it makes sense to learn how to do them yourself. Perfecting the art of applying your own nail polish aside, there are a whole lot of tips that can help you get a salon look at home. We spoke with Green Celebrity Nail Stylist Jenna Hipp, who works only with natural or non-toxic chemicals, and got her top three tricks for achieving the perfect nails. Jenna has beautified the fingertips of celebs such as Lea Michele, Zoe Saldana, and Rachel McAdams, and recently partnered with RGB to create a line of foundation nail polishes—perfect nude shades for every skin tone!

• "The traditional emery board rips and shreds the nail, and that's often what causes split nails and chipped polish. Treat nails nice.  Always use a crystal glass file, which is much more gentler and doesn't cause fraying. And make sure you file only in one direction. I love our Nailing Hollywood crystal glass file. It lasts a lifetime—how eco is that? You can also use a crystal glass nail file to smooth away the roughies around your nail. Just sanitize it after each use."

• "For the shiniest, healthiest nails, scrub them clean. Do not soak them! Just grab a nailbrush or old toothbrush, dip it in warm soapy water, and scrub away.  After filing and shaping the nail, this is the best way to start your manicure."

• "Make sure your nails are free of all natural oils before applying a base coat.  This step will add to the longevity of your manicure. Simply swipe your nails with a prep solution—70% alcohol, 30% water—before applying the base."

Photo courtesy of Garance Dore