Cleanse
Wash hands with soap, dry thoroughly. Remove any polish or oil residue completely.
Push
With the manicure stick, ease each cuticle gently back. The tip must meet skin at the cuticle line, never rest on top of it — this is what makes a press-on read as a salon manicure.
Buff
Two or three light passes with the fine side of the nail file take the shine off the nail plate. You are keying the surface, not thinning it — feather-light pressure.
Purify
Sweep each nail with the alcohol wipe pad and allow a few seconds to dry. This removes the last invisible oils.
Hands off
From this moment, do not touch the nail plates — not even once. Fingertip oils transfer instantly and are the single most common cause of early lifting.
Skin first, always — healthy cuticles frame every manicure. A drop of oil each night (when you are not mid-application) keeps the frame as beautiful as the art.