How to properly prep your nails before applying polish

The key to a flawless application? It’s all in the prep.

The right steps for flawless prep

Here’s the ideal 4-step routine, tested, approved (and loved) by our community:

Step 1: Shape and file without damaging

First, choose the nail shape that suits you. Square, oval, almond or round: not sure which to go for? Read our article to find the shape that best suits your hands. And for tips on using a nail file properly, we cover it all in this article. Now for the hands-on part:

🔧 What you’ll need:

• The Natural Nail File: the classic, with two grits (100/180) for shortening and shaping nails.
• or the Premium Glass File: its lightweight design makes it easy to hold, and its fine 180 grit is ideal for normal to fragile nails. It can be cleaned with soapy water or a spray cleaning solution and lasts longer than standard files.
• or the File for Fragile Nails: with its fine 180/240 grit and cushioned centre, this file is specially designed to gently file sensitive, soft or brittle nails.

👉 What to do: Hold the file perpendicular to the nail and file from the outer edge towards the centre, always in the same direction. Then do the same on the other side of the nail. Finish by filing the free edge (top of the nail) to even out the shape.

Precise steps for enhanced nails from the very first stage.

💡 Important: it’s best to file in one direction to protect the keratin layers. If your nails are fragile, file from underneath the edge to help prevent splitting.

Step 2: Gently soften and push back cuticles

Cuticles are the small folds of skin around the nail that protect the nail matrix. Left as they are, they can create an uneven surface that interferes with polish application or even prevents the polish from adhering. It’s important to push them back for a neat nail contour, taking care not to damage them so they can keep protecting against infection and other external germs. How do you do it?

🔧 What you’ll need:

• A few drops of Effective Cuticle Softener
• A steel cuticle pusher, a glass cuticle pusher or a boxwood stick
• A cuticle nipper (optional)

By caring for your cuticles, you ensure good polish wear while protecting the nail matrix.

👉 What to do: start by softening the cuticles by applying a drop of Effective Cuticle Softener to the base of each nail and leaving it on for 2 minutes. Gently push back the cuticles using the rounded end of a cuticle pusher or an orange wood stick, moving against the direction of nail growth and without going back and forth to avoid damaging the nail plate. Remove the small pieces of dead skin and, if needed, carefully trim them with cuticle nippers. Be careful: only trim what sticks out, and not too close to the edge!

💡Pro tip: Do this once a week to keep your nail contours neat and prevent stubborn little bits of skin.

Now that the contours are flawless, it’s time to take care of the surface of your nails.

Step 3: Smooth and buff the surface without weakening it

Nails deserve a little exfoliation too! This step helps to even out the surface, smooth away ridges and optimise nail polish adhesion. Buffing opens the keratin scales, making it easier for the Base Coat to grip and ensuring longer-lasting nail polish.

🔧 What you’ll need:

👉 What to do: lightly buff the nail plate, always in the direction of nail growth (from the base to the free edge) and no more than once every two weeks to avoid weakening the keratin. Use the fine grit (logo side) for fingernails and the coarse grit (opposite side) for toenails.

Even out the surface, optimise adhesion, enhance the finish.

Step 4: Clean and degrease for long-lasting wear

Final step: remove all impurities, oily residue and any dust created during the previous steps that could affect the application of the following polish layers. In short, it’s time for a deep clean!

🔧 What you’ll need:

• A dust brush
• Green Nail Cleanser (if you’re applying Green™ polish afterwards)
• Green Flash Gentle Remover (if you’re applying Green Flash™ polish afterwards)

👉 What to do: use a quick sweep with a dust brush over each nail until they are perfectly clean. Then soak a cotton pad with a little Degreaser or Gentle Remover, depending on the type of polish you plan to use, to clean deeply without drying out the nails.

Good to know: an acetone-free remover does two jobs. It cleanses the nail before application and allows for gentle removal later on.

To sum up:

• Good prep smooths the surface and opens the keratin scales, improving the adhesion of the Base Coat and nail polish.
• It removes dead skin and helps prevent bubbles, smudges and chipping.
• It prevents splitting and breakage.
• Result: a cleaner application, longer wear and protected nails.