1. First, remove any old polish that’s lingering on those nails! Cutex makes a ton of nail polish remover options – Nail Strengthening, Nourishing or just plain old Regular – and they’re only $1.99 each on drugstore.com. Douse a cotton ball with the remover of your choice and get to work removing that polish! Or use Essie Nail Pads – a great alternative to cotton balls! They’re $10 for 150 (call 800-232-1155 for store info).

2. File your nails into your desired shape. Some prefer rounded, some square – the choice is really up to you! But Dr. Oliver Zong, a New York City podiatrist, cautions against rounding your toenails. “Nails should be cut straight across, flush to the toe,” he says. “Don’t round them off, because then you can be at risk for ingrown nails.” N.Y.C. Purse Size Emery Boards, $.99 for 8 at select Target, K-Mart, Walgreens and Wal-Mart stores, or the Essie Crystal Nail File, $14 (call 800-232-1155 for store info), are our picks for giving you the smoothest edges. Be sure to file them in one direction only – start at the edges and move toward the top.

3. Now’s the time when you want your hands and feet to feel baby soft. Fill up a small bowl (or a basin for pedicures) with warm soapy water and dip your hands in for about five minutes. For extra silkiness, add a tablespoon of refreshing The Healing Garden Nourishing Hand Soak, $5.50 at Walgreens, Eckerd, K-Mart and Sears stores.

4. Pumice stones look scary – but they’re not, trust us! After soaking your feet, gently massage them with a pumice stone to rid yourself of calluses and corns. But be careful, warns Zong. “You don’t want to rub something raw,” he says.

5. Pat dry your hands or feet and rub in a cuticle cream. Our favorite is Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil, $8 (call 800-232-1155 for store info).

6. Use an orange wood stick to push back your cuticles. But don’t cut them – that can lead to infection.

7. You thought your skin was already soft from the soak? Now it’s time to add lotion! There are so many options for extra-soft skin – we love these five.
C.O. Bigelow Dr. Hiosous Quince Hand Cream, $15 for 4 oz. at Bath and Body Works stores and cobigelow.com. The Healing Garden Intensive Hand Cream, $5.50 at Walgreens, Eckerd, K-Mart and Sears stores.
Sally Hansen Manicure In a Minute Hand Smoother, $5.95 at drugstores nationwide
Barielle Ultra Soft Hand Cream with SPF 15, $15 at barielle.com
Origins Make a Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment, $18.50 for 2.5 oz. at Origins stores and origins.com

8. If you’re giving yourself a pedicure, now is a good time to use a toe separator. La Cross No Smudge Toe Spacers, $1.75 at drugstores nationwide, are fantastic! The Complete Professional Manicure/Pedicure Nail Kit by Sephora, $42 at Sephora stores and sephora.com, is another option. It contains two separators in addition to a cuticle nipper, cuticle pusher, nail clipper, nail brush, nail file, nail buffer and pumice stone.

9. Before applying polish, make sure to apply a base coat to protect your nails. Sally Hansen No More Breaks Natural Nail Strengthener, $4.95 at drugstores nationwide, is a great option.

10. It’s the last and most fun step – time to apply polish! Carefully paint each nail with two coats. For the cleanest look, paint a stripe down the middle of the nail, then one down either side. Here are our picks for the best and brightest colors this summer.

PINKS:
Bourjois Very Vernis in “Rouge Marilyn” ($9 at Sephora stores)
Essie in “Watermelon” ($8, call 800-232-1155 for store info)
Avon Speed-Dry Nail Enamel in “Mambo Melon” ($4, call 800-FOR-AVON or visit avon.com for store info)
Essie in “Fancy Delancey” ($8, call 800-232-1155 for store info)
Lippmann Collection in “Love Shack” ($15 at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora and Bath and Body Works stores)

ORANGES:
Essie in “Pop” ($8, call 800-232-1155 for store info)
Jessica Custom Nail Colour in “Confident Coral” ($6, call 800-582-4000 or visit jessicacosmetics.com for store info)
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in “Sunrise, Sunset” ($4.50 at drugstores nationwide)
Bourjois Very Vernis in “Orange Insolent” ($9 at Sephora stores)
Lippmann Collection in “Fever” ($15 at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora and Bath and Body Works stores)

- Jamie Sanders, Associate Editor