Some Firsts:

• Make sure your nails are clean, and rough edges have been filed smooth, before starting your polish.
• You should always start with a layer of base coat to protect your nails from staining from the coloured polish.
• Always wait for layers to be touch dry before starting a new layer.
• Some nail polish will take longer to dry without a special lamp. Try to buy enamel polish, especially “quick dry”, and avoid “gel”.
• Top coat will make your polish pop! and will help to protect your mani from chips, so it will last a bit longer. Again, try to get one labeled “fast drying” or similar.

Now onto the painting. It takes practice to paint a nail perfectly, and to not paint your edges and cuticles. I’m almost 50 years old and I still can’t do it, but I am better at it now than I was in the past.

If I’m using a dark base layer (or trying to do a more fancy technique like ombre), I will paint my cuticles and skin around the nails, with a peel-off latex. I just bought some cheap bottles on ebay. Or, alternatively, you can get these peel-off tape protectors, again off ebay or aliexpress.

You should start your painting with a single stroke down the center of your nail, and then a stroke down each side. Also, some people like a thin brush, while others prefer a wide brush. I like a wide brush because it covers more of the nail surface in one stroke, and holds more polish, so I’m more likely to make it to the end of my nail without having to re-dip the brush (which you don’t want to do mid-stroke). Also, I often do two layers of colour, to fill any spots I may have missed or painted too thin.

If you didn’t use any skin protection, you don’t have to wait until the mani is dry to use nail-polish remover (acetone remover is strong and effective, but also more harsh on your skin) and a small flat makeup brush (eyebrow brushes are often the best) to remove any excess polish from your skin. Sometimes I don’t bother doing this step, and just wait until I have a shower the next day as this is usually enough to get the excess polish off the edges anyway.

Once all your layers are touch dry, you should run them under water for a bit to help the polish harden a bit faster, and let them air-dry. Finally, you should finish-up by painting some oil on your cuticles. You can buy nail-specific oils, or just get a bottle or pouch of pure Jojoba oil off ebay (which is cheaper, and basically what they put in nail-oils anyway).

Lastly, I would say, look up some DIY laqueristas on Youtube and watch their tips and tutorial videos. There are some fantastic ideas that are always inspiring for a new manicure. And when you have got a little more brave and want to try something a littler fancier, look up some tutorials for an “ombre” mani. It’s not that hard, and looks really cool on it’s own, or as a base layer for more further nail art designs.

I hope this helps and, most importantly, have fun! 💅

I wanted to add the brand Sinful is really good. The formula is easy to work with and the colors are amazing. They are only about $2 a bottle so they won’t break the bank when you are still learning.
This is in the US though. If you are in a different country look around and see what is available there.