So you just finished painting your lacquered nails, and they look FABULOUS! You are so impressed with your steady hand and even coats....and then....you haven't even touched anything and you have a huge smudge across one nail!

It happens all of the time, and there are a few ways to reduce the occurrence of the dreaded smudged manicure!

TIP #1 APPLY THIN COATS
The key to flawlessly smooth nails is applying thin, even coats. Thick coats take longer to dry and therefore result in a greater chance of a smudge or chip. Also, if your nail lacquer is thick or gloopy, it means that it is old and should be replaced for optimum results. Use a basecoat, two coats, and a top coat

TIP #2 BLOW DRY BETWEEN COATS
With your blow dryer on the "cool" setting, speed up the drying process with 1-2 minutes under the cool air.

TIP #3 FINISH WITH A QUICK DRYING TOPCOAT
Use a top coat such as ORLY "In A Snap" to finish off your nails in s thin coat for that ultra shiny finish.

$8 - Drugstores Nationwide

TIP #4 USE A QUICK DRY SPRAY
A spray such as O.P.I. RapiDry Spray over the whole thing will really aid in drying time.

$17.50 - O.P.I. www.opi.com

TIP #5 ICE WATER
After drying for 2 minutes, dip the tips of fingers in a bowl of ice water for another 1-2 minutes to solidify that rock-hard lacquer finish! Easy AND cheap!