tips for:

doing and keeping a good manicure

1) cut, file, buff nails.  do this fast like the asian ladies at the salon.  do not buff nails so insesently that they are stone smooth, you need a bit of texture. (N, i'm looking at you!)
2) base coat.  i like diamond strength sally hanson top coat that i double as base coat.
3) paint a thin layer of color.  go down the middle, then cover the ends. (my fave right now are the insta dry line from sally hanson... they dry quick and have the big flat brush that is AMAZING)
4) let dry for a couple of minutes
5) do a second coat of color
6) if necessary, do a third coat of color
7) let this dry for about 5 minutes... should be set enough so that when you do your top coat there's no color slip n slide going on
8) top coat and the most important coat: lay it on thick, but not too thick.  down the middle then the side... THEN (THIS IS VERY IMPORANT) do a swipe at the edge of your nail so that it seels in the color!  trust me on this, the best manicurist i ever had was named jennifer and she worked at the Santa cruz nail salon i would frequent often.  at the time i was doing lots of gardening, and yet couldn't give up manicures.  even with my elbows deep in dirt just hours after my manicure, my nails were perfect for two weeks.
9) when you'r nails grow out a bit, lets say 5-7 days after your manicure, file them down gently
10) do another top coat and repeat the importance of #8... swipe some clear polish over the edge of your nail. (especially important after you file them down again)

you're bf and boss will thank you for paying attention to the details.  maybe not your bf, but your boss definitly will.  ignore the red streaks of color that will brighten all your documents.  they add character.