Whether you want to save money or are just too busy to go to the nail salon, there’s a lot you can do at home to perfect the mani.

Get salon-quality results at-home by following these ten easy steps:

1. Remove any nail polish.
2. Soak nails in warm water for about five minutes then dab dry.
3. Exfoliate hands with a scrub to get rid of dead skin.
4. Use a nail buffer to buff the top of the nail.
5. Massage cuticle oil into each nail.
6. Push cuticles back.
7. File (in one direction) each nail down to the optimal length.
8. Apply a base coat.
9. Choose your polish and apply at least two coats.
10. Apply a top coat.