Deborah Lippmann Nail Care
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Shape & Buff
"The shape of the nail can help to elongate one's hands and improve the overall hand appearance. Never ‘saw’ back and forth on the tip of the nail. Always look to round your nail based on your individual nail bed and aim for groomed nails to mirror the shape of your cuticles. Buff nails using fabrics #1, #2 and #3. Only use fabric #4 when you are not using polish since the high gloss will prevent nail polish from adhering."
Deborah Lippmann Smooth Operator Nail Buffer, $12 at Nordstrom
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Remove Polish Properly
"Saturate a piece of cotton with polish remover. Then press the cotton on the nail, covering it. Grabbing a second piece of dry and clean cotton, place that over the saturated cotton piece, hold for five seconds and pull gently forward toward the tip of the nail."
Zoya Remove Plus Big Flipper Polish Remover, $9.99 at Zoya
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Cuticle Remover Treatment
"A weekly cuticle treatment is a must. Apply it liberally to all nails and gently push the cuticle back toward the knuckle with a cuticle pusher. You must go around the cuticle area several times to get a clean cuticle. Then wipe clean with a piece of cotton."
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Remover, $20 at Sephora
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Nip Hangnails
"Carefully nip any remaining pieces of skin along the edges that are loose and lifted. These hangnails are the only pieces of skin that you should nip."
Tweezerman Stainless Steel Cuticle Nipper, $52 at Tweezerman
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Moisturize Cuticles
"Apply a tiny amount of cuticle oil to the base of all nails. You only need to touch the brush lightly to the base of the nail. Massage into cuticle."
Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil, $8.50 at Beauty.com
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Avoid Toxins in Nail Polish
"Avoid using nail lacquers that contain a significant amount of toxins. All of my lacquers contain nutrient and vitamin blends for nail health. These include biotin and green tea along with aucoumea klaineana extract (a natural resin from West African trees) to strengthen, hydrate, stimulate nail growth and prevent ridge formation."
Deborah Lippmann Blue Orchid Nail Polish, $18 at Barneys