Painting your nails at home is a cost-effective way to get a great manicure, but some (OK, most) people have a seriously tough time keeping the polish inside the lines rather than all over their cuticles and fingers. Luckily, there's a foolproof way to avoid that.
1. Apply petroleum jelly.
"Take a tiny cotton bud and use it to rub petroleum jelly around your surrounding skin and cuticles before you apply polish," says Alexaundra McCormick of Honey Artists. "If you get the polish on your skin, it won't stick because of the jelly." Note: Just make sure you don't get any of the Vaseline on your actual nail, she warns. If you do, take another cotton bud and clean it up with rubbing alcohol.
2. Paint on your polish.
After you prep, you can now paint your nails, or perhaps even do some fun, easy nail art.
3. Wipe off any excess.
"After your nails are dry, you can wipe off the Vaseline or wash your hands—any polish on your skin will come right off," says McCormick. Perfectly painted nails every time—what more could you ask for?
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This article originally appeared on GoodHousekeeping.com. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.