Does your nail polish simply flake away, and no sooner than you put it on? Listen up: A great manicure is all about procedure. Follow the right formula and you should get a week's wear out of your new nails.

Polish peels because it hasn't adhered properly to the nail, says Maisie Dunbar, owner of M&M Nails in Silver Spring, Maryland, and educator for Creative Nail Design. To create a clean surface, prep the nails with a few swipes of non-acetone-based polish remover.

But even the slightest bit of polish remover or your natural cuticle oils can get in the way, so give the nails a good washing to remove any residue. Dry well. Then, treat nails with a product like Creative Nail Design's Nail Fresh or Orly's Clean Nails, which are formulated to prepare the nail for polish.

Next, apply a base coat. "Skipping this step is like trying to hang a poster on the wall without using any tape," says Dunbar. "Eighty percent of women don't use a base coat, but that's what the polish bonds to." Let the base coat dry and apply two very thin coats of polish. Seal out moisture with a top coat, and reapply it every few days to protect against daily wear and tear