Whether you’re team classic polish or a fan of semi-permanent manicure, there is a golden rule that pros never break: a successful manicure always starts with good nail prep or preparation of the nail in French. Filing, pushing back cuticles, polishing the surface, cleaning the nail… This simple and essential routine not only enhances the final result but also extends the tenue of your polish and preserves your nails. So we’ve put together a complete guide for perfect nails, ready to accompany you in all your manicures.
To remember:
- A successful manicure always starts with good nail prep (nail preparation).
- Preparation improves polish adhesion, extends its tenue, and preserves nail health.
- The ideal routine consists of 4 steps: filing, pushing back cuticles, buffing the surface, degreasing.
- It is essential regardless of the polish applied afterward — classic (Green™) or semi-permanent (Green Flash™).
Why should you prepare your nails before applying polish?
Because a nail is a bit like a blank canvas: the cleaner it is, the cleaner and longer-lasting the result. Good preparation allows you to:
- Smooth the surface of the nails to facilitate the application of polish layers
- Improve the adhesion of the base coat and polish by opening the keratin scales
- Remove dead skin around the nail
- Avoid bubbles, smudges, and chipping
- Prevent splitting and breakage
- Perfect your manicure with a neat aesthetic
An essential step not to be overlooked, whatever type of polish you use afterward, because the quality of the application largely depends on the preparation!
The key to a perfect application? It’s all in the preparation.
The right gestures to adopt for flawless preparation
Here is the ideal 4-step routine, tested, approved (and loved) by our community:
Step 1: Structure and file without damaging
First of all, start by defining the nail shape that suits you. Square, oval, almond, or round, not sure which nail shape to choose? Check out our article to find the shape that best fits your hands. And to learn how to properly handle the nail file, we tell you everything in this article. Now, let's get practical:
🔧 The equipment you need:
- The natural nail file: the classic, with its two types of grits (100/180) for shortening and shaping.
- or the Premium glass Lime: with its lightweight design, it is easy to handle and its fine 180 grit is perfect for normal to fragile nails. Washable with soapy water or a cleaning spray solution, it is more durable than classic Limes.
- or the Lime for fragile nails: equipped with a fine 180/240 grit and a central cushion, this Lime was specially designed to gently file sensitive, soft, or brittle nails.
👉 Movements to do: Hold the Lime perpendicular to the nail and start from the outer edge going towards the center always in the same direction. Then do the same on the other side of the nail. Finish by filing the edge (top of the nail) to harmonize the shape.
Precise movements for nails enhanced from the very first step.
💡 Important: it is recommended to perform a unidirectional filing, meaning always filing in the same direction, to respect the keratin layers. If you have fragile nails, file the underside of the edge to avoid splitting.
Step 2: Soften and gently push back the cuticles
Cuticles are those small skins that border the nail and protect the matrix. If left as is, they create irregularities that can interfere with polish application or even prevent polish adhesion. It is therefore important to push them back to have a clean nail contour while taking care not to damage them to preserve their function as a shield against infection risks and other external germs. How to proceed?
🔧 The equipment you need:
- A few drops of Effective Emollient
- A steel cuticle pusher or a glass cuticle pusher or a boxwood stick
- An cuticle nipper (optional)
By taking care of your cuticles, you ensure the good tenue of the polish while protecting the nail matrix.
👉 Steps to take: start by softening the cuticles by applying a drop of Effective Emollient at the base of each nail and let it sit for 2 minutes. Gently push back the cuticles using the rounded tip of a cuticle pusher or a boxwood stick, moving opposite to the nail growth direction and without back-and-forth motion to avoid damaging the nail plate. Remove dead skin flakes and, if needed, carefully trim them with cuticle nippers. Be careful to only cut what is protruding and not too close to the edge!
💡Pro tip: Do this once a week to keep edges neat and avoid stubborn dry skin.
Now that the edges are perfect, it’s time to take care of the surface of your nails.
Step 3: Smooth and buff the surface without weakening it
Nails deserve a little exfoliation too! This step allows you to unify the surface, smooth out ridges, and optimize polish adhesion. Indeed, this polishing opens the keratin scales, which helps the base coat stick better and ensures longer tenue of the polish.
🔧 The equipment you need:
- The preparatory file, a magical tool whose sponge texture gently removes small irregularities on the nail surface.
👉 Steps to take: lightly buff the nail plate, always in the direction of nail growth (from the base to the edge) and no more than once every two weeks to avoid weakening the keratin. Use the fine grit (logo side) for fingernails and the coarse grit (opposite side) for toenails.
Unify the surface, optimize adhesion, enhance the finish.
Step 4: Clean and degrease for long-lasting tenue
Final step: remove all impurities, grease residues, and other dust from previous steps that could interfere with the application of the following polish layers. In short, a thorough cleaning!
🔧 The equipment you need:
- A dusting brush
- Green Degreaser (if you are applying a Green™ polish afterward)
- Gentle Remover Green Flash™ (if you are applying a Green Flash™ polish afterward)
👉 Steps to take: brush a light dusting over each nail until they are perfectly clean. Then, soak a cotton pad with a little Degreaser or Gentle Remover, depending on the type of polish planned, to deeply clean without drying out the nails.
Good to know: an acetone-free remover plays a dual role, it degreases the nail before application and also allows for gentle removal later.
To summarize:
- Good preparation smooths the surface and opens the keratin scales, which improves the adhesion of the base coat and polish.
- It removes dead skin and limits the appearance of bubbles, smudges, and chipping.
- It prevents splitting and breakage.
- Result: a cleaner application, longer tenue, and preserved nails.
Perfectly clean and neat nails for flawless tenue.
Find all the essential tools of this nail prep routine in our Nail Preparation Set, your best ally for a radiant manicure that will last.
A complete set to prepare your nails like a pro with white file, emollient, preparatory file, and cuticle pusher.
💡If you wish, you can customize the Preparation Set by adding the Dust Brush or the Tweezer according to your needs.
Prepared this way, your nails are ready for the application of a new color. Whether you choose a Green™ nail polish, a Green Flash™ semi-permanent polish, or a semi-permanent polish kit, with the essentials combined in a simple routine that makes all the difference. A must-have!
To summarize:
- File: with a file suited to the nail type (100/180 grit for normal nails, 180/240 for fragile nails), always in the same direction (unidirectional filing), from the outer edge toward the center.
- Push back cuticles: soften with the Effective Emollient (2 minutes application), then gently push back with a cuticle pusher or boxwood stick, without back-and-forth motion — once a week.
- Roughen the surface: with the preparatory file, in the growth direction (base to edge), no more than once every 2 weeks to avoid weakening the keratin.
- Degrease: remove dust with a brush, then clean with Green Degreaser (before a Green™ polish) or with Green Flash Gentle Remover (before a Green Flash™).
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All these essentials are gathered in the Nail Preparation Set.
