Here are a few tips (you may or may not already know) to make your own manicure look salon-done. 

Rest your hand on a table or desk to remain steady.

Don’t be thrifty with the polish. Use a thick layer for your first coat to cover the entire nail in one go. Just make sure it doesn’t run! 

Always leave a barely visible bit of nail at the cuticle. You won’t believe how clean-cut this can make your mani’s look.

Don’t skip the top coat. A great quick-dry top coat not only gives your nails that shine but a 30 minute drying period can easily shorten down to 5. 

Go back and clean up! Use some nail polish remover and a q-tip or two to clean up the areas around your nails.  

Confused on how to shape your nails? http://www.lacquerized.com/2010/04/how-to-how-i-shape-my-nails.html

Purchased a bottle of nail polish and found out the color shown on the outside was lying to you? Try “frankening” http://drfrankenpolish.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/frankenpolish-101-a-crash-course-in-the-art-of-frankening/