InStyle recommends a base coat, top coat, nail strengthener, and many polishes in its May issue. Featured products are:

Top Coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast "keeps polish chip-free, no matter which brand of lacquer you use."

Coral: Essie polish in Geranium can be worn any seasson, and "loaded with pigment, the fetching mix of pink and melon creates a gorgeous, head-turning jolt of color in just a single coat."

Pink: Nars polish in Schiap, which is a "bright, vivid fuschia [that] sizzles on toes," a New York manicurist tells the magazine. But, it's shimmer-free finish means it can be used on fingers as well.

Red: OPI Big Apple Red is a bright cherry tomato red. "On short nails it comes across as sporty; on longer nails, super-glam," the magazine says.

Nail Strengthener: Duri Rejuvacote, which has a keratin-rich formula to fortify thin, brittle nails. "With a high-shine finish, it doubles as a topcoat if you're in a hurry."

Base Coat: CND polish in Stickey. "This gel-like, quick-drying formula smooths away bumps, fills in ridges, and keeps polish in place for days and days."

Dark: OPI polish in You Don't Know Jacques, an opaque gray that has "purple undertones and a mirror-like sheen [that] make it flattering on pale and dark complexions alike."

Neutral: Essie polish in Sugar Daddy. "Sheer, creamy and classice, this delicate pink is more substantial than clear polish but just as sophisticated."

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