SELF magazine is all about ruby nails for the 2011 holiday season, but the bold color makes mani mistakes obvious.

If polish bleeds onto the skin around the nails, don't go at it with remover and risk ruining your paint job. Dot a top coat over the smudge, and rub with a cuticle stick.

The clear coat and the red beneath will lift off, says Jenna Hipp, a celebrity nail stylist in Los Angeles.

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