Nail polish can hide a multiple of nail imperfections such as discolorations and ridges or uneven surfaces. But nail polish is one of the main culprits in causing nails to yellow or stain and an uneven or rough nail surface will only lead to early chipping and peeling of your nail polish.

There are a few simple tricks that can make nails brighter and smoother, and you don’t need to go to a nail salon.

To whiten nail tips, try soaking in lemon juice. Some women swear by effervescent denture cleaner tablets and still others use a whitening toothpaste, rubbed onto the nail. All of these methods work, it’s a matter of preference. One method I don’t recommend is soaking nails in a mild bleach solution. The bleach smell is hard to get rid of and it can be damaging and drying to skin. If you use the lemon solution, just be careful you don’t have any open cuts around your fingertips or you can expect a bit of stinging. Cutting a lemon in half and sticking your fingertips directly into the lemon for a few minutes also works.

Buffing the nails will smooth out uneven spots and give nails a high shine. Use a buffer specifically designed for the task. A buffer block with 4 sides is an excellent tool. Buff nail from cuticle to tip. Remember you are buffing for shine and smoothness, not trying to remove layers of nail. That will only leave nails thinner and more vulnerable to breaking, chipping and staining.

After whitening and buffing, you can apply a couple of coats of a shiny, clear top coat or apply one coat of a sheer pink or peach and follow with top coat. You will have an instant French manicure and a healthy, shiny look for nails.

The French Manicure is a popular look for nails because it looks natural, only better. The white tips and neutral beige or pink topcoat leaves the nails looking clean, bright and shiny. It’s a great everyday look.

The French Manicure can be easily achieved at home, especially with the use of one of the many kits on the market. Usually the kit will supply the white polish and either a beige or pink topcoat. This kit by Sephora has three polishes in a clutch bag for easy storage.

For help in applying the white polish at the tips you can purchase stick-on stencils to give you a guide and prevent mistakes. The French Manicure is also great for hiding minor length differences in nails. Just place the stencils at the same distance from the end of the nail regardless of how much of the real white edge you have.

Sally Hansen makes a kit that comes with an easy-to-apply white nail polish pen. The 5 Minute French Manicure Pen Kit comes with the nail pen, nail guides, sheer blush or sheer natural polish and a growth treatment for nails.