Use vinegar, soak a cotton ball with it, wipe vinegar over each nail. (vinegar removes any oils/lotion/moisturizer -even nail polish removers have moisturizing qualities, and that shortens the life of your mani).
Between the base coats and polish coats, wait a FULL minute until you apply another layer. Otherwise, the polish just gets gloppy.
NEVER do 1 THICK coat. Apply 3 coats of THIN polish to your nails. It dries quicker & will last longer. Why? A thick coat dries on top first. The polish in lower layers takes a LOT longer to finally dry, aka more nail smudges.
When applying a top coat, do it IMMEDIATELY after your final coat of polish. The top coat needs to seep into the layers of polish to work effectively and blend into the color of your nail polish for a flawless finish.
Drying nails with or near a fan can cause teeny, tiny bubbles to your mani. A manicure can take up to 12 hours to harden. During that time avoid washing your hands in hot water - it will make your manicure smudge or chip sooner.