Get ready for some stickin'. Peel the backing off the strip and lay it across the nail with the rounded edge slotted into your cuticles. Take a moment to smooth the strip into your particular nail-bed shape and and press out any wrinkles or bubbles by pushing them toward the nearest edge.

Cut the strip a tiny bit above the nail and lightly push the excess underneath. Don't worry about getting it perfect — we'll deal with that later.

Photographed by Mark Iantosca