Jenny Jensen grew up in La'ie doing nails for all her friends for prom and other occasions. While her husband's studies have called her away to Pennsylvania briefly (she's finishing her elementary education degree), her friends are relieved to hear she'll be back in 2008 and ready for French manicure duty.

Love them, hate them, find them classy or de classe, French manicures are a favorite in this season of proms and weddings.

With the right tools, anyone can give themself a French manicure, Jensen said. But unless you're a steady hand and ambidextrous, don't hold yourself to the level of the pros.

"By far, doing it on your own is healthier and more fun," Jensen said.

STEPS

1. Prep first: Clean, then file nails in nice, even strokes to your preferred shape. (Squarish seems to be less likely to break or chip, but who doesn't like a rounded nail?)

2. To get a finished look to the entire hand, soak nails in warm water and a little dishwashing liquid to soften cuticles, then carefully trim them and nip off nail spurs.

3. Rub in some lotion. It makes the line of white easier to fix. Wipe off, going away from the nailbed.

4. If your freehand painting skills are lacking, make a clean demarcation for the nail portion of the French manicure with help from manicure tape. "Getting the tape on to your nail is tricky, but it really helps if you take your time and smooth it into your nail all the way over to your skin, so there's no holes or air pockets for the polish to move into," said Jensen, who recommends the Sally Hansen kit.

5. Paint a thin line of white polish along the tips of the nails using fresh nail polish (polish thinner can be used to revive thickened enamel), carefully regulating the polish on the brush — not too much, not too little. And it doesn't have to be stark white — a tan or cream looks natural. Now, let the white dry completely. "The longer you let it sit, the better it will look," Jensen said, adding "the lotion helps peeling off the tape be an easier process." (Trying it freehand? Jensen recommends using a thinbristled paintbrush.)

6. Make a mistake? Quickly dip the pad of your thumb in nail polish remover and wipe quickly to fix. You want the white to match up as closely as possible to your nail bed.

7. Once the white is set, cover each nail with a coat of pink or nude polish in three easy, identical strokes. Let it dry completely.

8. Jensen recommends a top coat of clear polish.

9. Did you hear the part about "dry completely"? Completely. Think it's dry? Let it dry a few minutes more.

10. Each night, add another layer of clear top coat, which will keep the edges from cracking.