Summarize:

To give yourself a gorgeous manicure, make sure you have all the right supplies. You might have to spend a bit up front, but next time you want to paint your nails, you'll already be covered. Get the following products:  Nail polish remover Cotton balls or cotton swabs Cuticle trimmer Nail buffer Nail trimmers Nail file Cuticle or hand cream Nail polish Base coat Top coat Nail polish and remover can damage many surfaces such as cloth, wood finish and plastic.  Wear an expendable t-shirt and no valuable accessories, sit at a desk or table, and protect it with scrap paper (not newsprint, which smudges). Make sure the table itself and anything near it is not particularly valuable or important to keep perfect because there might be a spatter or spill soaking through.  You might not want to work near a computer, for instance. Get a bowl or stopper the sink and fill it with warm (not hot!) water and a few drops of soap. Soak your hands only for a few minutes. The water and soap will help to loosen dirt, dead skin, and any dust left over from filing and buffing, and soften cuticles.  Use a nail brush to gently clean your nails and the skin around them.  Gently scrape under your nails if necessary to remove dirt.  If you want your nails and cuticles really manageable, you can soak them  in Dawn dishwasher soap.  If you have dry skin or fragile nails you should not soak them; just rinse them. Don't go overboard with scraping, since you can damage your nails if you remove the white powdery substance that is actually part of your nails.
Get your supplies together. Set up your workspace. Soak your nails.