Five best products for a perfect manicure

From top coats and nail buffers to cuticle balm and polish remover, these are the top five manicure must-haves you need to keep at home.

Chip-proof: Sally Hansen Diamond Shine Base & Top Coat, $8.

This chip-proof, two-in-one base and top coat not only protects your manicure, ensuring the colour stays on longer, it also adds a lustrous shine. Plus, you'll have noticeably harder and stronger nails — a win-win all-round.

High-gloss: Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer, $6.

Perfect for those days when you don't want to wear a polish, but still want your nails to look nice. The Crazy Shine Nail Buffer does exactly what its name suggests: buffs our nails until they gleam with a high-glossy shine.

Healthy hands: Avon Nail Experts Rose Cuticle Balm, $7.

Too busy to hit a nail salon, but suffering from raggedy-looking nails? We know. Smoothing a little of this hydrating cuticle balm goes a long way — it makes your cuticles look and feel healthy and it smells pretty, too.

Quick fix: Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover, $11.

A real quick fix, this paraben-, sulphate- and triclosan-free nail polish remover not only wipes away the hardest to remove nail polish, it also eliminates the need to use a cotton ball, thanks to a pre-moistened pleated foam nestled inside the bottle.

Purse-friendly: Tweezerman Matchbox Itty Bitty Nail Files, $5.

Perfect for travel, this compact matchbox-style case filled with colourful patterned nail files is not just cute, it's smart. Pop a pack in your purse and you'll be prepared for any manicure or pedicure emergency.

2012 beauty guide: Check out all 100 of our favourite expert-approved beauty products