During the fun-filled days of summer, keeping up our fingernails is not a high priority–why be indoors getting a manicure when we could be going on a hike, enjoying a picnic at the beach or cruising around town on our bike.

Here’s how to keep your manicure looking fresh without sacrificing precious time:

• Keep nails short—no longer than the end of your fingertip. You will be less susceptible to a crack, split or break.

• Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize. Dry summer heat leaves our nails brittle and our cuticles looking horrendous. We have dozens of hand cream tubes surrounding us at all times. (Some of our favorites are listed here.) Tip: Apply hand cream while you’re on the phone, in the car at a stoplight, or standing in the kitchen (impatiently) waiting for your coffee to brew—multitasking equals more time for fun!

• Speaking of horrendous cuticles, treat yours daily with cuticle oil to lock in moisture and look like you’ve just had a manicure. We keep a bottle by our bathroom sink for a quick application every morning and evening after pushing back our cuticles with a towel.

• If you can’t (or won’t) keep your nails natural, choose a pale, chip-resistant polish and paint on two thin coats followed by a topcoat. Our favorite this season is Carolyn New York’s Park Chix, the sheerest, shiniest pink. (If you’ve never tried CNY polishes, you MUST! Designed by manicurist to the stars, Carolyn Cianciotto, these bottles have a soft-grip top that makes application a breeze (no slipping!) and the DPB-free polish formula is second to none.)

• Always keep a fine emery board in your bag. We like this one from Tweezerman with a snap-shut protective case. Before finding this, we ruined countless pairs of sunglasses from loose files rubbing against them in our bag. (Yes, we know our sunglasses should be in a sunglass case, but we’re not perfect, okay?) Use the file to clean up any breaks or rough edges immediately. Don’t wait until you get home or you could end up with a painful tear–Ouch!

A minute or two of hassle-free upkeep each day will keep your nails looking salon-perfect all summer!