I'm a beauty product junkie and a heavy-duty super groomer, but I have never gotten the hang of manicures. Whenever I try to do one myself it reminds me of when I was first given coloring books: I see where the colors are supposed to go, but I simply can't seem to get enough control to keep the nail polish within the confines of my nails. Years ago, when the deep purple-red-black shade by Chanel called Vamp was all the rage, I decided to give it a go and when I was finished I showed my then 3-year old niece, who thought my hands had been butchered and she cried and cried. Now when I know I will be shaking lots of hands, I go and get a pro job, but for some reason, I can't even get out of the nail salon without smudges and chips. I think I'm just not patient enough to let the enamel thoroughly dry.

Enter Avon's new Instant Manicure. These moldable strips of color are pressed onto natural nails and then spread into place. These are apparently semi-dry strips of actual nail enamel, not just press-on fake nails, and once you put it on, they bond almost instantly so there's no waiting before you can use your hands again. The color is supposed to resist chipping for 14 days, about twice as long as traditional polish, although surely I'd find a way to chip it off within hours. The strips come in various sizes to suit different-sized nails. You use regular polish remover to remove the enamel.

Avon Instant Manicure will be available in May for $8. They come in two strips of 8, in case you mess up, I guess, or have a few extra fingernails.