Leighton Denny Easy Peel Peel Off Base Coat

We love sparkly nails, at this time of year. Instant festive feel-good factor. What we don't love is how fiendish the polish generally is to remove. You wouldn't be the first person who's committed the beauty crime of taking a metal screwdriver or dental pick to your nails to remove stubborn specks of glitter polish  – because we've done it ourselves.

So: Leighton Denny has come up with a revolutionary alternative – and here's how it works.

1 Apply a coat of the base coat to clean nails. At this point, it looks like Tippex: white and opaque. Over the next few minutes, it'll become clear.

2 Repeat with a second coat.

3 Then apply your glitter polish – however many coats you fancy for the desired effect (a shot of shimmer, or full-on disco). Use a top coat, as per usual.

This isn't the quickest manicure you'll ever do. Each coat of the base takes a few minutes – but the pay-back is when it comes to removing the layers of shimmer. You peel back the edges and then lift off the whole thing. (And very satisfying that is, too.) There's a wee bit of tidying-up to do, but none of that hacking at the nail – which is so, so damaging – to get off the pesky particles.

We're definitely raising a glass to Leighton, on this one!

Leighton Denny Easy Peel Peel Off Base Coat/£12 at leightondennyexpertnails.com