Don't feel disheartened if you're struggling to artfully grip a polish bottle or find a flattering way to fan your fingers for that Instagram shot -- it isn't a cake walk for the professionals, either.

"'Can you move your ring finger one millimeter up? Now to the right? Okay, hold it. Now just a little left ...'" I have to be good -- and fast -- at taking direction," Jacobson admits. "I've also had to lie down on the floor and straddle light stands and camera equipment to get my hands at just the right angle. This, too, requires a peculiar brand of endurance." At the end of the day, it's like any other sport or skill -- practice eventually makes perfect.

"First, simply start with a gorgeous manicure," says Covington. Then, find a location that is in the shade ("so you don't have shadows") with a plain background -- a white piece of paper usually gets the job done. "Curl your fingers down to the bottom of your palm in a relaxed fashion to show off the manicure," and voila: the perfect Mani Monday pic.