I use the vaseline as well. My nails break in this cold weather we are having now, as soon as I touch the car or the mail box.

I never liked using polish too much work to put it on, wait for the fast drying stuff to dry. Then it chips right away. And the color never goes with what I am wearing today, it went with yesterday's outfit. Sigh. So I gave up on that.

I can shape them, like you said. And I use a buffer now and then to get a shine.

But the vaseline, that did the trick for me!