Method and apparatus for cosmetically disguising an unattractive finger or toe nail area of a negatively affected hand or foot digit by using a temporary, cosmetically appealing covering, by providing a cosmetic nail covering that will simulate the appearance of a nearby normal nail when a suitably sized and shaped cosmetic nail covering is applied to cover the nail area of the affected digit, and both the cosmetic nail covering and the nearby normal nails of the hand or foot are coated by a user with identical user-supplied nail polish. The covering is made from adhesive tape suitable for wrapping around a digit, and a pad sized and shaped to resemble a normal nail for the affected digit when the pad is adhered to the tape. The tape should enable forming a coating that is as smooth, level, and uniformly colored as natural nails when coated by conventional polish.