French Manicure
A french manicure subtly states elegance and sophistication. It has long been one of the most popular nail looks mimicking the nails’ naturally found colors and shapes. French manicures are perfect for any occasion including formal, casual, daytime or even evening looks. French manicures are seeing new life with many new graphic prints and bold choice colors being added to the ever popular look. Reverse french manicures hit the industry by storm using dark colors to tip the fingers and light colors covering the nail.
A french manicure can be achieved in the salon or at home. At a salon a french manicure can be done on top of acrylic or gel nails to give a beautiful sleek look. It can also be done on your natural nails as well using fun colors. The cost of a french manicure varies greatly in salons depending on reputation and clientele. If you want to achieve a french manicure at home there are tips and products that will allow you to do it easily and inexpensively. The type of french manicure focused on is the classic, but if you want to try something more edgy just swap out the colors of polish for ones you like.
The first thing you are going to want to do is make sure that you have all of your supplies ready and accessible. You will need a base coat, top coat, old towel, nail polish remover, neutral or nude color shade, cuticle oil, cuticle pusher, buffer and tip guide strips. You can always look to purchase a french manicure set which will contain everything that you need. The best french manicure sets that we have come across include Orly Original French Manicure Set Pink. This kit comes with 2 bottom base coat, top coat, white tips nail lacquer and half moon white tips. It retails for under $12 at most beauty supply outlets. Sally Hansen Diamond Strength French Manicure Pen Kit is another great way to achieve beautiful french manicured nails. There are three different color options including ballet-bare, barely-there and pink-a-boo. It retails for under $12 at most beauty supply outlets and retail store including Target and Walmart. The pen applicator allows for instant precision when applying your white tips for zero mess or fuss.
Once you have these tools ready you have to prep your nails. First you will want to do a thorough washing of your hands to remove any dirt or grime. Now you are going to shape your nails using clippers and a file. You may want to keep them a bit longer than normal so that you can apply the white tips easily. Soak your hands in warm water to help soften the cuticle. Then you will want to take a cuticle pusher and gently push the cuticle back. You will then softly buff your nails using the nail buffer. This will help to get the nail’s surface ready for polish to be applied. You will then apply the topcoat in gentle even strokes. This will help to get your nails ready for the color of polish that you have decided on. Now you will peel off the nail guide strips and place them at the desired length at the tips of your nails. The nail guide should be smoothed out and come to a rounded end. Once you have placed all of the nail guide tips you will want to paint the tip of each nail with your white polish. Let the tips dry completely before removing the nail guides. After you have removed the nail guide you will want to apply two coats of the neutral polish allowing for each coat to dry completely. The finishing step is to paint the nails with a top coat.
Now you will have the beautiful and timeless look of a french manicure inexpensively with a touch up kit that you can use at home as well.