How To Do French Manicure At Home
If you’re new to the world of nails, here’s what you need to know. The ever-classic French manicure typically involves a pale pink base and bright white tips. It is sophisticated and classy, and will never go out of fashion. Let’s begin with the tutorial!
A bowl of warm water A towel Base coat White nail polish Soft baby pink nail polish Top coat
Step By Step Tutorial
1. Prep Your Nails
Fill up a bowl with warm water and soak your hands in it for a minute or so. This helps get rid of all the oils and dry skin and helps your manicure stay on a lot longer.
2. Apply A Base Coat
Once your nails are dry, you need to apply a base coat. This step is really important when you are doing a French manicure because your natural nails are going to be on show, and you want everything to look smooth. Let it dry before you move on to the next step.
3. Do Your Tips
Use a white nail polish for your tips. Rest your finger on a flat surface, tilt it to the side, push the brush where you want your French tip to start and then pull it over. Don’t worry about connecting it to the other side as the criss-cross method will take care of this. Place the brush on the other side and repeat exactly what you did first. This will create a smooth and even line. Clean up any excess polish with a Q-tip, and let your nails dry.
4. Apply The Over-Top Nail Polish
Choose a soft baby pink nail polish and paint it over your nails. This shade will blend all the colors together and make your manicure look a lot more natural.
5. Apply A Top Coat
To seal and set your manicure, go over your nails with a transparent top coat. Once it dries, add a cuticle oil for hydration. This is how your manicure will eventually look! Isn’t that gorgeous?
DIY Reverse French Manicure
The reverse French manicure is one of the hottest nail trends out there! It simply involves painting the circular moon shape of your nail bed in a shade that contrasts the rest of your nail. This is easy to do and won’t take up a lot of your time.
Base coat A light shade of nail polish A darker shade of nail polish Top coat
Step By Step Tutorial
1. Apply Your Base Coat
Start by applying a thin layer of a clear base coat as this helps the nail polish stick to your nails easily. It also protects your nails from staining and your manicure from peeling.
2. Apply The First Nail Color
Grab your favorite nail polish – it could be anything – from metallic to a sheer color. Apply a nice, thin layer of it to your nails.
3. Glam It Up
It’s time to go in with your second color. Use a small amount of polish and apply it while giving the brush a little wiggle to match the shape of your cuticle. Instead of going all the way to the nail bed, you’re leaving a small space for the first color to show.
4. Apply Your Top Coat
To seal the manicure, make sure you apply a top coat to ensure it lasts for a long time without chipping or peeling. Here’s how stunning it looks! Wasn’t that simple?
How To Do A French Manicure Using Tape – Beginner’s Tutorial
Scotch tape (or regular tape) comes to the rescue if you’re a beginner and need a little help achieving that salon-quality French manicure.
A translucent pink base coat Tape White nail polish Top coat
Step By Step Tutorial
1. Apply Your Base Coat
Start with a layer of your base nail polish. You can use a pink-toned color or a nude/tan-toned color, as per your preference. Apply one coat of your desired shade on all your nails and leave it to dry.
2. Cut Out Strips Of Tape
If you’re clumsy and can’t get even tips no matter how hard you try, this hack saves you a lot of time and trouble. Simply cut out a strip of tape and cover your nails, leaving only your tips open – where the white nail polish goes. Apply the white polish. Follow this step for each nail.
3. Peel The Tape Off
Now, gently remove the tape from your nail. Don’t pull too hard or you’ll ruin your base.
4. Apply A Top Coat
All you need is a gel-finish top coat to finish! Say hello to your fresh manicure! Wasn’t that a breeze?
DIY French Manicure Using A Rubber Band
If you’re out of materials like scotch tape or band-aids, you can always use a rubber band to give yourself perfect French tips. Want to know how? Just follow these instructions!
A rubber band Base coat White nail polish Top coat
Step By Step Tutorial
1. Apply Your Base Coat
Start by applying your base coat – you can use a sheer pink or tan color. Apply a thin layer and let it dry.
2. Time For The Tips
Twist your rubber band and place it around your nail, leaving a small gap at the top where the white nail polish goes.
3. Do Your Tips
Carefully apply your white nail polish on the tips. The rubber band makes it a whole lot easier to get even and aligned tips.
4. Pull Off The Rubber Band
Make sure your polish has dried completely before you pull the rubber band off. Lift it while you pull it upwards.
5. Apply Top Coat
Finish with a layer of top coat to seal the manicure!
DIY Gel French Manicure
You can buy your own gel French manicure kit from Gelish and do a salon-quality French manicure right at home. You also need to have an LED light to cure the polish.
Nail buffer Gelish foundation gel White gel nail polish Gelish top coat Lint-free alcohol wipes LED lamp
Step By Step Tutorial
1. Prep Your Nails
Start by buffing your nails before you apply any polish. Once this is done, wipe them off with lint-free alcohol wipes. This will get rid of the gritty texture and ensure that your nails are nice and smooth. You’ll also get a better bond with this step.
2. Apply Your Foundation
Apply a thin coat of your Gelish foundation gel polish and cure the polish in your LED light for 30 seconds.
3. Do Your Tips
Next, apply the white gel nail polish on your tips, going from one side to the other in a single motion. Also, make sure you cap the tip with the polish to prevent any chipping. You can also use guide strips or tape to get perfect tips. Once this is done, cure the polish for another 30 seconds.
4. Apply Your Top Coat
Once your tips are done, finish with a layer of gel top coat and cure them in your LED lamp. Look at how perfect this looks!
Tips And Precautions: How To Make Your French Manicure Last Longer
Now that you’ve put in all the effort to give yourself a French manicure at home, you will want to make sure that it lasts a good while. Here are a bunch of tips and precautions that come in handy to make your fabulous manicure last until the end of time:
Wipe down your nails using a cotton swab and white vinegar (or alcohol) before applying your base coat. This helps remove natural oils and product build-up that could create a barrier between your nails and the polish. Filing your nails in the shape that resembles your cuticle’s shape makes them less likely to break. When applying your polish, make sure you go in with thin coats. It is also important to wait for the first coat to fully dry before you apply a second one. If you want to keep your manicure from smearing or chipping, it is a great idea to apply a clear thin top coat to your nails every other day. This will also make them look shiny. If you are doing the dishes, use gloves and dry your hands with a towel immediately, instead of letting them air dry. Ensure you don’t get any polish on your cuticles. This will lift the paint from your nail and lead to peeling or chipping. Don’t shake your polish bottle up and down. Instead, roll it between your hands to get rid of air bubbles. Don’t wait too long to apply your top coat as it works more efficiently when applied to almost-dry nail polish. The top coat seeps through the polish allowing it to blend well with your base.
What is the most flattering shape to use for the French manicure? Almond-shaped nails are considered most flattering for the French manicure as it makes your fingers look longer and slimmer. How long should nails be for a French manicure? It depends on how thick you want the white tip to be. If you are okay with a thin white area, you only need slightly grown nails for a French manicure. What is the difference between a French manicure and an American manicure? A French manicure comes with a pink base and a white tip, while an American manicure has a beige base with a creamy or faint white tip.
