French manicure is a classic nail design that has been around for decades. No matter how many nail trends have come and gone over the years, french tips are here to stay. It is a simple nail art consisting of light pink nails with white tips, which look so feminine and delicate that it has become a favorite nail choice for brides and classy ladies.
This nail type may look simple, but it is often hard to achieve a perfect white tip. Thanks to this, French manicure kits are available to purchase at local shops. Do not fret about getting them done, read on to find out how to do your French manicure at home like a pro.
Step 1: Clean your nails
As a starter for every well-done nail job, you need to clean out your nails from the old color. To achieve this, use a small piece of cotton wool dipped in nail polish remover to wipe and clean the nails.
Step 2: Give your nails shape
Now that your nails are cleaned, check if they are in symmetry and if you have any split ends. You can use a nail clipper, and file your nails to achieve your desired length. Your French manicure can be made on any nail length and shape. But it is recommended to file your nails to almond or square shape and to keep the nail length short or medium.
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Step 3: Buff your nail plate
A manicure session tip is to buff your nails a little bit. You need a buffer with a good grit to carefully remove a few layers of your nails with light touches. Don’t get concerned about the layers of the nails coming off. This is a technique that helps the nail polish sit well on the nails. Be sure not to excessively buff your nails and concentrate more on your cuticles.
Step 4: Exfoliate your hands
You must exfoliate and hydrate your nails after buffering. Soak your hands in warm water or oil, wash, and then you may apply some hand lotion or conditioner to help soften the nails for some minutes. Use a cuticle pusher to push in your cuticles — this will help protect your nails. Remember to clean off the lotion from your nails before you apply the nail polish.
Step 5: Paint the base
At this stage, you apply one coat of base nail polish. This will protect your nails from getting stained by colored nail polish and also help your manicure stay on longer.
Although you can put your spin on the nails and choose any two shades of color you like, this tutorial will stick to the classic French manicure colors of sheer or pale pink and white nail polishes.
Step 6: Paint the nail tips
Allow the base coat to dry for a few minutes, then take a small tip brush and the white nail polish. Use your free hand to hold the brush steady in between your thumbs and middle fingers to make a nice line from one edge to the other. You can choose to make the line straight or curved but remember to align it with the shape of your nail. This is what makes a French manicure.
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If you have unsteady hands, you can use band-aids and a nail guide to help you achieve a perfect tip. Just use it to cover off the parts of the nails that you don’t want the other color on while leaving enough room for the tips. After painting the tips, you take off the nail guide before applying the pink color. Tiktokers have come up with a hack of using a beauty blender to push the color into the tips of the nails.
Step 7: Apply the sheer or pale pink polish
Coat your nails with the sheer pink nail polish to where it meets with the white line. Allow the polish to dry for a few minutes. Now, your french manicure is done.
Step 8: Apply the topcoat
Just like the base coat, the topcoat protects the nail polish and makes it stay longer. Preferably, use a light layer of shiny nail top coat.
Finally, clean off the sides of your fingers with a Q-tip and nail polish remover to remove any nail polish that has drifted from the nails, and your french manicure nail is ready.
Conclusion
Now you know you don’t have to book a nail session to get your french manicure done. These pastel nails will give you a glam and classy manicure with little effort. You don’t have to worry about making a mess on the first try, spice it up with different colors and even some glitter. You are pretty much covered with all the nail tools and hacks available now. It is a great nail design to learn because it will never go out of fashion.
