French manicure is one of those classic nail art techniques that everyone adores. It is a minimal style that looks great everywhere- on formal and informal occasions. A perfect French manicure can look difficult to achieve but with the right tools, nail polishes, and a bit of patience, no nail art is impossible.
So, here's our expert guide for the perfect French manicure you can do from your home.
- Start with prepping your nails.
A flawless nail art starts with a well-prepped and primed canvas- your nails. This step is extra important for a French manicure as the goal is to be minimal and to bring out the natural beauty of the nails.
Prepping your nails include:
- Removing your old polish - Use a gentle non-drying Bi-phase nail polish remover to remove old polish Don't forget the edges!
- Trim and file nails to the desired nail length and shape. Remember to use a glass file and gently drag it across the nails in one direction to make sure they don't get damaged while filing.
- Cuticle clean-up and care - Use a rose gold cuticle pusher to gently push back the cuticles after softening them with cuticle cream. Use a hand cream and cuticle oil to hydrate your cuticles. Remember to use rubbing alcohol on the nail plate later to remove all the cream and oil.
2. Apply a Base coat
A base coat is an important step in every manicure. It protects the nail from staining and smoothens the nail’s plate.
Use a base coat such as the one by El Corazon which is perfect translucent pale pink to match the color of the nail.
Now comes the part that makes this manicure a French manicure- applying white polish on the tips.
There are two ways to go about this:
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Freehand
With a steady hand and a nail art brush, dipped in white polish, glide it slowly and carefully along the tip of your nail. Make sure the white tip is of even thickness.
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Using French tip guides
In our opinion whoever came up with French tip guides is a genius. It makes the job so much simpler. Peel off one of the guides and place it on the nail. Using this guide, draw your French tip with a white polish.
A top coat helps secure the manicure and keep it from chipping.
An Elcorazon 434 topcoat is perfect for the job.
PRO TIP: Some may find the white tip too harsh or striking on the nail. You can soften the contrast by using a translucent pink top coat for a more natural-looking French manicure.
And voila! You have the perfect French manicure from the comfort of your home!
While we love how chic the classic French manicure looks, we loved to change it up now and then. So here are a few nail art inspirations that get a little bit creative:
