How to do a modern French manicure
Have you heard? The French mani is back! But no, it is not just like you remember it and yes, it is absolutely cooler and trendy.
Here we have a few ideas for you from which you can draw inspiration for your own French manicure.
What is a French manicure?
It apparently has been around since the the 1930s; this application only coats a quarter of the nails and, usually, slightly rounded nails are preferred in this manicure.
The aim of this manicure is not to get a natural look, but quite the opposite.
How to do a perfect French manicure
Let us now have a look at how to create the perfect classic French manicure with this step-by-step guide. We will show you here how to do the classic mani and from there you can creatively deviate to get a tad more modern look whenever you feel like you need it.
The basics of the French mani should always stay: first and foremost, a classic French manicure should look clean not just in terms of the nail but also in terms of how much the nail is prepared.
1. Prepping the nail
First of all, trim or push back any excess cuticle with the help of cuticle trimmers. To make sure this is not a hard process, you can soften the nail by doing this right after a shower or you can dip your fingernails in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes first.
2. Giving your nail the desired shape
Although French manicure can be suitable for every type of nail plate and shape/length, the middle almond or short square shapes look best for French nail tips. It is important that they do not have broken edges so your line will be symmetrical.
3. Buff your nail plate
One little secret for the perfect French mani is that gently buffed nails help polish to stay better. The key to proper buffing is to use a high grit buffer with a light touch and focus around the cuticle area.
4. Hydrate your hands and cuticles
Make sure to soak your cuticles in oil before pushing them back. Then, exfoliate your hands with a nail and cuticle scrub and apply hand cream. Now you are ready to start applying coats of product.
5. Apply the base coat
Now, onto the actual painting of your nails. For a French manicure, you'll need two shades of colour: one for the nail, and one for the tip. The typical French mani uses two main colours: a pink for the whole nail and a stark white for the tip.
Start with a clear base coat and wait two minutes for it to dry, then use the pink polish all over the nail, making sure to wait two minutes between coats. While you are painting, be sure to only do thin coats and to start at the bottom of your nail from the middle before painting the sides.
6. Paint the tip of the nail
Whether you want to go for a straight or curved white strip is up to you and your nail shape, but if you want your nails to appear longer, let the polish curve with your natural nail.
You can apply the nail polish freehand or use guide strips to help you: just be sure that the second coat of polish is dry enough that the guide strips will not cause any indents or smudges. If you are free handing (wow, impressive!), it is best to keep the brush still and roll just your finger to get a nice and even curved line.
You will also have a steadier hand if you hold the brush between the thumb and middle finger while resting your forefinger on the top of the cap.
If you are afraid your hand is not as steady as you wish and are looking for white tips, we can also recommend using the white French Manicure pen to get impressive results with a simpler tool.
7. Topcoat and final touches
After cleaning up any stray polish with a Q-tip soaked in nail polish remover, you will need to keep this art to last as long as possible.
To seal and set your at-home French manicure, finally finish with a thin layer of a shiny topcoat.
Special ideas for special occasions
But why not spicing it up a notch? Here we have prepared for you a list of non-conventional French mani ideas:
1. The reversed French
Who doesn't love being a trendsetter? Sure, the classic French mani is great, but why not reverse the look?
It seems like such a simple idea, yet it is not something we have seen too often. It preserves all the elegance and simplicity of the traditional French but adds a touch of rebellious creativity.
So, the idea is to have the different shade just around your cuticles rather than around the tip of the nail.
2. The shocking effects
Well, what is more glamourous and eye-catching that the neon trend?
Instead of the classic look, you can opt for nail polish shades that are sure to make a lasting impression.
Opt for an orange shade (like Pearly light geranium) and a blue shade (like Cobalt) to create a wonderful contrast!
3. Christmas French mani
With Christmas and the festive mood getting closer and closer, why not opting for a festive French?
You can add a little Christmas spirit with red and green tips added to your nude nail. Or what is more festive than glitter?
Icy silver tips are one of our favourite winter nail ideas when it comes to the winter holidays.
What do you think? Do you have enough ideas for you to draw inspiration from? We do believe so! It is time for you to play around using the tools and the shades and we are sure you will find the perfect new trend-setter French mani for you! Best of luck!
