How to Paint My Fingernails With a French Manicure

French manicured nails are classy, elegant and compatible with any outfit.

Having perfectly polished and manicured nails is a must, but shelling out the cash at a beauty or nail salon can be difficult. Wouldn’t it be easier if you could give yourself a French manicure? Problem solved! Now it’s possible to have beautifully French manicured nails from the comfort of home and for a lot less money than a professional would charge. Paint a beautiful set of fingernails, and soon everyone will be jealous of your perfect French manicure.

Things You'll Need

• Nail clippers
• Coarse nail file
• Fine nail file
• Nail tip guide strips
• White or off-white nail polish
• Neutral-colored nail polish (light pink, beige or clear to match nail beds)
• Shiny, clear topcoat nail polish

Instructions

1. Cut your nails to the desired with nail clippers. Shape the nails into a square or round shape with a coarse nail file. Smooth the edges of the nails with a fine nail file.

2. Place nail tip guide strips horizontally on your nails below the area where you will paint the nail tips white.

3. Paint the tip of each nail with white or off-white nail polish. Do not get any of the polish on the rest of the nail, only the tip. Allow the white tips to dry.

4. Pull back the edges of the guide strips and remove them from the nails.

5. Apply two, even layers of a neutral nail polish in light pink, beige or clear. Allow the neutral-colored polish to dry between coats.

6. Apply one or two layers of a shiny, clear topcoat of nail polish to give the nails a beautiful shine. Allow the topcoat to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Guide strips work best, but you can create your own guide strips with clear tape. Making your own guide strips requires patience and practice. You can find guide strips in beauty supply stores.

• For best results, the length of all of your nails should be approximately the same before you begin the manicure.

• Use a blow dryer to speed up drying time between coats of polish.

References

• BeautyDen; French Manicure; Anna Lynn C. Sibal
• Free Beauty Tips; Do It Yourself French Manicure; Kathryn D'Imperio

Resources

• “Seventeen”: Best Nail Tips