How to Give Yourself a French Manicure

Looking for a polish job that can take you from day to night, casual to dressy? Consider a french manicure. From daytime denim to evening elegance, the popular white-tipped look will never leave you wondering whether your polish complements your outfit.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rubbing Alcohol
• Nail Brushes
• Nail Files
• Manicure Scissors
• Nail Buffers
• Cotton Swabs
• Nail Clippers
• French Manicure Kits
• Manicure Kits
• Nail Cleaners

1. Hit the drugstore or beauty supply center to pick up your tools: base/top coat, tip guide strips, neutral polish and white polish. Neutral polishes are very pale, sheer shades with a pink, beige or peach cast. Consider kits that offer everything in one convenient box.

2. Clip, file and shape your nails. Tend to your cuticles, then wash and dry your nails completely. Apply the base/top coat and let it dry.

3. Peel off a guide strip and affix it below the tip of a nail, following its natural curve. The guide will allow you to paint an even white tip with ease and precision.

4. Decide where to place the guide strips based on the length of your nails. In general, the longer the nail, the longer the white tip should be. Make sure that the arch of the guide is smooth and rounded and that the tip lengths are all relatively consistent.

5. Paint each nail tip white, extending the brush stroke from the top of the guide to the end of the nail. Take care not to get any white polish on the body of the nail below the guide. Let the tips dry.

6. Remove all the guides. Dissolve leftover adhesive by rubbing it gently with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

7. Apply two coats of the neutral polish, letting the first coat dry before the second application. Finish with a thin layer of base/top coat.

Tips & Warnings

• Limit neutral polish to one coat if you find that a second coat is too opaque.
• If the classic french manicure is a little too conservative for your style, make your own color combination. Instead of neutral and white polishes, use red with black tips, red with gold tips or white with silver tips.
• Give yourself time to practice. It may take awhile to get the hang of applying the tip guides. The point of an orange stick may help you position them.
• Keep your hands very still as the polish dries to avoid denting or smudging it.

[lilyh]

on 6/21/2009 I just bought a fabulous product - a 9pc French manicure pen kit on eBay for only $16.95! I saved so much time and money doing my own french tips with this! The ebay item # is 360158154290. The brand is MANICURE MAGIC. I saw the same thing on QVC before for $40, but didn't want to take the chance. My nails look great now! Hope this helps.

[cmyers9]

on 8/26/2007 All of the above comments have been so helpful! I set out to do an "American Manicure" at home, which is a lot like the french manicure, just the tips are a more natural color. What worked for me was buying all of the necessary supplies for a manicure, then a lovely, sheer OPI shade called “Matched Luggage” for the tips and a great clear top coat by CHI. The tactic I used was a lot like the salons, which is painting over the tips in a general way-using two coats, then I used a really fine/small brow brush dipped in non-acetone nail polish remover to clean it up, creating a precise line where the nail tip is naturally that lighter color. (I find the look this creates to be much more natural looking than even the guides that you can stick on.) Then this is also followed by two coats of clear top coat and a spritz of the OPI Rapi Dry spray. The look is of very fresh, healthy, clean, be

[soffeshorts15]

on 5/11/2007 When doing a French manicure, does the neutral color go on the bottom, the top, or both? Please respond right away, I am doing a demontration speech called, "How To Do A French Manicure." I am giving this speech in 2 days and I have to show how to do it as well. So, please respond as soon as possible. Thank you very much!

[Chickytoo82]

on 10/18/2006 I've found doing french manicures too difficult to get the white on. So, one of the best and inexpensive things I've found is Sally Hansen's 2 in 1 nail white pencil. You wet the tip of the pencil, and apply it to the underside of your nail tip. It drys quickly and stays for a long time and the pencil is cheap and lasts a long time and doesn't damage nails. You can find the pencil at almost any store including Walmart.

[bpowellmom]

on 10/17/2006 Thanks SO much for the tip on using a white fine-tip paint pen to do the white tips for French manicures. I went to Walmart and got one made by Elmer's for $2.50 and it's definitely the easiest way to do a French manicure! Very easy to draw the white tip and not as gooey as using fingernail polish. Then just put on the sheer color over the nail and then seal it all with a top coat. If this lasts, then I will never pay for a manicure again!