How to Paint and Clean White French Tips
Many women pay $20 or more for a French manicure, in which the tips of the nails are painted white, because it looks too daunting to try at home. But with the right tools, you can achieve the same look at a fraction of the cost you'd pay for a professional to do it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Cotton balls
- Nail polish remover
- Orangestick
- Body scrub
- Towel
- Nail file
- Small bowl
- Mild liquid soap
- Cuticle pusher
- Rubber hoof stick
- Clear base coat
- Nail filler
- Body oil or thick hand cream
- Opaque white nail polish
- Nude or pale pink polish
- Top coat
- Nail buffer
Instructions
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Prep nails with a thorough cleaning. If you nails are polished, saturate a cotton ball with remover. Swipe the remover across the nails to eliminate polish from the nail bed and cuticle. Use an orange stick wrapped in cotton and soaked in remover to clean underneath the tips of the fingernails.
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Trim and shape nails into the desired shape and length using a fine-grade nail file. File nails from side to side in one direction, instead of sawing back and forth, which can weaken nails.
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Exfoliate hands with a dollop of gentle body scrub. Massage into your hands using your fingertips. Rinse off the exfoliating product with warm water.
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Fill a small bowl with warm water and mild liquid soap to remove remaining dirt and polish underneath nails. Soak your fingertips for four minutes to five minutes in the soapy mixture. Dry hands with a towel.
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Soften cuticles and moisturize hands with a generous amount of oil or thick moisturizing cream. Let the product remain on the hands for a minimum of five minutes. Push the softened cuticles back with a metal cuticle pusher or rubber hoof stick. Rinse hands with warm water and soap to remove any oil residue from the nail bed.
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If you nails have ridges, apply a single coat of nail filler to help the nails appear smooth. Once dry, apply a clear base coat so that the polish will adhere to the nail.
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Paint one coat of white polish at the free edge of each nail. For a square tip look, apply a straight line across the tips. If you prefer a half-moon shape, follow the natural curve of your nails. To create a simple V-shaped nail, swipe a diagonal line of polish from the outer corner of the nail tip to the center of the nail. Some manicure kits have sticky strips you can apply to the nail to use as a guide for applying the white polish. Let the tips dry for a minimum of 10 minutes before the next step.
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Sweep on two coats of nude or pale pink nail polish. Apply polish with a single stroke down the middle, then one coat of polish on either side. When the first coat is dry, apply a second coat using the same technique.
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Tips & Warnings
To flatten ridges, gently work a nail buffer across the nail bed using a circular motion.
Dry your hands thoroughly after soaking nails to prevent them from chapping.
References
Resources
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