The Perfect (And Easy!) French Manicure

Who doesn’t love the classic, polished look of a French manicure? Sadly, they’re a little bit tricky to pull off at home and even if you could afford to go to the salon every week, who honestly wants to?! That’s why I’m so happy to have this simple little trick available to me, so that I can give my nails a pretty and elegant look whenever the mood strikes. 

You will need:

A base coat

A top coat

A sheer French manicure polish

French tip guides

Nail polish remover pads
(Or nail polish remover and cotton balls/rounds)

A nail care stick

A French tip pen, like Sally's Hansen's French Manicure White Tip Pen

Step 1:

Begin by making sure your nails are nicely filed (no jagged edges!) and buffed. I personally prefer French manicures on short nails, but you can make them a little longer if that’s what you’d like. Don’t forget to buff them. A simple buffing block from the drugstore will do and this step not only helps to give your nail a nice, smooth finish, but allows for the polish to stick to it better, leading to less chipping.

Step 2:

If you haven’t already done so, push cuticles back with the nail care stick.

Step 3:

Apply a layer of base coat to your nails. Never, never, never and I mean NEVER put polish on your nails without using a base coat first. Polishes weaken the nails, making them more likely to break. Not only that, but certain dark polishes (red is a common culprit) can sometimes stain your nails, leaving behind a gross yellow tint. Even polishes that proclaim to not need a base should be used with one. Also, never use a combination top/base coat. Just like combination shampoo/conditioners, these are two separate products and combining them into one makes it so that neither function is properly fulfilled. And if that’s not enough to convince you, base coat will also help keep your pretty manicure safe from chipping by helping the paint stick to the nail better.

Step 4:

Let the base coat dry entirely. If you skip this step, then the guides will likely rip it off after you use them. Use an at-home nail dryer or place them in a bowl of ice water for a few moments at a time, until it’s dried entirely. 

Step 5:

Take the nail guide and place it on your nail. It might be a little tricky to position it, as you want it to be perfectly in the middle and leave a straight edge for the white part of your manicure.  When you have it in place, use the nail care stick to gently nudge it down into the sides of your finger.

Step 6:

Follow the instructions on the package for your white tip pen. Once it’s ready, paint a line across the area you separated with your tip guide. Be careful, as some of these can be a little bit runny and you don’t want too much to drip onto your nail. 

Step 7:

Let the white polish dry. Once it’s done, carefully peel off the nail guides. This part might be a little frustrating if the polish isn’t perfectly dry or if you used too much and some of it leaked under the guide. For a quick fix (without having to start all over, wrap a nail polish remover pad on the pointiest end of a nail care stick and carefully wipe off any excess white. You can also use this trick to straighten or thin out the white line to your preference. Don’t forget to dab a little base coat on the areas you cleared off.

Step 8:

Use your sheer nail polish. Add a second coat once the first one dries if you like.

Step 9:

When the last coat you applied is no longer wet, finish the manicure off with a layer of clear top coat.

Step 10:

Sit back and relax while your nails dry completely! Also, if you have top coat on your cuticles like me, go ahead and gently scrape them off with the nail care stick and nail polish remover pad, but be careful not to smudge your actual nail. Go ahead and rub some luxurious hand cream on and don’t forget to keep your nails healthy by rubbing some cuticle cream or oil into them in the following days. 

Enjoy your fabulous nails!