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!

Playful Pink Eye Look- From Day to Night

Whether you’re accustomed to using only neutrals or you regularly enjoy throwing some color into your make-up routine, sometimes it’s hard to come up with a bold look that works for daytime. We tend to shy away from using colors that are very bright, preferring to go about being unobtrusive and unnoticed.

I, however, like to throw a little bit of flavor into the mix. The key to using loud colors during the day is to keep them subtle, while not being afraid to fully indulge in their vibrancy. This look might be a little overwhelming for ladies working in a very conservative environment, but for those employed in less restrictive fields (or are still students!) it can be a fun change of pace. It also works wonderfully for any casual daytime activities, like hitting the mall or meeting some friends for lunch (And if you like it for daylight hours, read on for a way to upgrade it when the sun goes down.)

The tools we’ll be using for the basic look are:

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion

YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Shocking in Deep Black

Ulta Eye Shadow in Platinum

Marabella 24hr Semi-Permanent Eyeliner in Black

Yves Saint Laurent Eye Pencil in Velvet Black

Urban Decay Glide-on Eye Pencil in Woodstock

Step 1-

Prime your lids only, making sure to keep the lines nice and neat. Don’t forget that it’s best to prime one eye first, proceed to the next step, then come back for the second one. 

Step 2-

Fill in the primed area with a white eye shadow, making sure to not go past the crease.

Step 3-

Grab the hot pink eyeliner. Line the top lashes, making sure that the color is bright and evenly applied. You’ll want to keep this line relatively thick for later steps.

Now apply a matching line on the bottom lashes. 

Step 4-

Take the felt tip liner and make a very thin line over the one you just applied. Make sure that the black line is small enough that some of the pink is still visible behind it. 

Step 5-

Give your lashes a quick sweep of mascara.

Step 6-

Now use the black pencil liner to line your waterline and complete the look!

However… what say we take this look to the next level for nighttime? I personally love making my make-up more and more flamboyant the later it gets in the day and the following look is as loud and out there as it is cute. 

For the upgrade, we’ll be using the following tools:

Green contacts

NYX Eye shadow trio in Cherry/Cool Blue/Hot Pink

Ardell LashGrip Eyelash Adhesive

e.l.f. Dramatic Lash Kit

Physician’s Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner and Serum

Step 1-

This part is entirely optional, but as I wanted to give the look an extra pop of color and bring more attention to it, I decided to put in my contacts. 

Step 2-

Take a light pink color smooth it into your crease, extending it a little towards the brow bone. Follow the natural shape of the area, without adding a pointy edge.

Step 3-

Take the dark pinkish-red and apply it over the baby pink. Make sure that there’s a clear edge between the two colors.

Step 4-

Use a fluffy blending brush to wipe away the sharp edges and blend the two shades into a nice gradient.

Step 5-

To really take this look to the next level, apply a track of fake lashes to your upper eyelid. Just dab some lash glue onto your hand and dab the edge of the track through it. 

Give it a few seconds to become a bit sticky, then carefully press it onto your lids. 

You want it to as close as possible to your lashes, without actually sticking it onto them (unless you want to painfully remove your lashes when you peel these off later!)

Step 6-

Use the other pen liner to extend the black line with an upwards sweep. A liner like the Physician’s Formula one is excellent, as it’ll allow you to form the thin edge much more easily than the one from Marbella. However, if we’d used it before, the pink liner would have led to blockage on the tip.

Step 7-

This next step might be a little much for some, but I love going all out with my eyeliner! Just add three little dots under the line you just made for a cute, whimsical touch. You are now ready to go out and show off your fun and wild look! Enjoy!