How to Give Yourself a French Manicure.
Like cooking a French meal, giving yourself a French manicure requires a lot of time,
patience and ingredients – it's also a luxurious process you'll enjoy every second of.
You will need A dishwasher or disinfectant Some nail polish remover Cotton balls Nail
clippers An emery board Warm, soapy water A shallow bowl A towel Cuticle oil or cream
Orange sticks Half a lemon Hand cream A hot, damp towel A clear base coat Some pink sheer
nail polish Some white nail polish and a clear top coat.
Step 1.
Take off any rings and set them aside until you are through and your nails are dry.
Step 2. Make sure all reusable tools are clean.
Run them through the dishwasher or clean them with disinfectant.
Lay out all your materials that you'll need for easy access—once your nails are wet,
you don't want to have to dig through a makeup bag to find something.
Step 3.
If there's any old polish on your nails, remove it with a cotton ball soaked in remover.
Step 4.
Trim your nails with a clipper if they're on the longer side, and then shape them with
the emery board into ovals or rounded squares.
Start on one side of the nail and use short strokes in one direction only—toward the
center of the nail—then repeat on the other side of the nail.
Step 5.
Soak your fingers in a bowl filled with warm, soapy water for two minutes and then dry your
hands.
Step 6.
Massage cuticle oil or cream into your cuticles to soften them further.
Step 7.
Pull off a small piece of a cotton ball and wrap it around the tip of an orange stick.
Soak it in nail polish remover and use this to remove any dirt or lingering polish under
your nails.
Step 8.
Push back your cuticles with the orange stick—use a new, disposable one or wash the one you've
just used.
Never cut your cuticles—it can lead to infection.
Step 9.
Trim any dead hangnails with your clippers.
To nourish your nails and make the tips whiter, dip them into a half of a lemon.
Step 10.
Rub on hand cream to moisturize your hands and cuticles.
Step 11.
Wrap your hands in a hot towel for a minute to help the cream soak in.
Step 12.
Wipe your nails with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover—they must be oil-free
for the base coat to adhere properly.
Step 13.
Apply a base coat of a colorless nail polish and allow it to dry.
Leave your base coat just a little tacky and apply a little on the underside of the tip—it
will help the colored polish resist chipping.
Step 14.
Rotate your bottle of white polish so the mixing ball in it stirs the polish, but don't
shake—it will create bubbles, which will end up marring the finish on your nails.
Step 15.
Remove the wand from your white polish, wiping one edge of the brush against the opening
of the bottle to remove excess polish.
Step 16.
Apply the white nail polish to the tip of your nail in a thin C-shaped stripe.
Go slowly to keep the line neat and tidy and correct mistakes with an orange stick as you
go.
For smooth application, place your hand on a flat surface and, keeping the brush stationary,
slowly roll your finger from left to right as you paint on the C-shaped stripe.
Step 17.
Polish the rest of your nails with this white stripe, then let them dry completely.
Step 18.
Rotate your bottle of sheer pink polish so the mixing ball in it stirs the polish.
Step 19.
Remove the wand from your sheer pink polish, wiping one edge of the brush against the opening
of the bottle to remove excess polish.
Step 20.
Place the brush in the middle of your nail, almost at the base of your cuticle.
Back the brush up until the color just reaches the cuticle, then pull it forward to the end
of your nail.
Step 21.
Repeat this to the right and left of the center stripe, dunking and wiping the brush on the
bottle each time, so the entire nail is covered with three strokes.
Step 22.
Polish the rest of your nails, then let them dry completely.
Step 23.
Apply a thin clear top coat to seal the color—and admire your polished hands for at least an
hour while they dry.
Did you know The French manicure was actually popularized in Hollywood in 1975—as a style
that would coordinate with whatever costume a star might need to wear.