A French manicure is characterized with the chic and smart look of natural colored nails and white tips. It originated in France in the late eighteenth century and grew rather popular in the 1930s. It is a classic style and never goes out of fashion. The word manicure comes from the Latin words, ‘manus’ which means hands and ‘curas’ that literally means cure. A manicure is a wonderful way to pamper your hands.
The process begins with soaking your hands in warm water which also contains cleansers. Once your hands are well soaked and soft then dirt, grime and dead skin cells are cleared away. Next nails are trimmed as are cuticles and edges that may be protruding on the sides of the nail. They are then filed and shaped. The hand is massaged with a hand cream and finally nail paint is applied.
The French manicure look
In case of the French manicure it is the last part of the process, the painting the nails that is rather distinct. The basic idea is to give the nails a natural and neat look. This kind of a treatment is ideal for women who have short or medium sized nails. You can choose to get a French manicure at a salon or try to do it at home. You may also get a friend to do it for you and give her a French manicure yourself. The most important thing to remember is that you need to have a steady hand when applying the natural or skin colored nail paint and the white nail color.
Do it yourself French manicure kits can be bought at most drug stores and pharmacy and they provide you all the tools that you need for the task. To begin with clear your nails of polish and wash them well to get rid of the chemical effect of the nail color remover. Once the hands have been pampered with a manicure you will need to shape the nails or have them shaped as desired. Then a thin and even base coat is applied to the nails. Next, use a tip guide to ensure you only paint the desired length of the nail tip white. Such a guide covers the rest of the nail and follows the natural curve of the nail bed.
Paint the nail tip white and allow it to dry well. Now put a coat of neutral nail paint of the entire nail. Keep this coat thin, if required add another coat of paint. Finally you need to add a top coat to complete the look. To maintain your French manicure you may like to add a top coat every other day. It is also a good idea to carry a white pencil in case you scratch your nail tip and need to fix it in a hurry.
If beauty fascinates you and you enjoy understanding and styling the human form, consider enrolling at The Esani Institute. The institute is a Paul Mitchell Partner School and offers many courses in cosmetology.
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