Nail Tutorial: French Manicure

Although I really love wearing bright block colours on my nails, it is always nice to be able to have a simple manicure. It can enhance your natural nails whilst also makes them look sophisticated and is a quick and easy way to change the way your nails look. Here I have put together a quick tutorial on how to create a perfect French manicure. 

  

Nail Polishes L-R:
Rimmel 60 Seconds: Princess Pink
Barry M: Matt White
Avon: Base Coat

For this look I will be using a natural nail colour for the base and then white for the tips. However you can change up these colours and use any combination, which also looks amazing on the nails. Some examples of other combinations that I've used are red with gold tips, purple with silver tips and blue with red tips.
   To create this particular look you will need a base coat, a base colour and then another colour to use for the tips. In this case I am using the Rimmel 60 Seconds nail polish in 'Princess Pink' for the base, Barry M nail paint in 'Matt White' for the tips and an Avon base coat.

1. Firstly I would cut and file your nails using a clipper and nail file to ensure that all your nails are the same length and evenly shaped. Once you are happy with the length of your nails,apply the base coat and allow to dry. 

2. Next, apply the base colour to your nails. Depending on the coverage of your nail polish you may want to apply two coats but it is important to make sure that you do not make the layers too thick. This is so the nail polish dries and doesn't become tacky or sticky. I've applied 2 coats of the Rimmel nail polish in 'Princess Pink' here.

Rimmel 60 Seconds 'Princess Pink'

3. Once the base colour is completely dry, you can then start to do the tips of each nail. My tip for this stage is to take the nail polish brush and use one motion to swipe the brush across the top of the nail. Don't worry if the colour looks patchy at this stage because you can always go back and apply another coat to the tips if necessary. This step may take a bit of practise but don't worry if the tip colour goes onto your skin as it can be easily removed with some nail polish remover. Once you have used the brush to add tips, leave the nails to dry completely. 

4. To make the look last longer and to reduce the chance of chipping you can apply a top coat to this look but it is not necessary. To remove any stray nail polish from your skin, apply some nail varnish remover to a cotton bud and carefully wipe away the nail polish. 

Here is the finished look. Perfect for everyday wear or for special occasions or events, this is a really versatile nail effect and can be achieved using only 3 products and you can easily change the colours which have been used to create your own take on a classic manicure.