How to do a French manicure (French) at home
French manicure is one of the most popular types of manicure designs around the world. It can be done not only in the salon, but also at home. And it’s not difficult at all. Step-by-step instructions for creating a jacket – in our article

There are quite a few versions of the creation of this manicure, but it was officially invented by Jeff Pink, an entrepreneur from America. He wanted to create a universal manicure design that would suit all girls and at the same time be neutral. Introduced the French manicure to the public by Jeff in Paris, which gave him a sounding name. The first version was with a base of pink polish and a white border on the tips of the nails: it immediately made a splash in the world of fashion and beauty.

In our article we tell you how to do a French manicure yourself at home.

What is french manicure

There are a large number of manicure and nail designs techniques. The peculiarity of the French manicure is that its popularity does not fall over the years: all over the world, this type of design is done most often in salons, sometimes supplementing it with author’s details.

A classic French manicure is done like this: the main part of the nail plate is painted with one-color varnish, the tip of the nail is a different color. Most often, this is a pale pink shade at the base and white at the tip, but masters are increasingly creating interesting and unusual combinations, which are also performed using the French manicure technique.

What do you need for a french manicure

The stores sell special kits for French manicure. They include sticker stencils, a white pencil, base and white varnishes, and a fixative. To create such a manicure at home, you will also need a nail polish remover, a cuticle softener and orange sticks.

Stencils

Choose stencils of the shape you want to see on your nails. On sale you can find round, pointed, semicircular, “soft square”. They are needed specifically to create smooth and clear lines. If you can’t find stencils in the store, try replacing them with masking tape. When decorating, it is important to cut it to fit the shape of the nail: it is not so easy. Therefore, it is better to start with the use of stencils.

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White pencil 

It is needed to whiten the nail plate. You can use it with other types of manicure to give your nails a more well-groomed look. For a French manicure, a white pencil will come in handy at the time of drawing the line on the tip of the nail. To make it easier to do this, the pencil is soaked in water. And on top of the finished manicure is covered with a fixative. 

Base and white varnish

The base in the classic version is beige or light pink varnish. Its shade should be neutral, and the coverage should be medium. But white varnish for decorating the edge of the nail should be chosen dense and thick: this will help when drawing, using stencils.

artistic brush 

The brush option is more suitable for those who have already done a French manicure at home before. You need to draw a line with white varnish with a thin brush: if there are excesses, you can remove them with a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover. The brush is also suitable for decorating the upper part of the nail with a stencil. But then you should choose it thicker, with smooth edges.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a French manicure for nails

Making a French manicure at home is not difficult: you just need to be patient and follow the step-by-step instructions.

Step 1

First, use a cotton pad and nail polish remover to remove the old coating from the plate. Carefully go over each nail so that no marks are left.

Step 2

Apply cuticle softener and wait 1 minute. Use an orange stick to remove excess skin.

Step 3

Before applying varnish, degrease the nail plate using wipes or a special degreaser.

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Step 4

Apply a thin layer of base polish on the nail. Let the layer dry well before moving on to the next step. 

Step 5

If you use stencils, carefully stick them on your nails: short nails need thinner lines, and long distances need more. After the stickers are fixed on the nails, paint the tips with white polish. Do not wait until it is completely dry: carefully separate the stencils from the nail plate so that no polish particles remain on them.

Step 6

After the white polish has dried, cover your nails with a fixer and apply cuticle oil.

If you want to add variety to a regular jacket, try making a design with sparkles or geometric lines. It will be interesting to look at small flowers drawn with an artistic brush or decorated with stamping. All this can be done at home, but you should start with the simplest classic French manicure: although even at the first design, you can take unusual colors. For example, instead of white, black, and make the base almost colorless.

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Popular questions and answers

How to draw a straight line for a French manicure, why it has such a name and how to use a pencil for a French manicure correctly, told Anna Litvinova, owner of the Beauty Balm Bar beauty salon, manicure master.

Why is a French manicure called?
The name “French” became widely known after a fashion show in Paris, where this type of manicure gained particular popularity. French manicure remains popular today, because the classics are always in fashion.
How to draw a straight line for French manicure?
When drawing a French line, it makes sense to use stencils for manicure, or special stickers along with corrector pencils that easily remove excess varnish that has fallen on the cuticle. The main rule is more practice and development of the correct technique. You can start with free lessons on YouTube if there is additional interest, then purchase paid courses.
How to use a French manicure pencil?
I would not recommend using a French manicure pencil: they are not of very good quality. But in the early stages, you can use it to draw a clearer line. The pencil needs to be slightly soaked in water, before that it is important to sharpen it well. If this is not done, but drawing a line simply will not work. A pencil, like white varnish, is drawn along the top of the nail, drawing a curved line. On top of the manicure is covered with a glossy finish.

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