What is a French Manicure?
When you mention the words “French Manicure”, you’ll immediately see women’s faces light up. Many women frequently indulge themselves in this classic beauty routine, whether they do it themselves at home or head to a salon. You can see these types of manicures just about anywhere from magazines, to moms at the grocery store.
It is a common form of manicure in the United States, because it most resembles a “natural” look for fingernails. The look is perfect for everyday life, weddings, proms, special events, or nights out on the town.
A French manicure is a great way to have polished nails without drawing too much attention to your hands. The absence of color makes for easy outfit changes, without having to worry too much about clashing colors.
French manicures also last longer than traditional manicures with colored polish. They are also easier to touch up without being too visible.
It all started in the mid 1970’s when a man named Jeff Pink, president of Orly manicure company, attended a fashion show where he saw some of the models were using a white pencil to whiten the tips of their fingernails.
He quickly realized this could be a big fashion trend and found a way to recreate the look. He invented a kit that contained two shades of polish - a light pink base and white polish to paint the tips of the fingernails. He also added adhesive strips to place at the baseline of the nail so that women could easily create a beautiful look when applying the white paint.
You can still buy French manicures in this form today, but they have changed slightly since their beginning. These days you can find a classic light pink shade, a nude base, or you could even pick a pearl-based shade to add a bit of glamour to this classic manicure. Some kits contain jewels or other accents if you want to “kick it up” a little bit.
What is the purpose of having a manicure, if you are just going to put clear polish on top of your nails? Well, the polish is not actually clear – it has two different colors. A very thin white or off white coat is applied to the tips of your nails and allowed to dry. Then the entire nail is painted with a soft beige or pink color, making the nails very clean and polished looking, but not quite as dramatic as red or pink polish.
French manicures are the most difficult type of manicure to have done to your nails. Many salons charge more money for a French manicure, than a regular manicure with one solid color. Some salons use an actual paint brush, with very fine bristles to apply the thin white coat to the tips of the nails.
Occasionally nail technicians at salons may use acrylic tips when doing a French Manicure. This is typically done when the actual nails are not long enough to get the astonishing white tip look.
The technician will place long tips on your fingernails, cut them down to your preferred size, and sand them down so that tip blends with your actual nail. They will then apply an acrylic foundation that hardens your nails to make it smooth and even, and then continue with the French Manicure techniques. After painting your nails with a base shade, the technician will then add the white paint to your faux tips and finish them off with a drying spray.
For a French Manicure without acrylic tips, prices typically range from $10-$15. You will pay around $30 at a salon for a French Manicure using the tips. The kits to do it yourself at home are sold at any drug or department store for around $8.
See also popular French manicure designs.
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