diy french manicure

hey babes,

u know how you feel when u walk about from that manicure saloon and your nails look so shiny and pretty.. and you wish u had the money to do this all the time.

well.... here is how you can get your own french manicure right at home for a fraction of the cost.

WARNING!! This procedure is best performed on a lazy morning or evening when no other pressing errands or tasks will get in the way. After painting your nails, avoid doing things with your hands while they dry.

buy a manicure kit. for an easier painting technique, check the beauty section of leading pharmacies like Guardian or Watsons for a French manicure kit. The set should contain, at the very least, nail polish in white and pink or beige. In malaysia, top and base coats are sold separately. Some manicure sets - like Sally Hansen's French Manicure Kit will contain tiny, sticky nail guides. These make the manicure process 100 times easier by allowing you to place the guides on each nail individually, leaving a small margin where the white polish for the tips can spill outside without tainting the rest of the nail.

Keeping longer, healthy nails will be most conducive to sporting a French manicure. To complete your own French manicure, begin with the following steps to prepare your nails for the procedure.

***Using a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover, wipe off any old nail polish prior to painting nails. Wash hands and soak in warm water for a few moments.

***With an orangewood stick, gently push back the cuticles so they are all even with each other once the water has softened your skin. don't push too hard as they will hurt and damage if you push them too far back.

*With nail clippers, beauty scissors or a nail file, shape your nails evenly.

***With a steady hand, carefully paint only the tip of each nail with a white hue. A second coat may be desirable, depending on the thickness and opaqueness of the polish. Allow polish to dry between coats. This process is made so much easier with the stencils that manicure kits come with. The trick with stencils is to paint on the white nail polish to the tips and then pull off the stencil when the paint is semi dry. when the white polish is dry, pulling off the stencil strip may chip the white polish.

***Using a slightly transparent pink or nude color, paint the entire nail once the tips have dried. A second coat may be necessary but a more see through effect is equally desirable. Allow nails to dry thoroughly.
***Once all the coats have dried, apply a clear topcoat to protect your new French manicure. To lengthen the manicure's lifespan, make an effort to paint a clear coat on each night. Be sure it has ample time to dry completely.

If you are feeling especially creative and ambitious, kick off your shoes and match your tootsies to your fingertips!

happy painting!! :)