Popular French Manicure Designs

Posted on 25th November 2010 in Uncategorized

French manicures are a popular trend among women in America today. And for very good reason – the French manicure is very universal, and is just as appropriate for jeans and t-shirts as it is a wedding or prom dress. The classic French manicure has a light pink or nude base coat, with the tips of the fingernails painted bright white. Nearly every nail salon in America is familiar with this manicure and provides them to clients on a daily basis. But sometimes women like to add a bit of glamour to the French manicure, and this is easily accomplished by incorporating designs to their nails.

French manicure designs are normally done in nail salons. This is because salons carry all the equipment (and talent) to create some amazing designs. A popular method of applying a French manicure is through an airbrush machine, which gives the nails a smooth, even line when painting the tips white. Often manicurists will use the airbrush machine to create stunning designs. For example, instead of airbrushing a classic white line on the tips, you can use a stencil to create upward points (resembling triangles). This gives you the classic look of a French manicure while providing a special and unique touch. If you prefer to add color to your French manicure, you could have the manicurist draw or airbrush a small design on your fingernail. Popular designs include symbolic holiday designs, such as Christmas trees for the winter, pumpkins for the fall, or hearts for Valentine’s Day. Other designs frequently used for French manicures are flowers, palm trees, or letter initials.

Other designs popular among French manicures include the application of tiny gems or stones. These add a small touch of “sparkle” to your manicure. The stones can be applied singly or with a painted design to complete your desired look. The manicurist applies them using small tweezers and a bit of nail glue, then coats them using a clear top coat. This helps to seal the stones and prevent them from chipping off. You can choose to add these to one fingernail on each hand, or apply them to all ten nails for extra special glamour.

Another popular design used on the French manicure is known as “nail tattoos.” These are transfers rubbed onto your nail directly from printed paper. They are very similar to the application of faux tattoos, and are then covered with a top coat to help maintain longevity. These come in a wide variety of designs, and the salon should be able to provide you with a selection of available nail tattoos.

Finally, for those looking for a more extreme approach to nail designs, a popular trend called nail piercing is now available at several nail salons. Nail piercing is usually done on acrylic nails rather than actual nails. This is because once a real fingernail is pierced, it is nearly impossible to repair the nail later without having to cut it down. Using a small ear piercing gun, the manicurist pierces the nail with a tiny earring. These are usually studs or small gems. This procedure costs about $10 extra to your manicure.

With so many options available for French manicure designs, women now have the ability to customize their manicure and go beyond the classic look. Ask your manicurist for ideas on different nail designs.

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French Manicures

Posted on 11th November 2010 in Uncategorized

Mention the words “French Manicure” around nearly any woman, and you’ll immediately see their face light up like a kid on Christmas morning. This is because many women regularly indulge themselves in this classic beauty routine, whether they go out to a salon or do it themselves at home. It has become known as a common form of manicure in the United States, as it most resembles a “natural” look for fingernails. It’s very universal in that the look is ideal for day-to-day life, weddings, proms, special events, or nights out on the town.

The history of the French Manicure is thought to go back to the mid 1970′s when a man named Jeff Pink, president of the popular manicure company Orly, attended a fashion show where he noticed several of the models were using a white pencil to whiten the tips of their fingernails. He immediately realized this could be major fashion trend and brainstormed a way to recreate the look. The result was a kit that contained two shades of polish; a light pink base and white polish to paint the tips of the fingernails. He also included adhesive strips to place at the baseline of the nail so that women could effortlessly create a stunning, perfect look when applying the white paint.

French manicures are still sold in this form today, but have varied slightly since their beginning. Today you can choose from a classic light pink shade, a nude base, or you could even choose a pearl-based shade to add a bit of glamour to this classic manicure. Several kits contain jewels or other accents to add to your newly manicured nails if you are looking to “kick it up” a notch or two. Of course these kits are meant to be applied at home, but if you’d rather head to a salon, you’ll find French Manicures to be a popular choice among salon clients.

Sometimes nail technicians at salons will use acrylic tips when providing a French Manicure. This is usually done when the actual nails are not long enough to get the stunning white tip look. The technician will place long tips on your fingernails, cut them down to your requested 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, then proceed 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 usually range from $10-$15. You can expect to 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. If you decide to go to a salon, you can rest assured that nearly any nail salon will be trained in the French Manicure application.

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