How to Paint French Nails

If you want a trendy and shiny nail, nothing can beat the French nail polish. Choose a light pink or transparent base and make the rounded tip stand out with white polish. To make your nails stand out, you can grow them long or use gel or acrylic to make them longer. Add a Parisian flair to your nails without spending a fortune in the salon.

Table of Contents

Prepare

Remove old nail polish . Dip a cotton swab in nail polish remover and remove all old paint even if it’s clear. Be sure to clean all the paint in every corner and crevice as the old paint will show up when you use light French paint.

If you have acrylic nails and want a French nail polish, choose the right nail polish remover and don’t let it soak in for too long.
Note that acetone nail polish remover can dry and damage your nails, so choose a chemical-free nail polish remover.

French nail polish will stand out more when you have long nails so don’t cut your nails too close to your fingertips. Cut your nails to the length you want. Make sure the entire nail is even. Use a nail clipper to trim the uneven areas and make sure the nails are the same length.

If you want to apply acrylic nails, you can first cut the nail close to the tip of the finger. After trimming nails, apply acrylic glue and fake nails according to the instructions on the product packaging.

File and polish nails. Use a nail file to shape the nails so that each nail is even and has a rounded edge like a crescent moon. You can file square or round nails depending on your preference. In addition, use more polishing tools to create shine for the nail surface.

When filing, do not push the nail down as this will damage the nail. You will need to gently pull the file along the nail.

Soak nails. Place your hand in a bowl of warm water, whole milk, or olive oil. This will help soften the cuticle and make it easier to push the cuticle back. Soak your nails for about 3 minutes, then dry them with a towel.

Push the cuticle back and cut. Use a wooden stick or special tool to push the cuticle back. Trim off corners or dead skin with cuticle scissors or small nail scissors. You can apply cuticle oil to your nails at this point. After applying cuticle oil, you can add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to your nails. However, do not add too much alcohol as this will make the nails rough.

nail polish

Apply base coat. The base coat used when applying French nail polish is usually light pink, cream or transparent. Start with a line in the center of the nail, then continue to paint one more line on each side. Paint from the cuticle to the tip of the nail with the brush tip tilted forward. You need to paint the entire nail with a smooth, even line. Continue to apply base coat to each nail of each hand.

You can buy French nail polish sets with base color base polish, nail polish and other tools that you can use to create the perfect manicure.
If you want to make a difference from the classic French look, you can choose a foundation that is not pink or cream. Instead, choose red, purple, blue, green, or whatever color you like. For the tip, you can use white or another contrasting color.
Let the base paint dry completely and apply a second coat. You need to wait for the base paint to dry completely before proceeding to the next step.

For perfect nail polish

Use clear tape. If you are not good at painting a straight line, you can make this easier by using clear tape. When the nail is finished with the base coat and just waiting to paint the tip, you will apply a piece of tape on the nail. The tape will cover almost the entire nail, leaving only the tip of the nail. Then you will apply white paint; If there is paint smeared, it’s okay because the paint only sticks to the masking tape. When the nail is dry, you will peel off the tape to have a completely painted nail.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/f/fc/Do-a-French-Manicure-Step-11-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Do-a- French-Manicure-Step-11-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/f/fc/Do-a-French-Manicure-Step-11- Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Do-a-French-Manicure-Step-11-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Use the mpeskin patch. Did you know the round mpeskin patch is used to apply to blisters on the legs? This type of stickers is great for helping you to paint round tips with even edges. When the nail polish is done (light pink or light brown depending on your preference) and the color is dry, apply the mpeskin patch over the nail but leave the tip exposed. Apply white polish on the tip of the nail and when the nail polish dries, peel off the sticker. Your nail tips will be perfectly white and all the smudged paint will be on top of the patch you peeled off.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/55/Do-a-French-Manicure-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Do-a- French-Manicure-Step-12-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/55/Do-a-French-Manicure-Step-12- Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Do-a-French-Manicure-Step-12-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Use eraser. It sounds weird, but if you’re having a hard time painting the tips of your nails, using an eraser is the perfect solution. Because the eraser has a sharp tip, it is easy to cover the tip of the nail and does not smudge. Just use an eraser instead of white paint and finish with a top coat. No one will notice the difference and you will save a lot of time! So you can show off your French painted nails. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Things you need

Nail polish remover
Cotton balls or cotton swabs
Cuticle cutting tools
Nail Polisher
Nail clippers
Nail file tool
Cuticle cream or hand cream
Paint pink, cream or transparent
Paint white
Coating layer

Advice

Make sure your nails are clean and well-groomed to look better.
Make sure the tip of the paintbrush is not too thick as this will make the paint uneven.
You can use transparent base paint instead of pink paint.
If you like a slightly curved tip, use reinforcement stickers. Apply the sticker to the nail but expose the tip of the nail. Then you just paint on the tip of the nail.
You can use a paint pen to paint the tip of the nail; this way will easily help you paint perfect!
If you find it difficult to paint the tips of your nails, you can use masking tape to prevent the gel/polish from accidentally getting out of your nails.
Use masking tape before applying pink or clear polish to make it easier to apply white on top of your nails.
Try using nail stickers to stick along the edge of the nail, then paint white on the exposed tip.
Hold the brush firmly in the right hand and then move the left hand (and vice versa) to whiten the tip of the nail.
To create the perfect paint line, you can tie this elastic on your finger. This will make it easier to paint.
Use tape and stick it on the edge of the nail to create a rounded tip. The advantage of this method is that you can continue to use the band for the remaining fingers.
What if you can’t paint well on your dominant hand? You can try nail polish on fake nails and stick them on your nails.

Warning

When filing your nails, avoid moving up and down. This may break the nail.
Use nail polish remover or clear polish in a well-ventilated area and don’t smell too much.
Avoid using fingernails as an aid as they are very susceptible to chipping.

Steps