Ways to create a French manicure yourself and many ideas for types of French

The French manicure, renowned for its elegant, sophisticated appearance that is ageless and adaptable, has been a classic nail trend for decades. You’re in the right place if you’ve ever admired this look but were intimidated by the thought of trying to create it yourself. We offer easy ideas and tips to help you achieve the ideal French manicure at home, whether you’re new to nail art or looking to improve your skills.

It’s not as hard as you might think to give yourself a French manicure. Salon-caliber results are achievable with a few simple tools and some practice. We’ll walk you through all the fundamentals, from selecting the ideal polish to perfecting the classic white tip. There are also a ton of alternative styles to choose from, so you don’t have to stick to the conventional style. The French manicure can be customized to fit any style or occasion, ranging from delicate pastels to striking glitter tips.

Prepare to try out a variety of French manicure patterns that extend beyond the traditional white tips. Whether you’re looking to add a little embellishment, try out geometric patterns, or add a pop of color to your nails, we’ll share some original ideas with you. These pointers will help you achieve a French manicure that showcases your individuality and keeps your nails looking chic and new.

Classic French: hand drawing

One of the most popular nail art styles is the French manicure, which starts with a pink nail plate and a white tip shaped like a crescent.

There are now many more variations in French, and the main coating comes in a range of shades, from milky and nude to brighter. The smile line itself can take the shape of a triangle or even a figured one instead of a crescent.

We’ll go over a few ways to execute the traditional French manicure; if you can perform a standard French manicure, you should have no trouble with any of its variants.

What you’ll need to create a classic French manicure is:

• Base – transparent and camouflage of the desired shade;
• White gel polish;
• Thin brush. You can use a special brush for French, but if you don’t have one, a regular thin brush will do;

• Degreaser;
• Lint-free wipes;
• Top.

Additionally, get ready the tools needed for a hygienic manicure. These can include a bath, remover, and an orange stick for Europeans, or a milling cutter for hardware, nippers, and a pusher for trimming.

Detailed instructions for drawing a French manicure using a photo:

1. Perform a hygienic manicure – remove the cuticle in the usual way, treat the side ridges and file the free edge;
2. Buff the surface of the nail plate to slightly remove the shiny layer. You don’t need to get too carried away – the task is only to remove the shine. Wipe your nails with a degreaser;
3. Apply a very thin layer of transparent base for nails. Theoretically, this layer can be skipped and immediately move on to the camouflage base, but a thin substrate from a transparent base will help the coating stretch longer. Dry the base in the lamp for 30 to 120 seconds, depending on the type of device and its power;
4. Apply the camouflage base as the next layer. For a dense color, this step should be repeated twice, drying each layer separately;
5. Drop a small drop of white gel polish on the palette – this will make it easier to pick up the material with a brush. Take a thin "hair" brush and pick up a small amount of white gel polish;
6. Mark the center with a small dot on the free edge, and the width of the future white tip with a short horizontal line. When choosing the width, you need to start from the length of the nail plate – for long nails, you can play with the thickness, and for very short ones, it is better to do a micro French;
7. Also schematically mark the depth of the French – this is how deep into the center of the nail plate the "antennae" will go. Usually the antennae are drawn to the point of growth – the lateral points where the nail plate connects to the skin. At this stage, the task is to determine where the growth points are and connect them with a thin line with the designated center of the free edge. Place the lines on both sides and be sure to check that they are symmetrical;
8. If necessary, take a little more gel polish and round off the future smile line by drawing a neat, thin line along the designated width of the tip, connecting it with the drawn axes of the mustache with a semicircular line;
9. Repeat the same on the other side, maintaining symmetry;
10. Now fill the outlined tip with a thin layer of white gel polish;
11. It remains to dry the design and cover it with a top coat.

Typical errors

• Thick layer on the tip. Do not use too thick a layer of white gel polish on the tip. In this case, you will get an obvious transition between the smile line and the main color of the nail plate;
• Thin layer. In pursuit of a thin layer, do not overdo it – the color of the tip should be dense and uniform, without bald spots;
• Position of the brush. When drawing lines, do not hold the brush perpendicularly – this will prevent you from creating a clear, even contour;
• Attempts to "clean up" the line. Don"t try to clean up the smile line from the outside – instead of a clear and even line, you will get a blurry outline.

It takes a while to draw a French manicure, particularly if you have never held a brush in your hands before. We advise attempting a few easy methods for applying a French manicure to streamline the procedure.

Stamp for stamping

Social media is where we learned how to do a French manicure. You’ll need the following for it:

• Silicone stamp for stamping. Rubber will not work, since the surface must be elastic and soft enough;
• White gel polish;
• Camouflage and regular base;
• Thin brush;
• Top;
• Lint-free wipes;
• Degreaser;
• Skin defender – liquid tape for skin protection.

As per the previous instructions, you must begin the manicure by cleaning your fingers, cuticles, and shape. When the nail is ready, use a degreaser to wipe the nails and gently buff the surface.

Detailed instructions:

1. Apply a thin layer of base, then 1-2 layers of camouflage, drying each of them;
2. Carefully apply liquid tape for manicure around the nail. This step is for girls with short and medium nails – when stamping white gel polish, it will be problematic not to touch the skin. If you have long nails, then it is not necessary to use a defender;
3. Degrease the surface of the stamp for stamping and apply white gel polish to it. Try not to make the layer of white too thick to avoid a step on the border of the French;
4. Press the prepared nail at a 45-degree angle into the gel polish on the stamp – the deeper, the wider the smile line will be. It may not work the first time – practice on tips and after 2-3 times you will understand at what angle and with what force to press the nail;
5. After such manipulation, you will get a French manicure with a smooth rounding, but without a mustache – if you want, you can draw them with a thin brush manually;
6. If you applied liquid tape, you can remove the film at this stage. Use a thin brush to give the smile line a neater look, evenly distribute the gel polish, correct the borders. Don"t forget to look at the back of the nail – sometimes gel polish gets clogged there and needs to be removed before drying – the same thin brush will help you with this;
7. Dry the gel polish, cover the design with a top and dry again.

Girls have already figured out how to modify this technique and have come up with a lifesaver: use a weakly inflated balloon in place of the silicone stamp. Although we haven’t tried it, people on social media tell us that this method is effective.

French manicures can be incredibly enjoyable and fulfilling to create at home, with countless customization options. This guide will show you how to achieve a stylish French manicure that fits your taste and skill level, whether you want to stick to the traditional white tips or experiment with modern twists. You’ll find everything you need to create a professional-looking French manicure at home, from simple steps to creative variations.

With stencils

French smile stencils are tiny, curved stripes with a crescent shape that make it easy to draw a symmetrical, even smile line in a matter of seconds. Although drawing the tip is much easier when using stripes, there are still some drawbacks to this technique:

• The edge of the smile line after removing the stencil is sometimes not perfectly even. This is due to the fact that when the stencil is removed, it can capture small particles of material;
• From a stencil with an adhesive base, traces of glue may remain on the nail.

However, if you have to make the design yourself, one of the most popular choices is a stenciled French manicure. It is undoubtedly quicker than using a brush to paint, at least.

How to correctly apply stencils for a French manicure:

1. Prepare the nail, as in the previous examples – do a hygienic manicure, file the shape, buff and degrease the nail;
2. Apply a thin layer of a transparent base, and then 1-2 layers of camouflage. In general, for the main color, you can use any colored base or gel polish, just a gentle camouflage is a classic French manicure. Dry all layers thoroughly;
3. Separate the stencil strip from the paper backing and place it on the nail, stepping back from the free edge as much as you want the smile line to be wide. The best option is to place the strip with its upper border on the line between the ingrowth points. Make sure that the stencil fits tightly to the nail both in the center and at the growth points. If the strip is not glued tightly, the gel polish will leak in and ruin the manicure. Note that the edges of the stencil should extend beyond the finger – this will help to quickly remove the stencil and not damage the coating;
4. Paint the tip of the nail with white, well-pigmented gel polish – you can do without a brush here – the one that the gel polish has will suffice. Despite the fact that a French manicure with a stencil is a simple technique, we advise you to apply the gel polish carefully and avoid sweeping movements. The less material gets on the stencil, the less likely it is that when you tear it off, it will pull fragments of the smile line;
5. Send the design to dry in the lamp for 30-120 seconds, then carefully remove the stencil, grabbing it by the protruding tips;
6. Cover your nails with a top coat and dry.

Life hack: touch the glue with your fingers multiple times before applying it to the nail to avoid the adhesive side of the stencil ruining the base coat and leaving glue residue. Although the stencil won’t adhere as securely, the manicure won’t be harmed in any way.

With improvised means

It’s possible that you don’t have any stamps or stencils at home. You can use unconventional materials to create the ideal French manicure:

• Stationery rubber band;
• Paper tape;
• Band-aid.

Stencils can be replaced with paper tape or band-aids; simply cut out the desired rounded strips and use in accordance with the directions in the preceding section. To get rid of extra glue, touch the adhesive layer with your fingers, just like you would with stencils.

Rubber bands used for stationery can also be used as a kind of stencil:

• Pull the rubber band on the nail so that it divides the nail into 2 parts – the main nail plate and the smile line;
• Adjust the position of the rubber band so that it forms a smooth, symmetrical line;
• Fill the free edge with white gel polish up to the elastic band, carefully remove it and dry the resulting design.

You can safely use all of the above methods to achieve a French manicure using regular polish; just substitute regular polish for gel polish.

Doing a DIY French manicure at home can be enjoyable and fulfilling. You can achieve that timeless look or give it your own unique twist with a few basic tools and techniques. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, customizing your nails can be achieved by experimenting with different designs and hues.

Your French manicure can be customized in a million different ways. The options are endless, ranging from the classic white tips to accents that are glittery or colorful. To fit your occasion or mood, experiment with various shapes and finishes, such as glossy or matte.

Recall that practice makes perfect. If the results of your first attempt are not exactly what you had hoped for, don’t give up. You can quickly become an expert at the French manicure and discover new ways to make it particularly your own with a little perseverance and imagination.

Video on the topic

Unusual FRENCH MANICURE | How to do it yourself | French manicure with gel polish

Checking LIFE HACKS from Instagram / FRENCH MANIC BY YOURSELF / #TatyanaBugriy

How to do French! Technique of covering natural nails with gel!

French is just 😉 Cool life hack #manicure #nails #design gear #french #life hack #manicurrost

If you are tired of the classic French: 23 ideas with an original design

French | Lesson #ANDRUS #manicureist #shorts

Nail Design Ideas💅/Nail Design ideas💅