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Manicure: French Manicures |
By:
Jessica Jameson |
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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.
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.
Also, I like that I don't have to think too much about the color of my nail polish when choosing my outfits. Nothing is worse than having someone point out that my hot pink polish clashes with coral dress.
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.
Now if I have more time on my hands, I will give myself an at home French manicure. It's not as great as getting one in a salon, but still a treat nonetheless. First I will soak my hands and scrub them well with an exfoliating scrub. Next I will trim and shape the nails. Then I will apply a base coat of polish to my nails.
One thing that is kind of interesting about French manicures is that they really don't have any target age range. Anyone from teenagers, to grandmothers can be seen sporting a French manicure, that is something that cannot be said of most fashion trends.
When attempting to paint the tip of my nails, I have tried a couple of different things. In the past I have used those tape strips that you can buy in a French manicure kit. They don't seem to work for me. When I peel the tape off, half the time the polish comes off with it. The other half of the time I find out that I have managed to paint underneath the tape. I've found that the thing that works best is to use a super thin brush, like an eyeliner brush. Next, I just take my time and apply a very light thin strip to the tips of my nail. After allowing the tips to dry, it's time to apply the pink or beige top coat. Lastly, I apply a clear chip proof top coat to my new French manicure.
About the author: Jessica Jameson is the owner of the site about Manicure and French Manicure techniques This and other unique content 'manicure' articles are available with free reprint rights.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article54077.html |
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