It is rather simple to get the look of perfect French nails and this is something you can even do yourself with a few easy steps. Before anything else, you should prepare the nails well enough by cleaning it; remove any old nail polish and file the nails into shape. Not accomplishing this preliminary requirement will only lead to unpleasant outcomes where time and effort will surely be wasted.



The second step is soaking your fingernails in a warm water bath; this softens the cuticles. Soften the cuticle in order for you to be able to trim off any loose skin around the path of the nail. Doing the trimming without softening the cuticle first will only result in possible cuts surfacing later on.

Start cleaning the cuticles by pushing the skin gently backwards with an orangewood stick; use some cuticle remover to completely remove any other excess that is left. Take some time when managing cuticle build up in order to limit any possible wounds that may surface as you do the task; see as it delivers better results when doing French Nails. Remember to spend an adequate amount of time on this particular step to make sure you do not damage your fingernails in the process of cleaning out the cuticles.

Do not miss applying hand cream to the nails and rub them in well; leave the cream in for about two to three minutes and wipe away any excess cream with some facial tissue. The cream will serve to maintain the needed moisture in your fingers as well as to serve as a protective seal for the treated cuticles. When this step has been accomplished, now is when you decide in relation to what nail polishes you will be using.



Polish can now be applied to you French nails; start with a clear basecoat allowing each fingernail to dry very well afterwards. A basecoat is needed before any other color is painted on because it serves as the base for whatever the final look will be. A good tip when applying polish is to have some patience and let each coat dry well enough before another one is painted on to avoid clumping afterwards.

As the basecoat is drying, select a pale shaded color of polish that will be applied afterwards; this color is applied in thin layers; the color should match the nail plate for a better look. Apply the neutral polish two to three times and again let the polish dry completely, about two minutes per coat. The finale to this polishing aspect for French nails is painting a white strip on the tips of the fingernails.

Painting the tips completes the French manicured style; coats of opaque colored polishes are applied in contrast with the pale foundation; you can never go wrong with white or beige nail polish for this step. For the fingernail ends, the same rule applies; let each coat dry completely before another one is painted over it. A straight white strip along the fingernail ends distinctly gives French nails its image; try going along the natural curve of the nail when you apply this strip and see how your nails will start appearing as if they were longer than they really are.

Finalize the polish work with a clear coat applied on top of all the previous layers. Clean the edges of the nail by using an orangewood stick and a piece of cotton moistened with some nail polish remover. Again, allow your nails to dry for about twenty minutes to an hour this time and then you can start doing the things you need to attend to; the process may be long but the results will make the effort worth undertaking.

Suggested Reading:
Guidelines to Achieve French Nails