French Pedicure, How to?

[trojanpopcorn]

Hey!
I am taking a wild guess that someone on this board must do this to themselves. How do I get the white to look nice? Any help would be really appreciated!

x

 

[CantAffordMAC]

i've done this on myself before...it came out cute. I don't do it too often though, because its a hassle
I got these french manicure guides...they are little stickers that you place on your nails/toenails to block off the rest of your nail so that you can paint the line across the top easier.
You can do a straight line, or you can move the sticker and make an upside down V (its cute, but i dont know the name of it)
I think you can get these at Sally's beauty supply or any other beauty supply store. They are called French Touch Guide Liners.

Also, make sure you get a white striper. this is a white nail polish with a very thin brush (like they have in nail salons, to make the french manicure line, or to create designs) If you get a regular white nail polish it doesn't go on as smoothly.
HTH

 

[vica]

this is how i do french tips:
i paint an even stripe of white on my toenail.. it doesnt have to be perfect.. then take a paintbrush, acrylic brush ,or even an eyeshadow brush.. (the brushes that are really really easy to work with have alot of bristles packed together and the bristles are rounded and short) dip the brush in ACETONE.. not the non acetone polish removers (they dont work well, i tried it and it just gets the brush all tacky with polish) and then "erase" under the line of polish i made... and keep on sweeping in windshield wiper motions until the line is clean and its the thickness you want. it seems complicated but its really easy and it gets the lines really clean.

 

[Beauty Mark]

To do smaller work, you should get a small brush. I think some nail polish brands come out with like sample sizes. They're perfect.

Can't vouch for the quality, though. As far as getting a perfectly straight line, its nice to do, but at the same time, as long as it looks pretty straight, no one should be able to tell. The great thing about pedicures is unless you stick your feet in people's faces, they can't really tell if something small is off.

 

[thestarsfall]

I slop on white nail polish on my tips (it goes on so messy but I dont care) and then clean it up into a nice line with a qtip and nail polish remover and then let that dry and then put a pale pink or nude or like a pearly white over top...just make sure its sheer...

Its basically the same thing I do with my nails when I do them that way...and I have been asked who did my nails and everyone is always surprised when I say I did them...

 

[ilovexnerdsx]

i definitely agree with the manicure guides. they're like little stickers. you can find them at walmart, they make slightly curved ones for your fingernails and straight ones for your toenails. you put them on and paint the area above it so when you let it dry and take the sticker off, you have a nice straight line

it's also fun to make stripes and things like that. i just made my toenails look like candy canes today

 

[MsCocoa]

I do mine free hand and follow the line or create a line, the most important thing is there all the same shape ie; curved or straight and that the thickness of the white is the same. A tipped orange wood stick is good for cleaning up the lines, I would post a pic but the pics blurry.

 

[trojanpopcorn]

Wow!!! Thanks for all the tips

I have been desperate to do this to myself and now I can.

 

[thewickedstyle]

I've done mine a few different ways but the fastest is to use a French Manicure Pen. Sally Hansen makes one, it looks like a thick marker with a felt tip. You "draw" the white stripe on with it, when you press the tip against the nail, the polish will come out.

It takes a little practice but it's easy when you get the hang of it. I suggest pressing the felt tip on a piece of paper so a little polish glops out, then running it across your nail... because when you first press it, a lot kinda glops out before it gets smooth. HTH

 

[OohJeannie]

Hey trojanpopcorn, this is the polish I use to do a french pedicure. I use the toe spacers and make sure the polish is completely dry. Initially, I try and make the line as thin as possible and build to the thickness I want. If you mess up, since the polish under is already dry, all you have to do is wet your finger with water and wipe it off. lol If your white polish doesnt lay easily, put a little bit of nail polish remover in it and shake. Doing this will thin out the polish.

 

[iveseendisallbf]

I've heard nail techs say that putting acetone in nail polish to thin out the polish makes it chip easier.

 

[trojanpopcorn]

Gosh this is a great thread for me. Thanks everyone! I might try it later and post piccies.