French manicure: what does it consist of and how to do it?

Do you know the French manicure? It is a very elegant type of manicure. This manicure, as its name suggests, was born in the 70s in France; more specifically, in Paris.

The creator of it was Jeff Pink, founding businessman of the company ORLY (1975), who named his creation "French Manicure". In this article we will tell you all the details of this type of manicure: origin, steps to perform it, tips, curiosities, etc.

• It may interest you: "Porcelain nails: what they are and tips for putting them on"

The origin of the French manicure

Jeff Pink's ORLY company was dedicated to nail care products for increasing the durability of enamels, adhesion, wear resistance, gloss and reduction of drying time.

This type of manicure had a great trend initially on the fashion catwalks. Thus, Jeff Pink devised this type of manicure to complement the wardrobe of Hollywood stars, for being a type of natural look but at the same time elegant.

A little history...

As we have already mentioned, the golden age of French manicure was during the 70s

. Previously, in the 1960s, the great movie or television stars sported long, oval-shaped nails with a bit of glitter. Wearing short nails was more associated with ordinary people or other social groups.

In the 70s, the square shape on the nails was the most popular. From then on, construction techniques began to become known, which involved artificially lengthening the nails, making them more resistant and showing various designs. This movement became known as the “nail art”.

French manicure: what does it consist of?

The French manicure is basically and traditionally characterized by two colors: on the one hand, the natural pink (sometimes colorless) base color of the nails and the white tips. Thus, gives a very natural finish.

A third coat of clear color is usually applied to add shine and make the polish stay longer.

Steps to get a French manicure

Here we leave you a list of 10 detailed and broken down steps to flaunt a perfect French manicure.

1. Shaping nails

First it is important to shape the nails with a file. In a traditional way, the French manicure has always been worn with square shaped nails, although the rounded or pointed shape is also very popular with the French manicure.

2. Polish and file nails

The next important step in French manicure is polishing your nails, as well as filing them to the end shape you want. There are products that are applied after the step of filing the nails, to give them a touch of shine.

3. Protect nails

Before applying the first coat of color, it is important to apply a thin coat of protective foundation or gloss. In this way, it is avoided that the nails end up turning a yellowish color, and also lengthens the duration of the enamel.

4. Displace and hydrate cuticles

It is important to bear in mind that the cuticles should not be cut, since they constitute the root of the nails and therefore, from them they grow.

Therefore, to make them look better aesthetically, there are some toothpicks (orange sticks they are called) that what they do is pull back the cuticles. Subsequently, it is a good idea to hydrate them with a specific product, to ensure that they do not dry out and grow strong.

5. Apply the base

The base is used as a step prior to color, and its function is to harden the nail. This is especially useful for people with brittle and weak nails with a tendency to split easily.

6. Use the base polish: pink or pale pink

This is the first basic step of the French manicure; choose the color of the nail. There are those who opt for colors that are more similar to the natural color of the nail itself.

These colors give a 'bare nails' effect. This type of manicure mimics the real shades and highlights them.

Another option is pale pink colors. This type of tonality is the star of the French manicure, since it is much more visible and contrasts more with the color of the hands. As it colors more than the lighter or transparent colors, it is important to apply the color precisely: applying a drop in the center of the nail and spreading it to the sides.

7. Use the white nail polish on the tips

This is another of the most representative points of French manicure. Enamels are used with a very fine brush, in order to be easy to make the white line of the tips of the nails.

There are several ways to apply it: or freehand, to use guides, markers... Ideally, you should try several options until you find the one that best suits you.

8. Apply the third coat

This step is very optional. It simply consists of applying a fixing clear coat to make your French manicure last longer.

9. Brightness

To protect the finish and make it more professional, it's a good idea to apply a final coat to give your nails a shine. It is important to apply this last layer when the previous layers are well dry.

10. Let dry and moisturize hands

Finally, it is allowed to dry and the hands are hydrated to give a perfect French manicure finish.

Reversible version

A trend that has become fashionable, (especially in summer) in terms of French manicure, is to take it in the opposite direction. Namely, with the white line on the bottom of the nail, and the pink color on the rest of the nail.

This is a good way to keep your French manicure for longer, since the sun, water or sand (which always accompany us during the summer) tend to spoil the classic finish very quickly. In addition, it is a trend to change the white color of the tips for more vivid colors such as red, blue ...

Which manicure to keep?

As you have seen, ideas to do a manicure are not going to be missing, because the era of manicure is on the rise; Have you noticed that there are businesses dedicated to manicure services everywhere? From affordable prices to slightly higher prices, with more sophisticated facilities and products.

So if you prefer to innovate, with the great multitude of colors, shapes, types, designs and patterns, you have many options to choose from. From natural designs to extreme. According to your personality, style or time, you will surely know which one to choose. There is nothing written about nails!

Although of course if you prefer to opt for the traditional but elegant manicure style French, you know that this has not lost followers and is still as popular as it was in the decade of the 70s.