Nail It!: Four French Manicure Don’ts

October 8, 2009 at 5:04 am Michelle Mismas 4 comments

Truth: In general, I consider French manicures to be Don’ts.  Mainly because I have extremely detached nail beds so even when my nails are short my tips are pretty thick.  A French mani just looks odd on me.   However in terms of the french manicured population-at-large, I detest the look because so many women get it wrong.

Ladies, it’s not completely your fault.  The majority of you go to a professional and they should know better.  What are you paying them for but to give their educated opinion?  After all, it is their work you’re wearing.  They should want you to receive compliments not judgmental stares.  Though the sad reality is that a lot of techs sport bad french manicures themselves.

In my perfect world there would be no French manicure but I’m not delusional.  Regardless of my protests they will continue to be a staple of nail fashion so this is my plea to you.  Tell your friends, your family, heck even your frenemies because they deserve nice nails too.  Tell them about my Four French Manicure Don’ts and help me end the tackiness that has put such a negative connotation on the look.

The whole point behind a French manicure is to make perfect something that isn’t.  To give your nails a flawless, natural appearance.  So why do so many women wear French’s that look fake, scary and downright hideous?  They either don’t know any better or they’re surrounded by too many women wearing the same look to break from the herd.  It’s time to end the cycle gals.  Follow these four rules to avoid me showing up at your door, polish remover in hand.

Don’t Wear Super Squared Edges – A soft, natural shape, like round or squoval (squared-oval), is more flattering than a hard edge.  Those harsh squares scream artificial.

Don’t Wear Bright White Tips – Let’s get real here for a second, there is nothing natural about stark white tips.  So why call attention to just how unreal yours are?  Using a soft, off-white hue, dubbed an American Manicure, mimics your natural nail color.

Don’t Wear Uber-Thick Tips – Meaning, keep your nails short or active length.  The best French’s I’ve seen are created with a thin stroke of white at the tip.  That also means you don’t start the line halfway down your nail bed.  My nails are detached but they aren’t that detached. If yours are, opaque polishes are your new BFF.

Don’t Ignore Your Skin Tone – I’m sure we would all love to have rosy pink skin peeking up through our nail plate but genetics is in charge here.  Wearing a super pink base color when your skin is olive or yellow-based doesn’t work.  Opt for a creamy nude or peachy beige to best suit your coloring.

Entry filed under: Nail It!. Tags: French Manicure, Manicure, Manicure Tips, Nails.