Are you a fan of French manicure and desperately need to give you nails those classy French flair again? However, with the current lockdown everywhere and all the other chaos going in the world atm, we don’t think anyone is going get a manicure anytime soon! All of our favourite nail salons in Singapore are closed (we feel you, sista!) and we can totally relate to the distress of not being able to give your nails the love it deserves!

But don’t give up hope just yet! Beauty Insider has put together a simple DIY French Manicure guide that’ll help you get through this quarantine period cuz you gotta social distance yourself in style, right??

What is a French Manicure? 

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In case you didn’t know, the French manicure is among many of the nail art designs that have stood through time and remained a classic favourite. Typically involving a pale pink base and bright white tips, the sophisticated and classy nail art will never go out of fashion. In fact, it is one of the highly demanded nail designs in many salons across Singapore. Simple, classic and chic, the French manicure is a design that would suit anyone!

The best part is would complement every outfit and occasion too! Simply put it, if you are someone who likes and looks for a sense of femininity, class and chicness in everything, then nothing can beat a classic French manicure. Though the process of  French manicure may seem frivolous, in reality, it is actually super simple to do! In fact, it is one of the styles of manicure that is so easy to do yourself at home. Just follow our DIY French manicure guide and you are good to go!

What Do I Need for DIY French Manicure? 

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Nothing much actually. In fact, all you need is lots of confidence and trust in yourself and just a bunch of nail kit items. None of the items is that hard or difficult to find, you might even have them at your home. If not you can always order online.

Here are all of the things you need  to score a French mani at  home:

  • A bowl of warm water
  • A towel
  • Basecoat 
  • Nail polish of any shades of your choice
  • Top coat 

How to Do French Manicure at Home?

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After you’ve got the necessary items, it’s really not much more difficult than painting your nails. We get that this the first time for many of you doing your French nails by yourself, so don’t panic! Because we to make it super-simple for you, we’ve gathered a DIY French Manicure guide with 6 simple steps that even beginners can follow. Let’s begin with the tutorial!

1.  Clean Your Nails with a Hand Soap

This is the most basic yet important step of the process. Clean nails ensure a more refine and edgy finish. If you currently have colours on your nails make sure to remove it first. Wash your hands and nails with a good hand soap till there is no dirt or any nail polish residues. Once done cleaning then soak your hands in a bowl of warm water for a spotless finish.

Here are Our Top Pick Hand Soaps That Can Keep your Hand Clean and Soft!

2.  Trim Your Nails to Give it Some Shape

Once you have clean nails, the next step in DIY French manicure is trimming your nails. But don’t trim em too short cuz French nails look better with long and pointy nails. Whatever, is your desired length make sure that all of your nails are even!   Use a good nail clipper and trim make sure to trim your cuticle as well. We use the Sephora Collection Premium Cuticle Clipper to trim our nails it perfect for a clean, neat and precise finish.

Buy the Sephora Collection Premium Cuticle Clipper for $26 now!

3. Buff Your Nails Till It Shines Like a Diamond

Buffing is the process of polishing your nails. It is another important step in the DIY Frech manicure process for the perfect finish. Buffing your nails will smoothen and prep them for the coating later. Plus, buffing your nails also can add more shine to your nails. To buff your nails all you need is a nail buffer. You can also use your nail buffer to give your trimmed nails a more refined shape.  You can file your nails into a square or round shape, depending on your preference. Use a nail buffer to buff the surface of your nails.

Remember: Don’t push the buffer to harshly down your nails, as this can damage them. Gently drag the buffer across your nails for that super shiny finish! You can use the 3CE Nail Buffer to get the job done for you. 

4. Start Off by Applying a Base Coat

A base coat is a kinda like the ‘makeup primer’ of the nail world. It preps the nails for the thicker coating later by helping the polish stick to the nail more easily. It can also protect the nails from the damaging effects of the nail polish. Apart from that, a base coat can also prevent the nails from staining and peeling. Plus, it will give your polished nails a more even texture. Usually, base coats are either colourless or a creamy milky-white. 

Here’s to Apply a Base Coat: 

  • Use either cream or clear base and start by painting a stripe down the centre of your first nail,
  • Then, go on to pain two more stripes on either side. Make sure to paint from the cuticle to the tip,
  • Make sure the tip of the brush is angled forward and fill in the entire nail using smooth, even strokes,
  • Continue painting the base coat on each nail of both hands. Let is dry for about 5-10 minutes.

Use the Butter London Horse Power Nail Rescue Basecoat as it can help restore moisture to your nails as well as prep for an impeccable manicure. 

5.  Paint the Tip of Your Nails with any Nail Polish of Your Choice

Before you move to this step of the DIY French manicure guide, make sure your base colour is completely dry! Then, without shaky hands, paint white crescents on your nail tips. If you can make out the crescent shape,  then just pain the white polish over the whites of your nails. Where the whites of your nails stop, that’s where your white paint should stop too! Pro-tip, you can also use scotch tape or sticker to ensure the get the shape right. 

Here’s How to Use a Scotch Tape to get the Perfect Tips:

Just. put a strip of scotch tape right below where the white of your nail ends. 

  • The tape will block off the majority of your nail, leaving just a small crescent-like space for you to paint,
  • Paint that part with your white polish and don’t worry if you make a mistake because you are just painting over the scotch tape instead,
  • Let your nails to dry for 5-10 minutes then apply another coat if you wish,
  • When your nails are dry, peel off the scotch tape to reveal your finished manicure.

6. Finish it Off with a Top Coat

The final step of the DIY French manicure process is to top coat. Once your white nail polish has dried, use a top coat (you can use the same nail polish that you used a base) to do the top coating. It is important to layer your nails with a top coat as it can protect the look of your nails as well as help the manicure last longer, too. Then, once your top coat is dried make sure to apply some cuticle oil for a super shine finish!