Hi guys I have thrown myself into a tizz over doing a french manicure. This is how I was taught, apply base then pink or peach or whatever you are using then 2 coats of white to the end finish with topcoat.

However I am confused as sometimes I am not getting my smile line correct so there fore am having to start again and takes forever to dry iygwim. How do you tidy smile line with nail fresh or scrubfresh without ruining the base polish or your pink, would you have to apply white first? but surely then there would be no base,,ohhh Im so so confused, I have sat today with nail tips practising dif techniques and still non wiser. Also what is best white to use, I find most to gluey an d thick or thin and brush to big, I tried using small nail art brush dipping that in the polish, is this okay,,,, please help geeks

Look at my tutorial for french polish, it helped me loads!!

French polish made easy

hths.

Thanks hun I am going to have a go. I just dont understand why apply a base coat only to remove it with scrub or nail fresh,,is it so it is under zone 1?? and then when i re apply base do i just put it up to smile line obv..lol soz xxx going to have a go now ha ha

Look ... when tidying the smile with Nail Fresh, you ONLY need to use the very tip point of your brush ... You don't remove enough of anything to worry about and then when you apply your top coat, everything gets drawn together again. Nailfresh is the bomb for this job because when you use it, nothing goes sticky and if used correctly it does not melt through to the base coat. On the other hand, ScrubFresh or remover DOES melt through and also makes the surrounding area go sticky. Stick to NailFresh which is why it is the most recommended by CND ... it is the best tool for the job.

Hello chicken why dont you practice ,practice ,practice JUST your white smiles untill youre a little more confident?
No base coat no nothing so it doesnt matter then once your not getting stressed over these things you'll do just fine I promise!!
I will give you a likkl tip that I love - cut the brushes of your whites so you can use a nice fine point to perfect your smile lines.
Steady hand and practice and you ll get it in no time.
Bet you this service will become 1 of your favourites once you've mastered it!!!
Good luck
Jayneym xxxx

I don't think you should have to use any special tools or customised brushes to do a perfect French Manicure. A good professional polish should have a brush that when used in the correct way makes a perfectly smooth and sharp smile line for you.

I use CND Polish and have never had to use a special brush .. just the great brush that is in the bottle. I use the brush flat on the nail as always, but just draw the brush across the nail in a sweeping C. Any tiny adjustments can be made with the point of any old brush and NailFresh.

I do my french manicures a little different, that may prove helpful-

1. basecoat (natural nails only)
2. apply white on free edge and clean up smile line if needed
3. apply pink french over entire nail (this also helps in any imperfections of smile to not be as noticeable)
4. apply topcoat

This way of doing polish keeps from messing up the pink and it softens the white so it doesn't look so stark, which some clients like.

yes thanks I tried that yesterday, bit softer. I just find it sooo anoying when it takes forever for a french polish to dry. I done one last week and the lady came back yesterday for a NNO, and she all her white tips had smudged, she never complained. I have got dry and shine which is great on coloured polish, but I am finding it not so good on french. Think I need to invest in a good white polish. Any suggestions, also anyone know of a nice clear pink like an american rather than french?? xxx

Have you tried solar speed spray or air dry topcoat from CND fantastic products!

I use Essie's Marshmallow for my white tip. It's the best white I've ever used. I also use Essie's Cherry Pop for my pink. It's a clear pink and makes a great alternative to a french mani.

I do Stickey basecoat first, Cherry Pop, then Marshmallow for the tip then my Air Dry top coat.

Good luck!

Not sure what products you have available over your way, so I can't comment on what products to use. I use drying drops on their polished nails. There are several brands available. If you get OPI products their drops are pretty good. I use to use CND's spray (client's love the smell), but the drops work better and client's are happier.

I am in the uk, and essies is not a brand I am familiar with, so maybe the are based in the usa only, shame as I am having trouble sourcing a nice american pink. I have air dry but find that this is thicker than super shiny so therefore it takes my french even longer to set, even though dry ontop, the inside is still tacky, iygwim. Just out off intrest what do you geeks prefer, dry and shine or solar speed?? I have used solar oil little drops just placed on each nail, is solar spray not just the oil but in a spray??? thanks guys for your replys xx

Just a little hint on my french whites. I put two coats of Essie's 'Madamoissel" on ,then one coat of Essie's "Picket fence". I blow dry or put the the clients hands under the light to dry, after the Madamoissel and after the white. To apply the white, I just lay the brush to the one side of the nail and just rock the nail to sweep it over to the other side. This seems to make the nicest white line. Then dry again and apply top coat. I find I have to use a new bottle of white, as they get thick pretty quickly. Hope this helps!

French is all about practice ......
here's a vid of how I do it, I do customise my brush, but not by cutting it, I simply flatten it with my fingers.

Click here ------>Fanning before French Paint
then ..............

Everyone has a different way of doing it... find a comfortable way for you.

if you having problems finding a nice pink, i swear by ORLY's bare rose french. a single coat gets you a nice healthy pink glow. i just use a plain white for my tips. and a clear top coat, Usually Out the Door, along with OPI Drip Dry. clients are done in minutes and "out the door". lol also when you are doing the tip first base second style of french when you do your pink, drag the brush horizontal across the nail and your less likely to mix your pink and white and it won't smudge or cover.