Has anyone got any tips on how to apply french polish following a manicure. I always try to avoid it as I find applying the white tip always goes horribly wrong, over the clients fingers, any either too thickly or too thinly applied. I have my manicure and pedicure exam soon and have to apply french polish to the finger nails as part of the exam and we are not allowed to use the "templates" but have to do it free hand. I have just got some Mavala polishes and I find the polishes themselves great - I just cannot seem to apply my french polish. Any advice would be great.
French Polish - Please help me!
- Thread starter lisa21
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'chelle
Well-Known Member
Hi
I struggle with this aswell so I know where you are coming from. However, I did an american finish on a client today and they looked really good, my confidence and faith in my ability to french/american manicure are restored!
The way I do it (and this is how I was shown by a CND educator), is to put your zone 2&3 colour on the whole nail, then, put your zone 1 white on by painting it on horizontally, following the natural free edge (if that makes sense). I then finish with 2 coats of super shiney topcoat.
Do some practice on some cheap tips, and ask all your friends and relatives if you can practice on them.
Good luck!
I struggle with this aswell so I know where you are coming from. However, I did an american finish on a client today and they looked really good, my confidence and faith in my ability to french/american manicure are restored!
The way I do it (and this is how I was shown by a CND educator), is to put your zone 2&3 colour on the whole nail, then, put your zone 1 white on by painting it on horizontally, following the natural free edge (if that makes sense). I then finish with 2 coats of super shiney topcoat.
Do some practice on some cheap tips, and ask all your friends and relatives if you can practice on them.
Good luck!
BodyAngels
Well-Known Member
Don't overload your brush. Dip the brush into the bottle to coat it, then wipe one half of the brush and then a wipe a quarter of what is left on the other side. What you have left should be about enough, but obviously you'll get a feel for this as you do more and more.
Whichever hand you use to apply the polish; rest your little finger on their hand/your other hand, which will really help you to steady yours as you apply. Hold the finger you are applying the polish to with your thumb and forefinger and you can then rotate it as you brush from one side to the other. Don't laugh, but I find myself holding my breath when I do the white lol. Also, you can always tip an orange stick with cotton and dip this into polish remover which you can then wipe any mistakes up with. I don't think it's possible to perform a french polish without getting some on the clients skin.
Claire x
Whichever hand you use to apply the polish; rest your little finger on their hand/your other hand, which will really help you to steady yours as you apply. Hold the finger you are applying the polish to with your thumb and forefinger and you can then rotate it as you brush from one side to the other. Don't laugh, but I find myself holding my breath when I do the white lol. Also, you can always tip an orange stick with cotton and dip this into polish remover which you can then wipe any mistakes up with. I don't think it's possible to perform a french polish without getting some on the clients skin.
Claire x
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Hi
why dont you try leighton dennys precision corrector and precision brush, untill you can do it on your own.you do your normal white tip and then with the brush you dip it in the corrector,and go over the smile line to clean it up. makeing it a clean smile line .hope this helps you.
xxsandraxx
why dont you try leighton dennys precision corrector and precision brush, untill you can do it on your own.you do your normal white tip and then with the brush you dip it in the corrector,and go over the smile line to clean it up. makeing it a clean smile line .hope this helps you.
xxsandraxx
sodabubble
Well-Known Member
ooooooh I have never heard of these things! Are they fancy?
weezie
Well-Known Member
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I quite like using Essies marshmallow for the tip as it gives a softer white so is more forgiving, as said before do two thin layers of white, the first layer looks barely there then you can follow the line bolder for the next layer (follow Claire's advice!). I find if you put the vanity fairest pink over it it kind of melts the white tip to look much more natural plus the slight sparkle in the polish makes it look more even! This was the first polish I achieved a good french manicure with! :hug:
Ellies Nails
Well-Known Member
why dont you try leighton dennys precision corrector and precision brush, untill you can do it on your own.you do your normal white tip and then with the brush you dip it in the corrector,and go over the smile line to clean it up. makeing it a clean smile line .hope this helps you.
xxsandraxx[/quote]
This is simalar to what I do. I keep an old nail polish brush dip it into my nail polish remover then use the brush like a fan shape to gently remove some white untill I get a nice smile line. Then top coat as normal
hope this hepls xx
xxsandraxx[/quote]
This is simalar to what I do. I keep an old nail polish brush dip it into my nail polish remover then use the brush like a fan shape to gently remove some white untill I get a nice smile line. Then top coat as normal
hope this hepls xx
geeg
Judge Gigi-Honorary Geek
BodyAngels has given you some good tips (apart form the cuticle stick and cotton wool bit which usually ruins your smileline and put fibres on the polish!!). Mush better to use the nail techs best friend and use NailFresh form CND and a brush dipped in it to correct any faults and to remove any polish from the skin. YES you do always get some on th skin if you do a good thorough job, it isnot a fault.
The best tip you will ever get is this ... apply the white as fast as you can in one very quick sweep from one corner, down and up again on the other side. The quicker you do it with a nice light touch, the better. It will go on like majic. The slower you are, the worse it will look.
The best tip you will ever get is this ... apply the white as fast as you can in one very quick sweep from one corner, down and up again on the other side. The quicker you do it with a nice light touch, the better. It will go on like majic. The slower you are, the worse it will look.
skymark
Lisamarie
I always try to do this geeg and find it works well but i'm always wondering what order is the correct way to do a french? I mean after base coat?
I've seen it done white first then polish over the top. I've also seen it done polish, white, polish.
Never quite sure which is the recommended?
lotus blossom
Well-Known Member
i always start on the skin and finish on the skin on the other side, and like gigi says, i do it quickly,
the more time you spend doing it the shakier and wobblier it will be,
use your little finger of the holding hand to balance your applying hand and just go for it!!
and yes definately nail fresh for swiping smiles or getting off the skin
hth xx
the more time you spend doing it the shakier and wobblier it will be,
use your little finger of the holding hand to balance your applying hand and just go for it!!
and yes definately nail fresh for swiping smiles or getting off the skin
hth xx
lotus blossom
Well-Known Member
i do base coat,
then white, two coats, then one coat of pink , then top coat
but,,
sometimes i do it differently, but normally this is the way i do it.
then white, two coats, then one coat of pink , then top coat
but,,
sometimes i do it differently, but normally this is the way i do it.
BodyAngels
Well-Known Member
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miky
New Member
I know Mavala polish and, in my opinion, is too thick. You can try with Dior White French or Guerlain White: they have the perfect thickness to create the smile line.
Keep the polish brush parallel to the edge and make an orizzontal line following the free edge.
if you make a mistake, you can correct it with a clean small brush with a little amount of polish remover.
Keep the polish brush parallel to the edge and make an orizzontal line following the free edge.
if you make a mistake, you can correct it with a clean small brush with a little amount of polish remover.
BodyAngels
Well-Known Member
I suppose all systems are different and you'll need to find the best method yourself through trial and error.
Personally, I put on a base coat, then one coat of white, followed by a coat of pink and finished off with a top coat. Any more than that and it can look too thick when you are trying to make it look as natural as possible. But then again, this is how I've always done it.
Claire x
geeg
Judge Gigi-Honorary Geek
There is no right way of doing it. Do it in the way that gives you a great result.
I do Stickey base coat, followed by my colour (usually Beaux) apply my white and then you have the option of another coat of Beaux (depending on how much coverage you want over zones 2 & 3) or just a top coat like Air Dry. A good thick, fast drying, protective top coat will melt away any tiny ridge of the white paint and make the whole thing look smooth like L&P !!
Too bulky and hairy .. even on the skin you can ruin the corners of your smile (you KNOW you can). Most professionals use a brush and Scrub Fresh or Remover but Nail Fresh is much the best option because it evaporates so fast it never smears the polish or runs into it and makes it sticky. If you haven't tried it then you owe yourself the treat.
Final point ... I only use professional brands of Polish ... never anything my clients can buy at a department store. They might have the name Guerlain or Channel or Dior ... but they are no better a polish (in fact most times worse) than a top professional brand.
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hiya,
I remember posting on here about French polish when i was training. It was a nightmare!! So it totally get how frustrating you are probaly finding it!
I got lots of tips from here too and of you use them and keep practising you WILL get there. I always have a small brush handy to tidy up the smile line if needed and work with 2 thin coats of white otherwise you end up with a thick 'tip' of polish at the free edge (by the time you finished you will have your base coat, 2 coats of white and 1 pink, and a top coat) so you need to work thinly to avoid a big 'blob' of polish that will just take forever to dry and often end up cracking or smudging.
The best advice i can give you is to just keep practising as much as poss - its the only way you will get it. Like i said, try different tips that you've been given on here to find what suits you and just keep going with it!!
I remember posting on here about French polish when i was training. It was a nightmare!! So it totally get how frustrating you are probaly finding it!
I got lots of tips from here too and of you use them and keep practising you WILL get there. I always have a small brush handy to tidy up the smile line if needed and work with 2 thin coats of white otherwise you end up with a thick 'tip' of polish at the free edge (by the time you finished you will have your base coat, 2 coats of white and 1 pink, and a top coat) so you need to work thinly to avoid a big 'blob' of polish that will just take forever to dry and often end up cracking or smudging.
The best advice i can give you is to just keep practising as much as poss - its the only way you will get it. Like i said, try different tips that you've been given on here to find what suits you and just keep going with it!!
There are many ways to do a French Polish.
After seeing this thread I filmed my 6pm appointment and have uploaded the video.
As per I do things a little different (although getting a desirable result).
Oddly enough, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread ...... I hold my breath.
Take a peek, there are other French Polish Videos there also.
After seeing this thread I filmed my 6pm appointment and have uploaded the video.
As per I do things a little different (although getting a desirable result).
Oddly enough, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread ...... I hold my breath.
Take a peek, there are other French Polish Videos there also.
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adelekeegan1
Chatty geek
Great as always - I found myself holding my breath too
Gilly T
Well-Known Member
Just watched these. They are great. I've got an assessment on french soon so I'm going to practice on my ever willing 15 year old today!! Thanks so much
ValencianNails
Positivity rules!
Thanks for the video.
I do my French polish exactly the same way, and also my Brisa POW :green:
...and yes, I'm a breath holder too :lol:
