A French
manicure is a nice way to have polished nails without drawing too
much attention to your hands. The absence of color makes for easy
outfit changes, without having to think too much about clashing
colors. French manicures also last longer than traditional
manicures with colored polish because you cannot see chips as
easily. They are also easier to touch up without being too
noticeable.
What is the purpose of having a manicure, if you
are just going to put clear polish on top of your nails? Why bother
to go through all that time and trouble, to look natural?
Well, we women do tons of crazy things, and spend countless hours
in the salon trying to make ourselves appear naturally
beautiful. Why should manicures be any different?
Besides, the polish is not actually clear. The polish is two
different colors. A very thin white or off white coat is
applied to the tips of your nails and allowed to dry. Then
the entire nail is painted with a soft beige or pink color, making
the nails very clean and polished looking, but not quite as
dramatic as red or pink polish.
While French manicures may look almost natural,
they are the most difficult type of manicure to have done to your
nails. Most salons charge more money for a French manicure,
than a regular manicure with one solid color. Some salons use
an actual paint brush, with very fine bristles to apply the thin
white coat to the tips of the nails. Other salons will very
quickly apply the white coat without much attention to detail. Then
they will come back before the polish has dried and remove the
excess color with an orange stick wrapped in cotton. This is
interesting to watch. I always get nervous when the
manicurist paints half of my fingernail white. I'm thinking
to myself, great, I could do a better job at home blindfolded and
I'm paying her my hard earned money to make a huge mess. But
then, she is always redeemed when she had cleaned off the excess
and my nails look great. Watching her perfect this skill with ease,
I was enticed to try this process at home. I made a huge mess; I
think that next time I will leave this skill to the
professional.
The popularity of having a French manicure
started around the seventies, and is just as popular today.
People have been getting French manicures for years. You can
see these types of manicures just about anywhere from magazines, to
moms at the grocery store. One thing that is kind of
interesting about French manicures is that they really don't have
any target age range. Anyone from teenagers, to grandmothers
can be seen sporting a French manicure, that is something that
cannot be said of most fashion trends.
In recent years, there has been a new addition
to the French manicure family. It's the French
pedicure. They have all of the flexibility and versatility of
the French manicure. I love that I can wear pink shoes, red
shoes, or black shoes without having to rethink my toenail
polish.
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Holiday blues and I?m still only packing The Corkman, Ireland - 8 hours ago I like sun dresses and teeshirts and high-heeled sandals that show off my French manicure. Call me shallow but I?d much rather be in Spain suffering ... Bring the shine on your nails - Peninsula On-line Peninsula On-line Bring the shine on your nails Peninsula On-line, Qatar - Aug 13, 2008 The rate for an express manicure is QR50 and for a French manicure is QR75. "We take great care to make sure our clients receive the best," said De Rosario. ... Huckaby: Shelling beans another tradition gone with the wind - Online Athens
Huckaby: Shelling beans another tradition gone with the wind Online Athens, GA - Jul 26, 2008 French manicures. Now that's a good way to spend a hard-earned dollar or two. When you get one of those, your nails are clear and glossy, except for the ... Crewe beauty salon given its own makeover - Crewe Chronicle
Crewe beauty salon given its own makeover Crewe Chronicle, UK - Aug 20, 2008 A nail bar will offer clients an express service as well as luxury manicures on top of all the age-defying treatments and feel-good therapies on offer at ...